Welcome

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Doyle Bramhall certainly displays impressive rock roll credentials on IWelcome/I. His father played drums for Lightnin' Hopkins; Texas-born Bramhall himself has served as guitarist behind Jimmie Vaughan in The Fabulous Thunderbirds and alongside Charlie Sexton and Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section, Double Trouble, in Arc Angels. However, anyone who buys IWelcome/I looking for a companion piece to ITexas Flood/I is likely to be sorely disappointed. This is defiantly unreconstructed rock roll, all growling vocals, pounding four-square drums and interminable guitar solos--fair-sized matchstick models of sailing ships have been made in less time than it takes for Bramhall to get from one end of "Thin Dream" to the other. It is done quite well, as these things go, and may find favour with those who believe The Black Crowes are just that little bit avant-garde. Ultimately, though, there's not much here that you wouldn't find in any truck-stop bar north of the Rio Grande and south of Chicago. I--Andrew Mueller/I

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Customer reviews

review by: Darren date: 2008-09-02 rating:
welcome indeed
Think Kravitz meets Hendrix. Mmh. Tasty. br /Something different too, probably due to his partner, S. Melvoin, singing strong backing vocals. Great band sound - BIG . Especially loved the last two songs - although listen to the first for a taster. He can play live as well - saw him with Clapton - their two solos each at Hyde Park this year on The Queen of Spades were the shows highlight (considering the exceptional talents of Mayer, mrass, Sheryl crow, Robert Randolph, etc that's quite a compliment).

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review by: date: 2003-03-04 rating:
he rocks!
Learnt of DBII after seeing him play on Roger Waters' "In the flesh" and needed to check him out. After purchasing "Welcome" I can say that anyone who appreciates a fine blues based guitar player will relish the music of this man and his band. Echoes of SRV, Jimi and Jimmy Page are littered throughout - good solid blooz based rock delivered with some style. Highly recommended.

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review by: date: 2001-09-14 rating:
music for the world to hear; a true piece of nostalgia
My tastes in music run the gambit, but I like to think I have a good ear for new things. I came across Doyle Bramhall II and his band by chance last year on Austin City Limits, a music hall program on public television in the States. His music was an inspiration. Its very rare to watch someone on a TV screen and actually FEEL the energy. This is the first review I've ever written, but I felt I had to write it after reading the review from amazon. A musician with the talent and the drive and the sensitivity such as Bramhall II can not and never will be heard in just any truckstop. If that truly was the case, I'd take my college-educated butt and be a trucker! Bramhall and Smokestack are a needle in a haystack in terms of quality and down-right soul. They make me remember the times I wished to be a musician, and sometimes make me question how I lost that drive. Now I'm just a fan, but a great fan I have become. The Welcome album is music for the world to hear...

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review by: date: 2001-07-31 rating:
Outstanding
I found Doyle Bramhall through EC and BB King. But the sheer Brilliance of Welcome stands alone. What an excellent guitarist, he mixes all my favorites; SRV, EC and others, and the craft of Cry sent me searching for melodies in my own playing. The best thing I feel I can say about this guy and his music is inspirational, and I thats what music is all about, inspiring others.


review by: date: 2001-03-24 rating:
Rock and Roll is Alive and Well
Doyle has said his intentions in making this record were to make a good rock and roll record, the kind he enjoys. His comfort and confidence in both his playing and his vocals comes across absolutely clearly here, and any fan of Doyle's will not be disappointed. The Amazon professional reviewer seems to think, first of all, that another Stevie Ray Vaughan is possible, and secondly that Doyle should restrict himself and try to direct all of his attention toward that style of music. It'd make as much sense for me to say that since Shakespeare was such a wonderful writer, anything the Amazon reviewer does that is different is wrong.pThere was only one SRV, and there is only one Doyle Bramhall II. If you want to find more SRV-sounding performances from him, check out his material with the Arc Angels and, if you can find them, the live performances that group put on. Doyle is his own entity with his own unique style and sound, and to say that "there isn't much here you couldn't find in a truckstop bar" is utterly absurd and disrespectful, in my opinion.pDoyle's songwriting has blossomed and he's moved past what little reservations he had in writing the material for "Jellycream." His vocals here are at their best ever, and they go together with his fiery guitar work seamlessly. I really can't think of a track on this album that I don't like - although if I had to pick one it would probably be the first single, "Green Light Girl." This is the ideal pop song to come from the album, very much in the mold of a Lenny Kravitz type performance.pThe rest of it moves through all sorts of genres, from the Floydian sounding "So You Want It To Rain" and "Thin Dream," to the swinging Stones' style "Soul Shaker." You can definitely hear his Texan blues influences in tracks like "Problem Child," "Helpless Man," and the tour de force "Smokestack," which goes all over the map, touching on quiet a cappella and ending in a fury of guitar pyrotechnics. Material like that may prove to be a bit much for some people, but not to worry, there are other highlights. Every single song has its hook, resulting in me never hitting the skip button on my CD player when I put this on.p"Life" reveals some distinctively Beatle influences, and the passage where Doyle sings "Closer you get to the edge and you're floating away" sounds eerily similar to John Lennon's "Cellophane flowers of yellow and green towering over your head." p"Send Some Love" is absolutely fantastic, with hauntingly beautiful soul-filled vocals (he hits some high notes in there that you will not have heard anywhere from him before) and a great guitar solo in the middle. Fans of Eric Clapton, for whom Doyle is the opening act right now, should catch the opening riff of "Cry" and make the connection to EC's "River of Tears." Here Doyle evolves it into a masterpiece, with some of the best riffs of the album to close it all off, really giving the entire album a sense of finality, as if this were one 68 minute concert.pI highly recommend this for anyone looking for great rock and roll in this day and age, and I guarantee you you won't be disappointed.

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