Michael Thompson Band
High Times - Live In Italy
Album review by; John
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I didn't know what to expect from this live album by The Michael Thompson Band, mainly because if I'm honest I didn't know a great deal about Michael Thompson or his Band, but that's the great thing about being an album reviewer, you get to hear some great music that may otherwise have passed you by.
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From the first song on the bands new live album High Times - Live In Italy I liked what I was listening to, Can't Miss starts off with some bluesy guitar before progressing into some brilliant classic rock riffs which got my foot tapping and head nodding. Already impressed early on I was even more impressed when I heard the voice of Larry King (not to be mixed up with the talk show host) on lead vocals.
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Michael is a veteran of the rock world, it's shameful he and MTB have passed me by so far to be honest, but no matter I've found them now. Michael has been on the scene for over five decades, rocking audiences alongside legends such as Joe Cocker and Cher. Perhaps this is why he wasn't picked up on my radar; he has spent a lot of his career as studio and session musician. As well as playing alongside Joe Cocker and Cher, he has also worked on projects with Stewart Copeland, Eric Clapton and Shania Twain.
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Having provided scores for many TV and films such as Fame, Miami Vice, Days Of Thunder and many more. He soon got a record contract of his own with Geffen Records and formed the Michael Thompson Band (or MTB for short). The first album (Michael Thompson Band) was released in 1989, with further albums The World According To M.T. (1998) M.T. Speaks (2005), Rivers Of Paradise (2007) and Love & Beyond (2019).
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High Times - Live In Italy is their first live album and showcases nine of their greatest songs live. It's a great album and has a bit of everything from blues to classic rock. I particularly liked the chilled bluesy number Give Love A Chance, this really showcases the quite super talents of Michaels’ guitar work. If you are a guitar player and you have never heard the MTB then you have to listen to this it's simply awesome.
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I really can't fault any of the tracks on this live album. Can't Miss, Secret Information, Love & Beyond, Give Love A Chance, High Times, Save Yourself, Starting Over, Wasteland and an amazing cover of Boston's More Than A Feeling at the end, if you like your classic rock and blues, and you like it live then do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy of this album you won't be disappointed.
4 out of 5
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https://www.facebook.com/MichaelThompsonBand/
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