Review: Chris Cain ‘Good Intentions Gone Bad’
By Hal Horowitz
Ageing is something every musician has to deal with. Thankfully blues artists generally stay relevant longer than say pop ones, as they approach and even pass Social Security time, due to the rootsy, more timeless nature of their music and fan base.
It’s a little harder for guitarist Chris Cain though. He got a later start than most, releasing a well-received 1987 debut at age 33. Now pushing 70, he boasts over a dozen discs garnering the praise of peers like Joe Bonamassa and Robben Ford along with a bulging press kit filled with glowing reviews. He may not have the instant name recognition of a Buddy Guy, Duke Robillard or Robert Cray, but Cain is surely their equal in guitar talents and especially songwriting.
Not surprisingly, age is referenced in Cain’s newest release, Good Intentions Gone Bad, released July 19. Songs such as “Fear Is My New Roommate” (“My heart fills up with all the memories/ Of a world that we just let go to hell in a handbasket”), “Waiting for the Sun to Rise” (“I’m worried that this darkness will never go away”) and especially the humorous, funky and frisky “Still Drinking Straight Tequila” (one of his last remaining vices).
On the personal, intimate, “Blues for My Dad,” he unplugs, moves to Latin-tinged jazz pop (think George Benson) and rewinds, providing details of his early years and how grateful he is to his father for purchasing his first instrument (“I always remember to play a little blues for my dad”).
Rather than appearing as a grizzled, churlish old-timer, Cain’s positive attitude shows he appreciates his fertile blues background and is thrilled to still be doing what he loves. He has crafted an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable set that stands with his finest work.
His second for the Alligator label is helmed by producer Kid Andersen (of Rick Estrin & the Nightcats) who employs a horn section on seven of these 13 originals, but keeps the sound fluid, lean and mean.
From the party-ready “TGIF,” to the rollicking kiss-off shuffle “Had About All I Can Take” (complete with swinging horns), and the New Orleans’ second line swagger of “Good Intentions,” Cain is in full control. His voice, often compared to that of B.B. King, exudes the sympathetic gruffness that being a veteran in the business provides.
He’s also an accomplished pianist, a talent exhibited intermittently throughout, but particularly on the slow blues “Bad Dream” which also benefits from Greg Rohn’s organ fills.
Cain shifts into soul-blues for the bittersweet “Never Let You Break My Heart,” taking a rare piano solo, which leads into a tension-filled guitar lead (on his longtime Gibson ES 335, nicknamed Melba) for one of the album’s most irate selections (“Controlling things is what you’re all about…you only wanted to use me from the start”).
His tone is clean, jazz-tinged, yet cutting. Like BB, he’s more concerned with the space between the notes than displaying any fret burning or shredding. That style fits songs which are as lyrically crafty as his playing.
The closing blues-rocking “Thankful” consolidates his approach in its pithy title. While he’s referring to his wife, Cain (assisted by second vocalist/label-mate Tommy Castro) could just as well be acknowledging his lengthy career which, with this terrific release, seems like it’s just now reaching its peak.
Pre-order the album HERE
“Fear Is My New Roommate”
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