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Reviews by Dave and Brigitte:
DAVID GOGO - 1994
I just received his first cd recording in the mail.
It's self titled "David Gogo" and it's from 1994,
which a few days ago I misread somewhere as 1974
which would've made him five years old.
Either way the man is younger than my fifty three
years of age, and more talented than his mortal
years would lead you to believe.
The cd comes from EMI in Canada, but I bought it
on ebay here in Germany, that alone saved time and
money.
The track listing is as follows:
1. Western Coast - 3:34
2. Deep End - 4:14
3. Bullet-Proof Vest - 3:24
4. MovinŽ On - 3:48
5. Somehow - 4:28
6. It's My Own Fault - 7:13
7. Play The Blues - 3:41
8. Learned The Hard Way - 3:37
9. The Slip - 3:15
10. You Are Here - 5:39
11. This Time - 3:29
12. Crawling Back To You - 4:27 |
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So, where to begin? I never knew of David Gogo
until 2008, although a good friend of ours has every
one of his cd's in his collection. That alone was
enough to spark my interest, in the man and his
music.
I just finished listening to this first cd of his
all the way through, and it's an impressive piece of
work. The more I listen to it the more I appreciate
what's in it. I'm also very thankful for what
doesn't appear in the tracks. There's no fluff here,
it's all straight ahead rock and roll and blues with
some impressive acoustic playing strategically laced
in to keep the entire recording demanding your
undivided attention every moment.
What I hear, is unintentional homage being paid
to David's early and present influences and I'd
venture to say the following artist come through:
1. Johnny Winter - (Acoustic and Electric)
2. Ted Nugent - (from his "Call of the
Wild" LP)
3. Joe Walsh - ( "James Gang Rides Again"
Joe Walsh "So What" LP "Turn to
Stone"
With strong traces of Joe Bonamassa - Gary Moore and
Leslie West (even in the vocals).
If I were forced to narrow it down a little more
it would probably go like this:
Thin Lizzy - Judas Priest - Mountain - Cream - Peter
Green's Fleetwood Mac - Early Scorpions "Lonesome
Crow" perhaps - or "Always Somewhere"………and
most of all I hear "The Allman Brothers
Band" throughout … "Every Hungry Woman"
and "Whipping Post"…… to name but a
few.
NOW - STOP RIGHT THERE:
It's all in there to my ears, but to the average
listener it'll come across from their own personal
experience and enjoyment. Either way your be touched
and enlightened by David's expertise, brilliant
playing and strong vocals throughout. There's
nothing about this recording that I don't like, and
that alone says a lot.
I could, and should stop this review right here
and now, because you really have to listen for
yourself to get the real feeling and emotion from
the source. Suffice to say, you'll either be tapping
your feet in unison or find yourself jumping off
your couch as you're coming down in mid swing
playing your air guitar - as if you're Pete Townsend
in action.
I've been listening to this cd over and over
again with my headphones on. Today I just got back
my Pioneer SX-950 receiver / amplifier from the
repair shop (it only needed four new light bulbs
installed in the front window, I got so tired of
having a dim FM dial, this unit needs to glow and be
bright and alive when turned on - it's vintage
1975-1976 and my pride and joy - but I digress).
I put my stereo components back together and fired
up the old classic system, which I also found is
perfectly matched to play David's cd. Ahhhhhhhh what
a relief it is, to be able to crank up some real
rock nŽ roll and so much more just ringing /
pounding out of my set of four ESS Speakers from
1975…….with the Exclusive Air Motion Transformer!
Beautiful sound - excellent guitar work - excellent
production values - it's a work of art in my book.
What I also like is the way it changes pace from
acoustic to hard driving rock and back again - and
then forward to hard rock….it's a sweet ride and
journey where he wants to take you and he does with
flying colors.
I don't know how this cd sold in Canada when it was
first released, but knowing that David has a very
loyal fan base, and that I'm sure that he had cut
his teeth in a few hundred venues, I would imagine
that the fans were ready and that it sold
respectably well.
