Royal Southern Brotherhood – Don’t Look Back- Ruf records – Ruf 1215

If there is two important, creative guitarists, both composers and songwriters leaving a band there is normally “A Bad Moon Risin’”. There is and was no alert and panic of such kind by the Royal Southern Brotherhood! First there was the entry of heavy-weight blues-& southern-rocker Bart Walker from world country capital-city Nashville and second relatively newly of Texas blues-guy Tyrone Vaughan. The remaining hearts of the RSB, Cyril Neville, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton were welcoming them in genial, joyous and open-minded way. So a new start in the era of RSB began by a bit different songwriting by musical style. The new cd-title “Don’t Look Back” was an appropriate, significant title for the new heavenly creation!

The first track “I Wanna Be Free” has already a big sound-surprise! It is a very heavy and dynamic southern-rocker. A legendary band like Lynyrd Skynyrd could be proud to compose still such a dynamite highlight. Bart and Tyrone are dueling themselves with their axe in gigantic way and Cyril is footloose by canto. By this very first electrifying song all fans can be aware that the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoal, Alabama were the ideal place for the recordings. Positive voodoo vibrations had hoodooed the band. “Reach My Goal” is the hard-groovin’ song dominated by the superb rhythm fraction by Yonrico and Charlie. The title track “Don’t Look Back” presents a complete new sound-face and virtuosity of RSB. First of all a bass-intro the jazz-style by Charlie, second mister Walker playing banjo, third the magical, strong lead-vocals by Cyril and multi-harmony vocals by the rest of the brotherhood. Absolutely enchanting highlight! The new line-up of RSB loves funk and they are manifesting this by “Hit Me Once” “The Big Greasy” is by title a wordplay to the birth-town of master Neville – “The Big Easy” New Orleans. The hammond-sound of Cyril’s brother – Ivan Neville as guest adds additional variety. “Hard Blues” is a hooky axe-dominated rock-blues the “Big Arenas & Stadium-Style”. The Gods by any religion may make this dream to come true for the virtuoso musicians. The simpatico guys really would deserve it by such great songs. Spring-time is affection-time, so “Better Half” as next track is a beautiful ballad dedicated to this theme. The soulful, charming-sweet voices are a seductively delight. Cyril is the man for the percussions and Yonrico for the drums and “Penzi” is their “stick-theme”. “It’s Time for Love” is again a ballad for all people having these special feelings with a beautiful world-music flair. “Bayou Baby” has a swampy flair, spiced up with a reggae rhythm. The six-string-twins of the Brotherhood make their bottleneck glides, hell yeah. “Poor Boy” is a modern funk-rock’n roller in love to the musical gods of the sixities. “They Don’t Make Em’ Like You No more” is the RSB reminiscence to the guitar heroes in heaven. It starts by an intro the Hendrix style and develops to a beautiful, excessive jam, presenting a glorious studio-solo by each serenader. “Come Hell Or High Water” is a spiritual song ideal for meditation. “Anchor Me” starts by a wonderful acoustic guitar intro and canto. It is by theme a religious song, unaffiliated with any specific one. It concludes as relaxing, joyful half-ballad. “A Grand-Final The Royal Style”!

“Don’t Look Back” is a magnum-opus which can be simply described as by “Over The Rainbow”. Definitely one of the top-cd’s in the yearly charts by this music-genre at the end of 2015*****