Album Review: Daddy Long Legs, Lowdown Ways

Hearing the Legs’ frontman Brian Hurd proclaim that his band are “rock and roll salvation through the spirit of roots and blues” should win over any right thinking individual. A rough and tumble ass kickin’ trio from Brooklyn, you get the full ballistics of what they’re about in the first minute of the opening field-holler on this, their third album. First off, it’s called ‘Theme From Daddy Long Legs’ which is class on its own, but there's also stomping feet, a wailing harmonica, maracas and moaning backing vocals before Hurd starts giving out about his own “low down ways”. Not convinced? Try the filthy tremolo guitar boogie of ‘Pink Lemonade’ which invites you into the kind of subterranean club where you’ll either lose some teeth or have the time of your life, or possibly both.

I’m not even going to tell you what ‘Ding Dong Dang’ is about, the song title is reason enough for you to buy this record, although if you’re in any doubt what Hurd and the lads want to do ‘Mornin’ Noon & Nite’ then perhaps you shouldn’t. ‘Glad Rag Ball’ sounds like it was fashioned by Little Walter in Chicago in about 1961 after he’s paid a visit to “the bathroom stall” for a bump of Dr McJagger’s Magic Nasal Dust, and though they go a bit sensitive and heart-broken for stuff like the excellent ‘Back Door Fool’, even that sounds like it was recorded just after a punch-up.

Think the tough end of Tom Waits, think Howlin’ Wolf, think howling Beefheart, think Mick n’ Keith, although it’s more like The Pretty Things giving The Stones the fingers from the side of the stage, spitting at them for “selling out”. Lethal.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4xXlWF9b7OZdWjCLf1Q2qq?si=0v3XbFXwSOSrU-NQDDiGZw