The cd is now fourteen years old, so while this is
newly discovered music for me, it's old news for his
die hard fans. I really like it, it's held up
perfectly over the years, as it doesn't sound dated
in the least, it's still fresh and new now as it was
back then.
Quite an accomplishment and one to be very proud of.
Our Hats off to you Mr. Gogo!!!
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SKELETON KEY - 2002
1. (Just Ask) Jesse James - 3:46
2. Stay Away From My Home - 4:15
3. I Can Still Hear You Crying - 4:12
4. Things Are About To Change - 3:06
5. It Don't Make Sense (that you can't make peace) -
7:37
6. Reap What You Sow - 5:29
7. WalkinŽ - 2:47
8. Skelton Key - 3:52
9. Backstroke - 2:45
10. Later to That -
11. Signed, Sealed, Delivered - 2:33
12. Personal Jesus - 4:25
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From EMI to Dixie Frog Records - it appears that
David is a force to be reckoned with. His photo on
the front cover shows a dedicated musician and the
one on the back cover says it all "I'm Here,
I'm Ready and I don't Fuck Around" a serious
look of what's to follow inside - sort of….as the
music is just kick ass rock and roll straight on at
ya!
1. The solid power riff opens this cd, and the piano
stands out as an excellent addition. David's vocals
are clear, strong and make you stand up and take
notice. He has a powerful voice that's not at all
strained when belting out a rocker tune - got a
little Mark Farner style in there.
2. This song has the familiar riff "you don't
love me pretty baby" and the "every hungry
woman's been knockinŽ at your door" Allman
Brothers - with some tasty slide guitar from David
and I love the great harmonica playing that really
makes the song hold together perfectly.
3. Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of Ten
Years After's song called "I'll Make It Easy
For You" from their NOW cd - or their soon to
be released "Angry Voices". A slower paced
song, more of a ballad than a blues tune, but a nice
change up after two fast paced songs.
4. Sounds like Joe Bonamassa stopped in for a visit,
with Gary Moore vocals included. Fabulous guitar
work and vocals by David…got the old Fleetwood Mac
feel and sound of "Oh Well" a stick in
your memory song that will have you humming it long
after the stereo is turned off.
5. A Willie Dixon number and not one that I've heard
before. Refreshing to hear songs that weren't
popular and then listen to a real talent bring it
back to life and give it some new energy. The riff
has the same hypnotic effect of the old Sonny Boy
Williamson's "Help Me". Kind of a haunting
riff and rhythm that makes the eight minute song
enjoyable and entertaining. David's guitar work is
extraordinary, and what really makes it exciting is
his knowing when to let loose on the leads, when to
power up and let it ring and when to reel it in and
slip it back into the groove. David weaves a
tapestry of tones that'll make you press repeat on
your player, to pick up on what you missed the first
time around.
6. A bluesy number at 5:40 that kind of slips and
slides along at an unusual pace, sounds slow but
faster paced with the organ pushing it along. Ah,
yes Paul Butterfield / Bloomfield now it makes sense…done
better by David than the original.
7. Otis Span - the Fleetwood Mac boys loved playing
with him, as his backup band, for fun you should buy
"Bigger Than Colossus" from 1969 - Otis
Spann and Fleetwood Mac. The song here has a real
Bo-Diddly sound.
8. The title track "Skelton Key" if Otis
Reading came back to life to record just one song,
this would be the one. Full of horns and Booker T
and the MG's (Memphis Group) sound.
9. An Albert Collins song and David has it nailed
down to perfection, the organ is also excellent, the
bass is pounding along - are you sure that Albert
wasn't playing on this?
10. Later To That Todd (bass player) - nine seconds
of studio nonsense - just good fun!
