Any student of Australian rock music would be hard-pressed to argue against the pure fact that, since its inception in the late sixties, Chain has remained our foremost blues-rock band. In keeping with its hallowed name, there are many links to the Chain story…throughout its six year heyday over the early seventies the band, in its many permutations, commanded an undisputed dominance in the blues idiom. Chain has seen many varied line-ups, no less than 40+ different musicians passing through its ranks.
During May 1973, Chain toured the country as support to the Muddy Waters Band and soon after teamed with that band's James "Peewee" Madison (guitar, vocals) and George "Mojo" Beauford (vocals, harmonica) for recordings that would form part of Chain's next LP, Two Of A Kind.
Critics saw Two Of A Kind as a comparatively low-key affair by Chain's standards. Of the four cuts featuring Madison and Beauford from Muddy's band, only the title track (written by Madison) and Little Walter's "Blues With A Feeling" provide any real excitement, despite the typically robust backing that Chain supplies. Some observers also found "Elephant" tediously self-indulgent. The album sold in only moderate numbers and by the time of its release in December'73, Chain had undergone further personnel shifts.The album is still worth a listen, especially for die-hard Chain fans.
Tracks:
"Blues With A Feeling" (Little Walter Jacobs)
"Everybody Has To Lose Sometime" (Traditional)
"How To Set Fire To An Elephant" (Ian Clyne)
"Reconsider Baby" (Lowell Fulsom)
"Two Of A Kind" (James Madison)
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