The Devil You Know [Bonus Tracks]

by Tommy Castro & the Painkillers

Overview

San Francisco's Tommy Castro has been at this roots and blues-rock thing for some 20 years now, and while at one time he was heralded as the next great guitar slinger, such claims only last until the next guy comes down the line with good tone and flashy technique, and since that seems to happen every other week, it's probably good that Castro brings a whole lot more to the plate than just his guitar playing. There's his voice, for one thing, a soulful and versatile blue-collar growl that sounds like Bob Seger working his way through the Stax/Volt catalog, and he's also turned into a pretty good meat-and-potatoes songwriter, too, although yes, it's his guitar playing that keeps the pot boiling. Castro has been using horn sections and larger ensembles on his recent albums, but for this set he relies on his crackerjack new touring band the Pain Killers, comprised of longtime Castro bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace, and the pared-down band brings a fiery garage energy to everything here, making this one of Castro's finest releases. Although there are also a lot of guest stars making appearances on The Devil You Know (Marcia Ball, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor, and the J. Geils Band's Magic Dick among them), they don't overrun the project, and this is Castro's show all the way, from the soulful, gospel-laced "Second Mind" and "The Whale Have Swallowed Me" through a cover of Wet Willie's "Keep on Smilin'," the bouncing, swinging "Mojo Hannah" (featuring Marcia Ball's piano and vocals), and the powerful "Two Steps Forward" (graced by the Holmes Brothers). Things close out with 2013's single "Greedy," which spotlights what a tight and garage-edged band the Pain Killers are. Yeah, this album is full of the blues, but it's also like a full-charged blue-eyed R&B and soul review, and the new configuration of Castro's band has him fired up and roaring on the Stratocaster with a renewed sharpness.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/21/2014
Label:	Alligator Records
UPC:	0014551495826
catalogNumber:	4958
Rank:	40219

Tracks

1. The Devil You Know
2. Second Mind
3. I'm Tired
4. Center Of Attention
5. The Whale Have Swallowed Me
6. When I Cross The Mississippi
7. Mojo Hannah
8. Two Steps Forward
9. She Wanted To Give It To Me
10. Keep On Smilin'
11. Medicine Woman
12. That's All I Got
13. Greedy

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tommy Castro & the Painkillers   Primary Artist
Marcia Ball   Piano,Vocals
Holmes Brothers   Background Vocals
Mike Finnigan   Organ
Bonnie Hayes   Background Vocals
Tab Benoit   Guitar,Vocals
Joe Bonamassa   Guitar
Tommy Castro   Guitar,Vocals,Group Member
Magic Dick   Harmonica
Mike Duke   Piano,Vocals
Mark Karan   Guitar
Vicki Randle   Percussion,Background Vocals
Jimmy Pugh   Organ
Randy McDonald   Bass,Vocals,Group Member
Tasha Taylor   Vocals
Leah Tysse   Background Vocals
Samantha Fish   Vocals
James Pace   Keyboards,Vocals,Group Member
Byron Cage   Drums,Vocals,Group Member

Technical Credits

J.B. Lenoir   Composer
Chris Youlden   Composer
Bonnie Hayes   Composer,Producer,Engineer
Lewis Ross   Composer
Tommy Castro   Composer,Producer
Joel Jaffe   Engineer
Mark Karan   Guitar Producer
Narada Michael Walden   Composer,Producer
Clarence Paul   Composer
Jim Reitzel   Engineer
Johnny Lee Schell   Engineer
James Hall   Composer
Richard Hirsch   Composer
Kevin Bowe   Composer
Danny Bernini   Engineer
Randy McDonald   Composer
Michael Trossman   Logo
Tal Morris   Guitar Producer
Ron Alan Cohen   Composer
John Anthony   Composer
Barbara Paul   Composer
Jack Hall   Composer
Blaine Misner   Engineer
Juliette Amoroso   Engineer
Erik Schramm   Engineer,Guitar Producer
Adam Lichtenauer   Engineer
Tom Gold   Booking
Craig "Scrojo" Haskell   Cover Illustration
Zephire Andre Williams   Composer
Terry Wilson   Composer
Britt Lundberg   Logo
Anthony Byron Cage   Composer