Dr. Snake - Hoodoo Bluesman

Voodoo Doll (Born In The Fires Of Hell) by Dr. Snake

Dr. Snake — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:24:07 +0000

Recorded in the shotgun shack by legendary hoodoo bluesman Dr. Snake. The moon was full, Doc was slugging back a bottle of Prof. Crow’s hallucinogenic moonshine, and the hellhound was munching on the carcass of an unwary Wall St banker who had taken a wrong turn into the swampland…

Doc says: “Ho, ho, ho, ha, ha, ha, sanity will NEVER be my forte…but the hellbirds are flyin’ tonite so the world is safe and sound.”

The Chicken Song by Dr. Snake

Dr. Snake — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:03:26 +0000

From blues punk hoodoo man legend Dr. Snake. Recorded “no-fi” in the shotgun shack with an old Vox tube amp, battered ole five-string electric guitar and a bottle of ole Prof. Crow’s moonshine.

Dr. Snake says:

“Let me tell ya what this song about. It’s about walking a suburban street, hearing a sound that should NOT be there. You look around but there’s nothing obvious around that coulda made that sound…but you know something is there, you gotta find a way of seeing it…and that mostly involves grunting like a hog and rolling on the ground.”

The Gun Club – Fire Spirit

BluesPunk — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:59:16 +0000

They helped set the tone of the Hollywood rock scene of the 1980′s.

Doc says: “Raw, earthy, powerful, the Gun Club had the mojo big time…”

Captain Beefheart on Letterman

BluesPunk — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:09:08 +0000

His musicians were called The Magic Band.

Doc says: “Not a song today. But the great Captain Beefheart being interviewed on Letterman in the early 1980s when his Ice Cream for Crow came out. By rights, the Captain’s influence should have taken all music someplace new. Instead we still have Idol, the Voice, and X Factor…

…but that will very soon change. My uncle is now in his 80s, a tech wiz, who worked for the CIA. He’s developing a mind-jack machine which he’s gonna test on Simon Cowell and on the acts on those talentless shows. This will mean wannabee stars will crawl out on stage, tongues hanging out, wailing and moaning. To be fair, the ratings might well rocket…if so, that’s fine…at least we will will have improved low brow culture…

…oh yeah, going back to Beefheart, the guy was a genius…of that there cannot be doubt.”

Skip James – Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues

BluesPunk — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:15:53 +0000

His songs have influenced several generations of musicians, being adapted or covered by Kansas Joe McCoy, Robert Johnson,Cream, Deep Purple, Chris Thomas King, Alvin Youngblood Hart, The Derek Trucks Band, Beck, Big Sugar, and Rory Block. He is hailed as “one of the seminal figures of the blues.”

Doc says: “Sad blues from Skip James, in a minor key open tuning. R.L. Burnside later covered this one. Brilliantly too.”

Son House – Death Letter

BluesPunk — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:10:52 +0000

His influence has extended over a wide area of musicians, including Robert Johnson, John Hammond, Alan Wilson (of Canned Heat), Bonnie Raitt, The White Stripes, and John Mooney.

Doc says: “Incredibly poignant song from one of the early bluesmen. This is where it all began.”

Crawlin’ Kingsnake Island

Dr. Snake — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:30:08 +0000

People say to me, “You say you live on Crawlin’ Kingsnake Island, where is that? Is it a real place?”

This what I reply: Yeah, it’s a real place. It’s a blink away from the everyday world. It’s a place I take with me wherever I go. It’s like a totem pole that forms the center of the world for a tribe. Because they are a nomadic tribe they take it with them when they up sticks and move on.

For me, it’s the crossroads at the center of my world. Crawlin’ Kingsnake Island is wherever I lay my hat. It’s my source of power that always lies on the Eastside of Paradise.

Joe Walsh – Life’s Been Good

BluesPunk — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:22:47 +0000

He has been a member of three successful bands: the James Gang, Barnstorm and the Eagles.

Doc says: “Joe Walsh is not only a great guitar player and singer, but his lyrics are straight in there… ‘specially on this toon which is satirizing the life of big 70s rock stars (you were a kinda god in them days when music biz was at its height)….he was one, so he should know. Long song, but worth listening right through to da end.”

Eric Clapton – Pearly Queen

BluesPunk — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:37:58 +0000

He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Free – The Stealer

BluesPunk — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:23:33 +0000

They were one of the biggest-selling British blues-rock groups.

Doc says: “Nothing beats Free and the stunning guitar playing of Paul Kossoff, same with the vocals of Paul Rogers, drumming of Simon Kirke, and bass of Andy Frazer… phenomenal band. Paul Kossoff used pretty heavy strings, top .12 as I understand it…which you wouldn’t expect with that style, lots of string bending…so he had to work like hell to pull out the emotion from his guitar….way it should be.”