I have just had one of those moments…I was looking for my reading glasses so I could write up this review then I realized I was wearing them! The review in question is for a band called Voodoo Ramble that we have reviewed here before. So I will share the press release with you then look at the music!
The band :
Boris Dugi-Novacki(ZAMBA) guitar,vocals
Iain Ecclestone guitar
Ed Gerlach bass guitar
Josh Armittage drums
Hannah Bartlett backing vocal
Felicity Dickson Boardman backing vocal
“Made In The UK” is the fifth album by the Croatian blues rock band Voodoo Ramble.
The band initially made their name by winning the 5th Croatian and went on to play the 30th International Blues Challenge in Memphis and European and European Blues Challenge in Tuscany, Italy.
After building up an impressive discography comprising “That’s Why,” “Can’t Write A Pop Song (When You’ve Got The Blues),” ‘“Home Again,” and last year’s “In The Heart of the City,” it was time to present the band live. Boris Zamba, the singer-songwriter, guitarist and band leader has always leant towards British blues (albeit some songs do have that Southern rock feel to them), so it seemed as if it was meant to be that the album should be recorded in the UK.
After Oz Cahill contacted Boris Zamba about a possible live show, and recording a live album. Oz took care of everything. He was the road manager, overall organizer and all round top man, who arranged the recordings at The Media Department of Weston-Super-Mare College.
As a result, the recording was done by people who study and work there, both the employees and students. Everybody gave their heart and soul to the project, and as can be heard on the recordings. The band played to an intimate audience who nicely fitted the room and led to an exciting atmosphere for both the crowd and band.
The idea of presenting the album as a live recording without the crowd whooping was to focus on the band’s performance.
The band played songs written by Boris Zamba and Pete Feenstra* (as part of their longtime collaboration) and Boris’s own songs which completed the perfect evening.”
My review:
The album has 11 tracks and runs to just over 39 minutes. It came out on February 1, so is available for streaming on all major platforms now.
All album tracks written by Boris Zamba, except * with Pete Feenstra
“Baby I’ve Been Lovin’ You” opens up the album with a bluesy rocker that vocally reminded me a bit of David Coverdale. These guys are clearly having fun and have always had the musical chops to deliver a vibrant slab of classy blues riff.
“Midnight Ride” * continues with the sense of urban blues rock, it’s the type of track built for the live crowd, or a long journey with the sun setting somewhere behind you on a long road.
“Cold Hearted Woman” delivers some old style rock n’roll into the mix. It has that sing-back chorus that the audience responds to, and there is plenty of late fifties US groove in the performance.
“Good Mood” does put you in a good mood! It is an instrumental, again from that rock n’roll era where the dance halls were rocked to the sound of Friday night.
“Home” returns to more of a blues sound, a little slower, a bit more of a story as you pass the old man by the road who has heard them all before. It’s a solid mid-album track.
“Little Blues Queen” has a bit of Southern style. You are driving down to Memphis this time with the girl of your dreams next to you (or guy in my case!). The mid track guitar break works well and the drums of Josh Armittage provide a strong heartbeat.
“Bye Bye Baby” returns to a rocking energy. It retains a dance feel to it and is really tight musically with the guys heading off to hit a solid rhythm for the live show. It retains that vibe in a production that takes us close to the crowd.
“Midnight Train” * was a favourite, it gave me a Southern vibe again from those blues boogie bands. It’s well crafted and the vocal performance is the best on the album, I also thought the backing vocals added something extra. The song worked well.
“Street Livin” has more of an urban dirty blues feel to it. It reminded me a bit of “Dirty Livin” from the Kiss album “Dynasty” with that raspy blues feel in the vocals (I’m comparing it to the track not the album or band as a whole, I will make that clarification!). Again some cool guitar breaks and a band enjoying the stage and the sound..
“The Smell Of Money” * opens with some solid drumming before we move toward blues rock territory again. The backing harmonies are nice and the song has a good beat and chorus.
“Too Bad For Heaven, Too Good For Hell” * closes the album and show. We have a drum solo and some fine funky guitar. Ends on a high and a confident strut through the headphones.
“Made In The UK” captures Voodoo Ramble at their most confident and road-hardened, delivering 11 tracks of sweat-soaked blues rock recorded live in the UK. Rooted in British blues but stretching into Southern grooves and classic rock ’n’ roll swing, the album thrives on feel, musicianship, and a band clearly enjoying the moment. The focus stays firmly on performance — and Voodoo Ramble deliver it with warmth, and style.
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You can stream music from Voodoo Ramble here
Music department :
Oz Cahill – Event Manager, Coordinator
Peter West – Stage / Studio Coordinator/Lead Technician
Jack Callow – Studio Engineer
Tom Manning – Student Coordinator
Media Team :
Aimee Gourlay – Director / Media Production manager
13 Sounds Recording Studio for Rehearsal space – Ken Lintern
Media students:
Mellisa Allsworth, Jamil Jarju, Emily Forey, Ciaran Lee
By Stevie Ritson