This is a wonderful piece of guitar playing, and instrumental played with some real feeling. The song, Ramon’s Blues, is from an album called “Loading Zone”… it was released in 1977 and, if I’m not mistaken, it was Roy Buchanan’s tenth album. This guy could really play.
I’d read a review of the album in Melody Maker, or the NME, whichever, but the guy who wrote the review couldn’t speak highly enough of it, he raved about it. So on the strength of that I went out and bought it, took it home and listened to it… then listened to it again. It’s a fantastic album with some great songs on it but Ramon’s Blues was the one I played over and over.
I have a few Roy Buchanan albums, they’re all good. He had a style all of his own.. his own unique sound that came out of a 1953 Telecaster, he was an incredibly talented guitarist who could play in many styles and he’d been recording since 1957 and was a prolific live performer. I’d have Loading Zone in my desert island collection but if I had to trim it down to one track, this would be it.
It’s an unfortunate thing that he’s no longer around, he died in a police cell in 1988 after being arrested for being intoxicated. The story is a little controversial, he hung himself in his cell… others say it happened differently, either way it’s a sad story but like so many others he had a history of alcohol and substance abuse… which is a shame. But I’m not here to judge the guy, I’ll just judge him on his music.. which is brilliant… and he was a brilliant musician and that’s enough for me.
If you’re into electric blues guitar, have a listen. Look him up on the internet, there are many sites dedicated to him… and so there should be. Sitting by the fire on my beach listening to this… well, I don’t think it gets much better.
Roy Buchanan, incredible talent.