11. Signed Sealed and Delivered - not my cup of tea
as they say, but the way it's presented here makes
me want to give it a second listen. It's the chorus
that makes it work exceptionally well. David picks
out the pretty notes with enough power to propel
this song right into yesteryear.
12. We all know the song by Led Zeppelin "When
The Levee Breaks" that's how this song starts
off. With a harmonica stronger than the soulful /
mournful vocals. Give the drummer credit on this as
well, excellent job laying down this pattern, and
making the fills interesting. All in all a brilliant
job by everyone involved - reminds me of an old
Canned Heat Boogie that could've gone on for twenty
minutes or more in concert.
In Conclusion:
Where the hell did this guy come from? Another
brilliant performance by David Gogo. The cd flies by
to quickly that it makes me want to go out and buy
everything he's recorded.
DAVID GOGO - "VIBE" - 2008
This is his brand new recording that we bought at
his concert, the first night we met him in Buer-Melle, Germany.
Tracks Include the Following:
1. She's Alright - (Featuring Jeff Healey) - 3:59
2. 300 Pound Shoes - 4:45
3. Silk And Stone 3:44
4. Cry Harder - 4:16
5. I'd Do Anything - 5:30
6. Hey Juanita - 4:10
7. Love In The City - (Featuring Tom Wilson) - 3:18
8. Hit Me From Above - 4:40
9. Something Ain't Right - 4:31
10. Why Don't You Show Me - 4:05 |
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1. She's Alright - Sets the tone for what's to
follow. The opening bass lines remind me of Eric
Burdon and the Animals song "Don't Let me Be
Misunderstood" The vocals are similar to John
Fogerty but stronger, the grove is reminiscent of
Sheryl Crow's hit song "All I Want To Do"
with visions of Billy pealing labels off of his
Budweiser bottles. David has many musical influences
that's very clear and from my point of view it's
healthy in this case. Why not take the best of
different musical sources and then add your talent
into the mix to create something new and enjoyable!
Jeff Healey and David Gogo together in the studio
for an entire album would've been fantastic and on
stage an incredible tour de force to behold.
2. 300 Pound Shoes - Feeling like a pair of (lead
boots - my impression) since you've put me down, got
no reason to get out of bed….sounds like it should
be a slow blues number but it's a bouncy blues
shuffle that has more energy than it should have.
The guitar work is the base of the mood, the
keyboard work keeps it moving forward and the middle
section is filled with fuzz tone muddle, creating a
feeling of remorse and confusion. This song reminds
me of Canned Heat's song called "Nine Bellow
Zero". Excellent!
3. Silk And Stone - No, it's not like Stevie
Nicks "Leather and Lace" the title just
reminded me of her song. Has a Jeff Healy style to
it with a kind of Bo Diddly beat…give the drummer
credit for a job well done. The equivalent of "Silk
and Stone" is just like "Oil and Water".
4. Cry Harder - Is one of my favourites on this
cd, I like everything about it. As the lyrics say
"just when you thought it couldn't get any
worse you cry harder" - Christ, Ain't that the
truth! I hear Aldo Nova / Billy Squire / Walter
Eagan / Bad Company / Alice Cooper / bits and pieces
- it's a classic little rocker - perfectly done!
5. I'd Do Anything…for you baby, anything for
you. Guitar, horns, strong yet softer vocals, great
keyboard work all working together. It's got a kind
of Sly Stone funky feel to it and you get the
impression Joe Cocker would be great at doing a
cover of it.
6. Hey Juanita - Sorry folks, not my cup of tea,
but David and the band sound happy playing it.
7. Love In The City - Ah Yes, - the Rolling
Stones influence pays us a visit - start me up /
tumbling dice / miss you / ---- a nice little rocker
none the less with lots of energy.
8. Hit Me From Above - I love the vocals and the
lyrics because it's in the true David Gogo style.
When he doesn't pull any punches and just shoots
from the hip he's at his very best. The funny thing
is it's not a real rocker, it's a patchwork of
ballad, rocking blues telling a good story.
