Mike Morgan & The Crawl
Stronger Every Day
Severn CD#0043
Mike Morgan should need no introduction to DFW blues fans. As the longtime leader of Mike Morgan and The Crawl, Morgan has built a reputation as one of the best guitarists in the blues. During the 1990’s, Morgan’s band released a string of great albums on the Blacktop label and were in high demand on the nationwide blues circuit alongside other DFW acts like Anson Funderburgh and The Rockets, and Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King. As he entered into the new millennium, Morgan found himself facing some major changes after longtime front man/harpist Lee McBee left the band and the Black Top label folded. In 2002, Mike released a recording called Texas Man on the Severn label featuring himself on lead vocals. This effort was followed by a live album also released on the Severn label. Stronger Every Day finds Mike continuing in the front man role on part of the album, but has also features a few outside collaborators who recall bygone days.
The disc opens with “All Night Long” a tough shuffle featuring Morgan on vocals and Brian “H-Bomb” Ferguson’s propulsive drumming. On “Sweet Angel,” Lee McBee returns on a laid back tune with a Louisiana/Guitar Slim type feel. McBee is also on board for an outstanding slow blues tune entitled “I Cried For My Baby” and a meat and potatoes shuffle called “Time”. Morgan again takes on lead vocal duties on an acoustic based tuned named “How Much More Time”. Morgan’s writing on this tune and much of this disc seems to revolve around failed relationships. However, it is not all gloom and doom on the track as Mike rips a wicked guitar solo at the end of the song that would give any classic rocker a run for their money. Sparks also fly from Mike’s guitar on his cover of the Gatemouth Brown instrumental classic “Okie Dokie Stomp” and the funky instrumental “Funky Thang”. Randy McAllister guests on five tunes and his voice proves to be the perfect match for some of the R&B tunes Morgan wrote for this outing. The soul ballad “When I Get Back Home” features a beautiful melody and “Where’s The Love” has a Marvin Gaye type feel to it.
As its title would imply Stronger Every Day is indeed a very strong effort. Mike Morgan has always been an excellent guitar player and writer and continues to improve vocally. The return of Lee McBee give fans a chance to revisit the days when the band was cranking out great albums on Black Top. In addition, the Morgan/McAllister tunes add a little more variety to the disc with their R&B leanings. Overall, a very good recording.
- Barry Gober -
Southwest Blues CD Review - June 2008
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