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“Black Snake” is reminiscent of “Resurrection Shuffle” by Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, but it would be a disservice to the Joe & the band to compare them to those brass rockers of the early 70s – like Chase or early Chicago – because the Honeybears can swing.
Again the band displays their love for the game with pop hooks and history lessons. It’s like the Schoolhouse Rock of Baseball.
To fully appreciate this song, don’t listen to it on a compressed mp3 file. Find a remastered CD or an old piece of vinyl and listen to it on a nice stereo system. You will be amazed.
“And baby it was all right,
And it was all right,
Hey it was all right,
It was all right.”
Devotees of soul jazz records made by the great B-3 players like “Groove” Holmes, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Brother Jack McDuff, run out to your local record dealer and immediately grab this new disc by ‘Papa John’ DeFrancesco. It’s like steppin’ back to 1972.
The opening track, “Run Me Over” sounds like something Nancy and Lee would do if they were 23 years old and recording in the new millennium.
I’m no different than a dope fiend junkie / ‘Til I can get in the sack / I got a Love Monkey on my back
Is it a marvel in song construction, mimicking the sheep that we are in our willingness to follow our leaders?
“The Spell I’m Under” is a catchy piece of pop rock, sounding like Shadow Morton got a hold of a Marshall Crenshaw rarity.
The album opens up with “Bye Bye Babe.” It was an attempt at boogie-rock, like the sound of Humble Pie, early Foghat and 70s circa Status Quo