Walter Trout
By Mike O’Cull
Undeniable blues guitar legend Walter Trout goes deep to reconcile his past, present, and future on his new album Ride.
The inspired new set gets released on August 19th, 2022 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group and is the 30th record of Trout’s storied career. He’s 70 years old, has lived an extraordinary life, found fame and fortune, and yet still attacks both his days and his art like an emerging player looking to turn heads. Not only does he sound incredible but his songwriting is full of the pains and joys he has experienced over the course of time and will hit you hard.
Unlike many of his peers, Trout didn’t pad out the album with celebrity guest stars but did it with his regular band made up of long-standing drummer Michael Leasure, regular keys man Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis, and incoming bassist Jamie Hunting. “No star cameos,” Trout said. “Strictly me and my band. The only guest was my tour manager, Anthony Grisham, who plays rhythm guitar on “Leave It All Behind.” The reason being, I have to do everything with three fingers because of my broken pinkie. And to play a Chuck Berry rhythm, you need your pinkie. We were all in the studio in masks, and everybody had to be vaccinated and tested.”
The songs on Ride reflect the way Trout felt during the Covid pandemic. As a liver transplant survivor, he had to be extra careful to avoid the virus and, as such, experienced his first period of extended downtime since he first jumped into the guitar game back in 1969. Although he resides in Denmark now, he wrote the material for the album at his place in Huntington Beach, California in the weeks before tracking began.
Trout still speaks to the modern world with 21st Century energy but he found himself also writing lyrics about his darkest times gone by. These memories include growing up around a cruel, unstable stepfather who had been a prisoner of war, playing guitar for revered-but-difficult blues pioneers John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton, and a stint in an 80s Canned Heat lineup. All this and more gave Trout an endless supply of emotional truth to fuel his creative process.
Ride opens with the chugging, mid-speed blues/rocker “Ghosts.” It’s a tough, honest song about not being able to escape one’s past and being continually reminded of the mistakes that were made. Trout’s voice is full of the pain and necessary acceptance that comes with his seven decades and his guitar lines are spellbinding and stellar. His playing style is hypnotic and keeps you hanging on, eager to hear what comes next. It’s a fitting first track and sets the proper mood for what’s to come.
Trout’s title song “Ride” shifts gears into an upbeat, melodic southern rock sound that mixes an Allman Brothers Band vibe with Walter’s own personal musical DNA. Zig Zag’s piano playing adds much to the song’s uplifting spirit and seems to push Trout’s soloing into a higher zone, especially at the end. Way hot, way cool.
Addressing present-day angst in the almost-fractured blues/rock of “So Many Sad Goodbyes,” the cut was birthed after Trout watched a news report of the US reaching the unfortunate record of 400,000 dead from Covid. His voice tells the story but it’s his guitar that does the screaming. This is real contemporary blues music of the highest order. It’s relevant, brave, and uncompromising, just as it should be.
One of the most gut-wrenching songs on Ride is the somber “Hey Mama.” The lyrics find Trout in an interior debate about why his mother didn’t do more to protect him from the horrific abuse inflicted upon him by his war-broken stepfather. It’s as honest and direct as rock music gets and gives us a glimpse of part of the darkness that has shaped Trout’s life. This level of openness is what makes listeners relate to and bond with an artist. Slowing yourself down and internalizing every word will pay major dividends.
Trout may well have reached another high-water mark with Ride, which is amazing to consider. At the stage of life when many musicians choose to just play the hits, Trout is going artistically hard, pulling more out of his real self than ever and ripping the strings off of his guitar. We should all live this well.
Pre-order link for Ride Here
Listen “Waiting For The Dawn”
Great review of a great guitarist. Gave s lot of info about Walter tha I didn’t know! The video was powerful with Walter’s powerful voice and guitar!
I only became aware of Walter Trout 5 years ago or so. When I saw him at the Iridium in New York City, I fully realized what a great guy he truly is. Not only a strong guitarist but a no B.S. artist and compelling ambassador for organ donation, telling his own story. This man is a true blues rock survivor!