Blues Wire 031 "Who's Calling?" 1987 ****

The black device on the coffee table is called a telephone. 
The round thing in its middle with the holes is a dial.

Blues Wire were an electric blues band from Thessaloníki. They started their career in 1983 as Blues Gang and quickly established themselves as one of the best European blues bands. Bluesmen visiting Greece in the 80's-90's would often enlist them as their backing band because of their deep knowledge of the genre. They've backed Louisiana Red, Katie Webster, John Hammond, Carey and Lurrie Bell, Angela Brown and many others. I've often had the opportunity to see them play in my hometown of Athens and, having seen many famous blues artists live, I can honestly say The Blues Wire were up there with the best of them. This album was their first under the "Blues Wire" moniker. The production is way ahead of all other albums of the Greek Alternative scene of the time and thankfully free of 80's trappings that ruined "electric blues" albums of that era. It is definitively electric but less rock than, say, Gary Moore or Johnny Winter. Instead it stays closer to its roots, with a sound similar to classic Chicago Blues and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The playing is excellent throughout and the orchestration features two guitars (lead and rhythm or slide), bass, drums and the occasional keyboard and harmonica. Highlights include Howling Wolf's "Who's Been Talking", Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" (similar to Buddy Guy's version, but recorded a few years earlier) and Zaikos originals "Fat Meets Bones" (instrumental) and "Blues Junkie" (with female lead vocals). But my absolute favorite is the fantastic reworking of Sleepy John Estes' 1929 hit "Diving Duck". They don't write lyrics like that any more: "If the river was whiskey/and I was a diving duck/ I would dive to the bottom and never would come back". Wasn't there a prohibition in 1929? Yes, there was! I can't help but make the connection with Greek Rembetika of the same time, always singing the praises of hashish despite the fact it was illegal.

**** for Who's Been Talking, Diving Duck, Fat Meets Bones, Blues Junkie
*** for Mustang Sally, Crying for My Baby, Bye Bye Baby, Because Of You