9. Something Ain't Right - A good song, well done
- excellent guitar work, keyboards, drumming, horns.
For the general masses or AM radio play.
10. Why Don't You Show Me - In my opinion, this
should have been the opening song on this collection,
followed by She's Alright, 300 Pound Shoes, Cry
Harder, Hit Me From Above…. This song is one of my
favourites on this cd - dirty blues telling a story
of unrewarded love. Let's get our love back in order
is the plea - the wailing guitar work says it all.
Once again David's vocals are so strong and powerful.
The keyboard is exceptionally prominent as a primal
support growl as it slides from the lower register
to the middle and upper registers to create a sexual
overtone of wanton desire and ultimate release….excellent
and in good taste as well !!!
In conclusion:
Perfectly produced with excellent separation and
dynamics.
Strong songs, enjoyable lyrics and a different blend
of songs and styles….some I like and some, other
fans will appreciate more. All in all a good
collection, as David seems to have found a
comfortable place in which to expand and explore his
musical landscapes. If I were him, I'd be heading in
the same direction too. Stay honest to your craft
and yourself and follow your musical and career
desires.
I think what I'd like from David is a two cd set
of cover tunes done his way.
For Example, on the electric side:
1. Mississippi Queen (Mountain)
2. All Right Now (Free)
3. The Stealer (Free)
4. I Wonder (Humble Pie)
5. Still Alive and Well (Johnny Winter)
6. Rock and Roll People (John Lennon)
7. Back In The USA (Chuck Berry)
8. No Money Down (Chuck Berry)
9. Rock The Nation (Montrose)
10. Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran)
11. I Don't Need No Doctor (Humble Pie)
12. Fantasy (Aldo Nova) or Medicine Man)
13. ShakinŽ All Over (Johnny Kidd and the Pirates)
14. I Got The Fire (Montrose)
15. Two Daze Gone (Billy Squire) or What Do Ya Want
From Me
16. Shine On (Peter Frampton)
17. Sin's A Good Man's Brother (Mark Farner)
18. Crossroads (Cream Live)
19. Rock and Roll Machine (Rick Emmett) or 24 Hours
A Day
20. Oh Well (Peter Green)
On the Acoustic Side:
1. Make It With You (Bread)
2. If (Syd Barrett)
3. Fire and Rain (Carol King / James Taylor)
4. Be My Friend (Leslie West)
5. Send Me Someone To Love (Percy Mayfield)
6. Time In A Bottle (Jim Croce)
7. Seagull (Bad Company)
8. Song For Aries (Cactus)
9. I Talk To The Wind (King Crimson)
10. Where Does the Time Go (Sandy Denny)
11. The In Crowd (Mama Cass Elliott)
12. Mistreated (Deep Purple)
13. Changes (Black Sabbath)
14. I Am What I Am (Mylon)
15. Hard Headed Woman (Cat Stevens) of Wild World
16. Lying In The Sunshine (Free)
17. Moonshine (Paul Kossoff)
18. 18th Avenue (Cat Stevens)
19. Let It Bring You Along (Ricky Nelson)
20. Wishful Sinful (The Doors)
I'm sure that I will think of many more that he'd
be able to pull off perfectly, but the above list is
my way of saying that David Gogo is more than
capable of fulfilling anyone of these musical styles
and that's all I was trying to get across in the
three cd reviews above. The man can't be placed in
any one category, nor can you assume for a minute
that he's limited to any one style of music - this
man can do it all and make it look and sound so
effortless. That my friends is the true sign of a
musical genius / artists / and just a damn nice
person to know.
The above list is in honour of his talent and for no
other reason.
Being a new fan of his has its perks, as I don't
have any preconceived notions of how he got to where
he is now, but I'm just glad to know him and some of
his friends and fans.
As I buy more of his recordings I'll be adding on to
these reviews.
Hey David, any chance of you doing "Always
Somewhere" by the Scorpions?
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