RATCLIFF BAILEY
"Deuce" (Westfield Recording; 2009)
Reviewed by Metal Mark
This is the second release from the duo of Tim Ratcliff and Ken Bailey, artistically known as Ratcliff Bailey. They have written over 190 songs and they wrote all of the songs found on this release with the exception of the lyrics found on track six. That's the background, but let's try to get at what is really going on here.
These two gentlemen hail from Inronton, Ohio and play a style of blues rock that draws upon classic rock, pop, southern rock and even hard rock. That's a very broad description, I know, but accurate enough to start on because these guys really do vary the sound on these tracks. I heard some sounds reminiscent of early to mid-80s Tom Petty, Fabulous Thunderbirds and even the Rolling Stones around the time of "It's Only Rock 'n Roll."
The element that hit me first on many of the songs was that I was struck with a relaxed feeling when their music hit me. This is partly because they have written some catchy tunes and also in part due to the fact that they channel their influences and that provides a feeling of familiarity. The songs flow smoothly and the slightly under-produced sound helps them to maintain some fuzz and grit that actually gives their sound some added richness.
These two musicians work well together as the sound is
both tight and comfortable. There were a few instances where the sound could
have come up a little more, but that's minor. Not the kind of music that I would
always reach for, but it's well done.
For more information, check out
http://www.myspace.com/ratcliffbailey.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2009 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Nov 2024 13:00:27 -0500.
