Philip Sayce - Spirit Rising

Size: 98,5 MB
Time: 42:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Warning Shot (0:50)
02. Fits Me Good (2:51)
03. Black Roller Coming (2:49)
04. She's The Music (3:20)
05. Once (2:23)
06. Wild (5:05)
07. Give Me Time (3:18)
08. Oh My (3:17)
09. Burning Out (3:29)
10. One Foot On The Gravel (3:55)
11. Awful Dreams (6:01)
12. Spirit (3:38)
13. 5:55 (1:20)

It’s been six years since Philip Sayce released his last studio album, Influence, in Europe back in 2014. The following year, Influence was released in North America as Sayce signed with Warner Music Canada. Now after much anticipation, Sayce makes his triumphant return with Spirit Rising. The album is produced by Michael Nielsen, who produced the Peace Machine record. It also features collaborations with songwriters Richard Marx, who wrote with Sayce on Innerevolution, Distant Cousins, Gavin Brown, and Maia Davies.

The album opens with the fuzzy instrumental “Warning Shot,” which is an appropriate title. Sayce shows he’s back with a vengeance and is ready to put the world on notice. The high powered single “Fits Me Good” follows with “Black Roller Coming” right after. “Black Roller Coming” features a badass riff and a memorable guitar solo that really takes off, a definite highlight of the album. Next up is the bluesy shuffle of “She’s The Music.” “Once” is a beautiful tribute song that Sayce wrote for his father. “Wild” is a cathartic track for Sayce as he sings about the need to be free after being held back. “Oh My” is a bit of a new direction for Sayce with its swing feel, which is well complemented with female backing vocals and the risk pays off well. “Burning Out” is a scorching rocker many of us can relate to.

Spirit Rising includes three cover songs. Sayce tackles Magic Sam’s “Give Me Time,” which has a real feel good vibe. He also pays tribute to his mentor Jeff Healey with “One Foot on the Gravel.” Then Sayce hops on the dobro and takes us down to the Crossroads with a cover of Lightnin Hopkins’ “Awful Dreams.”

Spirt Rising closes with the uplifting “Spirit” and a beautiful instrumental “5:55,” which would be great to see expanded in the live set. Sayce has overcome many challenges and obstacles in recent years, which has inspired Spirit Rising. Well worth the wait, Spirit Rising is right up there with Sayce’s best work featuring blistering guitar and great songs from start to finish. ~Pete Francis

Spirit Rising

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Philip Sayce - Scorched Earth Vol. 1 (Live)

Size: 99,4 MB
Time: 39:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Steamroller - Powerful Thing (Live) (6:22)
02. Blues Ain't Nothing But A Good Woman On Your Mind (Live) (4:37)
03. Standing Around Crying - Aberystwyth (Live) (5:45)
04. Beautiful (Live) (2:59)
05. A Mystic (Live) (5:08)
06. Out Of My Mind (Live) (7:20)
07. Alchemy (Live) (7:33)

Philip Sayce's new release is a powerful and dynamic live album that never overstays its welcome. Scorched Earth Volume 1 comes 20 years after Philip Sayce's first album, and includes seven high-octane tracks recorded at Toronto's Silver Dollar Room. Although the tracklisting is relatively short for a live record, it packs some impressive performances, adding up to 40 minutes of unrelenting blues rock.

The album opens with "Steamroller," a slow-burning tune that the band quickly turns into a roaring rendition of "Powerful Thing." It's a strong introduction to the record, showcasing Sayce's spirited vocals and featuring an extended jam from the power trio.

The production on the album is decidedly raw, with evident plosives, and the unmistakable hum of Sayce's vintage Stratocaster, but it's by no means sloppy. The bass and drums are balanced and punchy, and Sayce's lightning-quick guitar playing is well-defined throughout the record.

