Trouble Is… 25
Provogue, 2022
8/10
Originally released in 1997, Kenny Wayne Shepherd decided to re-record his most successful album to date, and this Anniversary Edition comes with a live DVD filmed at The Strand Theatre in Shepherd’s hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.
“Slow Ride” starts the listen with a dense, flowing and meticulous version of blues-rock that swirls with melodic guitar, and “True Lies” follows with hypnotic rhythm, thumping drums and Shepherd’s soaring and booming voice.
Elsewhere, “I Don’t Live Today” brings both cautiousness and grit to the meticulous climate, while “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway” bounces and sways with an energy you could and should dance to.
Arriving closer to the end, the busy and rugged “Chase The Rainbow” is full of stunning guitar acrobatics, and “Ballad Of A Thin Man” exits the listen with emphasis on piano before building into a powerful, thick and unparalleled blues-rock explosion.
An album that sold millions of copies, it’s certainly not difficult to see why as the timeless blues rock it produced sure has aged well, and sounds even better in this updated version.
Travels well with: Joe Bonamassa- Time Clocks; Walter Trout- Ride