Blues
Back in the time, rumour had it that this album was recorded in the home of the great TJW, the latter bearing sole responsibility for all the instruments played and recorded. Maybe, maybe not. I am yet to get my hands on some evidence, because I need to know why these supposedly home-sessions songs have kept me wondering for a third of my life.
Indeed, were they really recorded with programmed backing tracks or did TJW play all the instruments throughout? After all, the album was named 'The path of a decent groove' and maybe we should expect more groove than what the drums graced our ears with. After all, those times were the early nineties, and those 'a la Enigma' standards could be accepted, although I doubt TJ listened to a lot of Enigma. And on a few tracks, the bass lines sound like synth bass lines. So? Why do I like the whole set so much?
Well, simply put, the songs are all great. Or, at least, there is no bad song written and recorded. In fact, after all those years of listening to this album, only one thing remains: this recording really laid the path of a decent groove for both the songwriting and guitar-playing skills of TJW. While his then most recent outing (Closer to the truth) had been received with critical acclaim, and been hailed as a work of genius by the French critics of the time, I personally prefer and enjoy 'The path of a decent groove' as being one of my personal favourite, and a serious contender for my list of all-time faves.
Maybe this album was recorded for the sole sake of playing very good swamp-music, as opposed to the idea of selling lots of records. Maybe the songs sound a little alike, and maybe this was the way it was intended. And this is the way I like them to be on this album. It's got an atmosphere or mood that prevail through the album. It's the way I like and am glad it's not been any other way. No sudden change of genre from one song to the other. You don't hope for the next track, or skip songs.
For sure, you don't get lost in the groove.
Oh, and my favourite songs are 'I want to be with you', 'Tina', 'Jaguar Man', and 'Always the song'.
The rest on this collection just fall close.
Thank you, TJW.
By Eric Ah Kow.
**
01. On the Return to Muscle Shoals
02. Catawalling Alley in Nice
03. I Want to Be With You
04. Backside of Paradise
05. Mojo Dollar
06. Way Down South
07. Tina
08. Jaguar Man
09. Up in Arkansas
10. Always the Song
11. Hot 4 U
12. The Coldness of the Chain
13. The Path of a Decent Groove
**
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