There are standout performances throughout the seven tracks, but perhaps the most impressive is "Out of My Mind," a blazing cut with monumental riffs and jaw-dropping shredding. Sayce's intensity is equalled by drummer Kiel Feher, and bassist Joel Gottschalk holds down an infectious groove throughout the song. During his blistering solo, Sayce mixes in the riff from Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun" and his Fender amps sound as though they might explode from his relentless attack.
The album closes with "Alchemy," which Sayce dedicates to his wife. It's a passionate instrumental with superb dynamics and tempo changes, rounding out the record nicely.

The first instalment of Scorched Earth is an electrifying collection of blues fury. Bring on volume two. ~by Brandon Choghri

Scorched Earth Vol. 1

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Philip Sayce - 2 albums: Influence / Peace Machine

Born in Wales and raised in Toronto, Canada, Philip Sayce’s love of the guitar started at an early age when his parents introduced him to all of the classics, notably, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Beck. “I have such distinct memories listening to these incredible musicians,” Sayce says. “Their music had a huge effect on me.”

His first live music experience was an Eric Clapton gig at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. “This groovy version of ‘Crossroads’ had such an impact on me,” he recalls. “It was that musicianship that laid the foundation for me. What Clapton did was very different from what many younger artists do today. It was about spilling your heart out.”

After a move to Los Angeles, Philip was invited to join Melissa Etheridge’s band following an introduction by producer John Shanks. For the next several years, Philip performed on Melissa Etheridge’s albums and was featured during her live concerts where his cosmic performances left audiences stunned. On one such occasion, Melissa and her band were honoring Bon Jovi at a Grammy Awards event. Following the performance, Jon Bon Jovi told the audience “I want to give a special nod to Philip, who I immediately opened the program and said ‘Who the fuck is that guitar player?’ Pretty fabulous Philip.”

In 2009, Philip released Peace Machine, the first of three solo albums that established him as one of the leading lights in a new generation of blues-rock guitarists. With each subsequent release (Ruby Electric and Steamroller) his reputation continued to grow. With the European release of his fourth solo album, Influence, in the summer of 2014, Philip received some of the best reviews of his career. Produced by Dave Cobb, Influence features songs by artists that have inspired Philip over the years, as well as several original compositions. In January 2015, Philip signed with Warner Music Canada. Two new recordings, produced by Michael Nielsen at Revolution Studios in Toronto, are included on the Canadian version of Influence.

Album: Influence
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 122.8 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Out Of My Mind
[3:21] 2. Sailin' Shoes
[3:05] 3. I'm Goin' Home
[4:53] 4. Fade Into You
[3:30] 5. Blues Ain't Nothin' But A Good Woman On Your Mind
[4:56] 6. Green Power
[4:58] 7. Better Days
[3:16] 8. Easy On The Eyes
[3:10] 9. Evil Woman
[5:02] 10. Triumph
[5:03] 11. Light Em Up
[3:59] 12. I'd Love To Change The World
[5:19] 13. On The Road Again

Influence mc
Influence zippy

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Album: Peace Machine
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:54
Size: 160.0 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[ 3:07] 1. One Foot In The Grave
[ 3:57] 2. Save Me From Myself
[ 5:14] 3. Slip Away
[ 4:39] 4. Powerful Thing
[ 3:55] 5. Angels Live Inside
[ 5:47] 6. Dream Away
[ 3:57] 7. Sweet Misery
[ 3:02] 8. Blood On Your Hands
[ 4:14] 9. Cinnamon Girl
[ 5:18] 10. Over My Head
[ 5:04] 11. Alchemy
[ 2:44] 12. All I Want
[ 5:01] 13. Morning Star
[13:48] 14. Peace Machine

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Mick Stover's Gentlemen's Blues Club - The Sky's On Fire

