Former child prodigy’s album is anything but
In much the same way that MV has always thought that Steve Earle embodies everything you’d want from a hard-living country troubadour, then so it is that Eric Gales almost is the blues writ large.
A former child star – his first album was as a 16-year-old in 1991 – he is lauded by his peers, Joe Bonamassa reckons he’s the greatest, Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge says “he might be the best player on earth”. In between all this he’s done time in prison and been the grips of drug addiction.
Now happily clean, he’s back with what surely ranks as his most personal record yet. ”Middle Of The Road” isn’t some nod either to an easy listening album – in fact the 11 songs here occupy some very dark places indeed – but instead it’s about finding some personal equilibrium.
But more than anything – and when you get down to it this really is all that matters – the 11 songs here are both superb and varied.
It begins the soul-filled “Good Time”, essentially a kind of intro cum Gospel Revival, and it ends with a magnificent instrumental called “Swamp” but it is what is in-between that really enthrals.
“Change In Me (The Rebirth)” is Gales’ own mission statement set to a fine, uplifting blues framework, “Carry Yourself” is a gentle blues song with some Hendrix-like flourishes. Elsewhere though, he finds many sonic references that you might not expect.
One of the best of the soulful forays is “Been So Long” which is also one of the more confessional affairs. Glorious organ combines with lyrics that embody the whole spirit of the album: “no matter what you think you know about me,” he sings at one point, “you ain’t even scratched the surface you’ll see.”
He’s not joking either. “I’ve Been Deceived” is by some way the heaviest thing here – as well as benefiting from some fine female backing vocals from his wife LaDonna amongst others – while “Repetition” which features a brilliant screeching solo from big brother Eugene, takes over from where Prince’s “Sign O’ The Times” left off Elsewhere, there is no settling in as “Help Me Let Go” is an acoustic led strum that makes explicit Gales religious belief and I Don’t Know”, a mighty funking thing with an enormous hook and bigger intentions.
Another place where this album differs from some of the blues pack is that there is only one cover. Gary Clark Jnr turns up for a run through Freddie King’s classic “Boogie Man” and the pair manage to find something new in the tune.
For a man who had so much so young, it is perhaps fitting that Gales welcomes a 16 year old into the fold here too. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram lends his skills to “Help Yourself” and would do well to heed the advice in its words: “can’t nobody help you until you learn to help yourself,” it says.
“Middle Of The Road” sees Eric Gales realise that himself, and in doing so he sounds better than in years.
Rating 8/10
