Highway - Take The Ride

Every once in a while I like to play a game of "what if ?", ok so here goes...... What if you could get the sound of the 70s bands like Blues Image and mix it with some swamp music and garnish it with '90s era Black Crowes. Well if you could, you can....... Highway does just that on their CD Take The Ride. Electrifying guitar work that blends Memphis blues with the likes of the Allman Brothers. This really was a treat to receive and listen to, I was pleasantly surprised to find such an in your face rock sound from the Southeast of Chicago band. 

The CD opens with a thundering blow with the rockin' "Want Some" and the fun doesn't stop until the last note of  "This Time". The main problem as I see it is you just don't hear this sound on the radio much anymore, that also gives credit to Highway for not trying to re-mold themselves into the styles that saturate the radio playlists as of late.

If you like your rock with an edge and enjoy listening to talented musicians go off on a solo like when rock was REAL, then Highway is probably a perfect fit for ya. "The Fine Thin Line" is one of those epic songs that comes at you in three different parts - Walking The Line, The Somnabulist's dream, and the gift of sight. The instrumentation completely cooks here, Highway could show some of the younger generation a thing or 2 about how a band is supposed to be one unit with multiple working parts.

The members of Highway seem almost as if they can feel what the other member is going to do next as they work, and play together as a well oiled machine.  It's not often that you see a six piece band anymore either, unless they are blazing a comeback trail. All in all this is a solid album with some very memorable tracks like the energetic "Max the Sax" that reminds you a bit of Bo Diddley in the beginning, "Want Some", and " No Real Reason" leading the pack.

  ( 5 Stars out of 6 )

Highway Are:

Vocalist David Varella 

Brothers John and Jim Bonick -  guitars. 

Tim Dailey - bass

Drummer - Corie Wilcox 

and keyboardist Rick Hemphill