The Bobby Lalonde Band – “Forty Shades of Blue”

The Sleeve:

The Liner/Sleeve Notes:
None.

Personal Review:
 So Bobby Lalonde is the most local anyone can get to me, and by that I mean when I bought two of his records he was literally a 15 minute drive from where I lived. Now, there is one thing about this record, due to edge warp on the first tracks, I have to omit the first track on both A & B from review.

 So, the A-Side does open with the track “Forty Shades of Blue” but without completely damaging my turntables needle, I cannot play it. So, I’m going to start with the track “Play Old Man” and it seems to start with some fiddling, and it’s a slower track, but it’s still pretty good. The fiddle playing is really good, then again, that is what Bobby Lalonde is known for. “Rosin Up” comes next, and I like how this isn’t overly country and it isn’t overly bluegrass, it’s actually really good. “Breezy Nights” comes next, and this album has that obvious mid 80’s vibe to all the songs, I’m pretty sure it’s from the bass and drums that give, and the keyboards, the keyboards are especially 80’s sounding. The song is pretty good. The A-Side closes with the track “Just Kidding” and it’s a fiddle instrumental and it’s pretty good, I am hearing hints of drums and other instruments, I just can’t figure out what they are.

 The B-Side technically opens with the track “Lisa” and from the few seconds I caught of it, it seemed good. “Jamie” follows next, and it seems to be a pretty good track to follow next. I’m liking this song quite a bit. The chorus is pretty good too. Next up is the song “This Dream” and it seems to start off like a ballad type song, and it’s quite good, a bit slow, but the musicianship and vocals are superb. The chorus that comes in this song is honestly so great, I love it how it is performed. “Midnight Ride” comes next and it’s an upbeat track, for some reason I feel like it could’ve been used in one of those early 90’s Canadian Education movies that they show in high school law classes. (Maybe it was just me who endured that.) All in all, not a bad track, we end the album with the song “Diggy Diggy Li” which seems to be another instrumental, and it’s pretty good. I definitely like this bluegrass fiddle instrumentals.

Interesting Facts:
None.

Track Listing:
A1 – Forty Shades of Blue
A2 – Play Old Man
A3 – Rosin Up
A4 – Breezy Nights
A5 – Just Kidding

B1 – Lisa
B2 – Jamie
B3 – This Dream
B4 – Midnight Ride
B5 – Diggy Diggy Li

Label:
BoLab Records

Catalog Number:
CRI 8136

Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Vocals, Fiddle & Guitar – Bobby Lalonde
Vocals & Guitar – Alain Brisson
Vocals & Bass – Roger Belisle
Drums – Norman Couture
Special Guest – Vasser Clements
Keyboards – Denis Chartrand & Jack Corbeil
Steel Guitar – Gilles Godard & Steve Pittico
Banjo – Greenland G. & Taillerfer B.
Brass – N. Clarck & D. Ward
Strings – N.A.C. Quartet
Engineers – Mike Delaney, Kevin Wilson, John Sabanski & Peter Burns
Producer – Bobby Lalonde
Co-Production Bobby Lalonde & Giles Godard

Other Albums I Own by The Bobby Lalonde Band:
None..

Released:
1985

Related Vinyls:

Holy Cow – Four Big Hits Peter & Carol Dawson – “Fiddlin’ for Folk” Garry Lee and Showdown – “Wanted! Garry Lee and Showdown: Loaded Loose and Rowdy” FM Stereo 105 CKBY Presents… MCA Greatest Hits