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 149.6 MB
Styles: Blues rock
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:18] 1. Red White & Blues
[3:20] 2. The Sky's On Fire
[3:21] 3. State Of Grace
[4:15] 4. Longhorn Honeymoon
[3:43] 5. The Bastard
[3:59] 6. Walkin Dead
[4:07] 7. Shotgun Wedding
[4:26] 8. Run
[2:51] 9. Dust Broom
[3:51] 10. 2 Kinds Of Woman
[3:43] 11. Take Time Out To Hear Me Some Blues
[2:55] 12. Living At The Aztec Hotel
[3:17] 13. Slippin Away
[7:40] 14. Since Ive Been Loving You
[5:36] 15. Dust Broom
[3:55] 16. Shotgun Wedding

Awesome studio disc from this way-kool blues/rock band from California featuring the excellent six string talents of Alan Mirikitani (Buddaheads), Philip Sayce and Dirty Dave Osti. Three bad-ass, bluesy heavy guitar rippers that trip the blues/rock riffage fantastic. An outstanding, solid disc that features 16 tracks (66 minutes) of first-rate, top-shelf, blues-based, heavy guitar grooves of world-class proportions.

Includes 3 killer, axe-rippin' LIVE Bonus Tracks featuring Dirty Dave Osti getting down on his Strat. Highly recommended to fans of ZZ TOP, SRV, ERIC CLAPTON, ROBIN TROWER, BUDDAHEADS, DOYLE BRAMHALL II, WARREN HAYNES & JOE BONAMASSA. This is one essential blues-based heavy guitar rocker that definitely delivers the "goods" and will rock your good jam:house into the dirt.

Mick Stover (guitar); Eric Schneider (vocals, guitar); Alan Mirikitani (vocals); Philip Sayce (guitar); Kelly Rucker (harmonica); Marty Grebb (horns); Dave Ferrara, Lee Spath, Joe Travers (drums). Recording information: Dawghouse Studios, Burbank, CA; Los Angeles, CA.

The Sky's On Fire mc
The Sky's On Fire zippy

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Philip Sayce - Steamroller

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81.0 MB
Styles: Blues rock, Rock
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. Steamroller
[2:42] 2. Stung By A Woman
[4:52] 3. Marigold
[3:09] 4. Rhythm And Truth
[3:10] 5. Black Train
[4:02] 6. Beautiful
[4:17] 7. Holding On
[2:53] 8. A Mystic
[3:15] 9. The Bull
[3:36] 10. Aberystwyth

You've heard it said that some people are born to do some certain thing. In divine providence, Philip Sayce was destined pick up the guitar and play blues rock. His family nurtured him on Clapton, Hendrix, and Vaughn. Early in his career, while playing in his band, fellow Canadian Jeff Healy mentored him for a few years, as did Melissa Etheridge for many more. Along the way Sayce has found time to cut four albums, most released in Europe, the latest, Steamroller, being released worldwide this month. Sayce may be one of the best blues guitar heroes flying under the radar.

Sayce is a complete natural at playing the blues in a rock context. Listening to the bristling and rambunctious Steamroller, Black Train, A Mystic, or Rhythm and Truth, the licks are simply killer and fly like bullets thrown into a hot fire. They're Vaughn-esque, but you can't help but hear Buddy Guy or Robert Cray as well. For that more traditional side of electric blues, Holding On fits the bill, sounding like something Clapton might play. Another is the closing instrumental Aberystwyth, named after his place of birth in Wales, where Sayce charts a course from mellow guitar play to a heavy, fire from the fret board, finish. Sayce channels a bit of the spirit of Hendrix in The Bull with it's heavy fuzz groove.

Sayce's guitar playing and song composition are rather impressive throughout this album. What's really surprising is how good of a singer he is. When all three of these combine, Sayce is simply brilliant. The best example is the beautiful and expansive Marigold, where both Sayce's voice and guitar charm your ears. Along with Steve Hunter's The Manhattan Blues Project, Philip Sayce's Steamroller is another of the best blues albums I've heard this year. Sayce needs to be heard and held in the same regard as his own heroes and mentors. Quite recommended. ~Craig Hartranft

Steamroller

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