Virtuoso bass playing by Colin Hodgkinson!
J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 04/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The band Back Door was a little known band from the seventies. They were a trio but the line up was unusual in that the band included no guitarist or keyboardist. Members included bassist/vocalist Colin Hodgkinson, saxophonist Ron Aspery and drummer Tony Hicks. Colin Hodgkinson is perhaps the most unsung bass player of the seventies. His playing on this compilation of BBC recordings ranks with players like Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Chris Squire and Billy Sheehan to name a few. The music on this set is diverse and alternates between blues/rock covers like Robert Johnson's "When You've Got A Good Friend" and "Walkin' Blues", and Muddy Waters' "Louisiana Blues" and instrumental jazz fusion tracks. The bluesier cuts feature Hodgkinson on vocals while the jazz fusion cuts are instrumental. Cuts like "Vienna Breakdown" "Adolphus Beal", and "Human Bed" are interesting and inventive. A few cuts feature just a duo of bass and drums. Hodgkinson's approach to the bass is more in the lead guitar tradition with the bass often taking the role of the lead instrument. He also likes to feature guitar chording in his style. The cd includes 4 tracks which did not appear on any of the studio albums from Back Door. In addition the last four tracks feature Dave MacRae of Matching Mole on keyboards as a guest. Hodgkinson's dual interest in blues and jazz led him to participate in sessions by such diverse artists as Alexis Korner and Jan Hammer. Ron Aspery's sax sound ranges from traditional to more avant garde soloing. The cover shot is a scream with three young schoolboys holding their fingers in their ears as if the the music is too progressive to take. Colin Hodgkinson's insightful comments are included in the liner notes. The set is a welcome addition to fans of blues rock and jazz fusion as well as those interested in the stellar bass playing of Hodgkinson."