[Pet Health Admin]

Description:
A tight blues/rock band with Michie playing searing lead guitar and
singing emotional lead vocals. Michie's all original material recalls the best of the blues and roots rock artists with interesting themes and thoughtful lyrics.
Customer Review: Tough Love is a fun rhythm and blues record.
9/10/99 CHRIS MICHIE Tough Love (CatchARabbit Records) Reviewed by Eric Steiner, Cosmik Debris Magazine Long-time San Francisco area back-up guitarist Chris Michie is out front on his third disc called Tough Love on CatchARabbit Records. His label should've been called CatchARecord Records, since Tough Love is well worth a listen. Chris has shared the stage with such blues luminaries as B.B. King, Albert King, Big Mama Thornton, Buddy Guy, and Elvin Bishop. In addition to playing with a who's who in the blues, Chris has played some of the Bay Area's trendsetting venues like The Fillmore, The Matrix, Winterland and The Family Dog. Michie's lead guitar sparkles on "Shaky House," an uptempo blues about life in an earthquake zone. He's got a full band with a capable horn section that ushers in the wistful "Don' Wanna Go," a song that gives voice to Viet Nam veterans who had second thoughts about returning stateside. My favorites include the straightahead jammin' instrumental of "The Terminal Dog," `cause I can hear him bending notes just like Buddy Guy and a lot of other great blues players. Tough Love is a fun rhythm and blues record, particularly for fans of 70's style guitar solos. In Chris Michie's hands, these guitar parts soar.
Customer Review: Reviewing "Tough Love" in Better Guitar, Mark Starlin says:
Chris Michie is a veteran guitarist who has played live with such blues greats as B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Taj Mahal. He has also recorded and toured with popular artists such as Boz Scaggs, The Pointer Sisters, and Van Morrison. So it comes as no surprise that his latest effort would be a polished collection of blues numbers featuring R&B and rock influences. Tough Love starts out with two horn-driven numbers that feature some precise guitar playing and Chris' distinctive voice, but may leave guitarists wishing for a little less "polish." Never fear, by the third cut, Chris is ready to rip it up and does just that on "A Bone To Pick" where he cuts loose with some extended blues jamming. It is here you notice that Chris' tone is not your typical bluesman tone. In fact, his tone on many ofthe cuts is more "shredder" than blues. This is mainly due to his choice of an Ibanez 540R guitar and a Peavey Classic 50 amp. Instrumental guitar fans will find two great cuts on the CD. "Evil Employer", a catchy instrumental with smooth overdubbed guitars and a snarly lead, is a great showcase for Chris' chops. Chris then turns it up another notch on the flat out, uptempo blues instrumental "The Terminal Dog." Other guitar highlights include the cool, horn-like opening riffs of "Sweet Disposition", the intensity building solo of "Burning Down The Wind", and the echoed, clean toned solo of the moody "I Don't Wanna Go." The CD wraps up with "Anita Shodda", a blues/rock cut that would be at home on any ZZ Top CD. The track is unique tone-wise, thanks to the use of a Roland GP-8 guitar synthesizer for the rhythm guitar and a Peavey Blazer practice amp for the lead. The Blazer amp churns out an early 70's fuzzy tone that perfectly compliments Chris' strong fretwork on this track. Overall, Tough Love is a varied collection of solid playing that should appeal to many fans of blues and blues/rock guitar.


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