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I wish there were more people out there who could pen songs as good as the ones on the 2 albums of his that I currently own. Let's face it, this guy probably has way to much integrity to ever put out something that is not a 100% effort. Great musicianship and as always great honest lyrics. This can be a difficult task when it comes to speaking out about injustice, but, as always, he makes it work through his honest storytelling way of writing. He is truly unique. I especially enjoyed his storytelling approach in "max the baseball clown".
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, I love his "lisp". This is blues music at its finest. I guess that is just one of the many things that make him great. "The bloody burmese blues" brings attention to a tragic event that like many horrific events that are common throughout many parts of the world slip on by our N American consciousness. He manages to sing about this without shoving a lot of liberal propaganda down our throats (of which I am probably guilty of at times). Although I think of it more as an strong southern accent, it just helps to lend itself to his overall authenticity.
I will probably not stop buying his albums till I own them all.
Those that I like include the up-tempo rockers ('Blues For Howard' and 'Archetypal Blues No.2 - both of which blow me away), or the slower tempo songs with a strong groove ('Dad In the Distance', 'You're The One I Need', 'Bubba's Blues' and 'I've Got a Toothache'); I also like the lyrics on 'Call My Job' (I've been there).I'd recommend this album to both fans of blues music, and those (like myself) who haven't quite 'arrived' yet. The overall sound has a fairly raw feel, and I suspect that the album has been recorded 'studio live' - which is just as well, because this type of music rarely benefits from post-recording 'over-polishing'.The music covers several blues styles - I don't know what these are called but, most certainly, there's a mixture of traditional and contemporary blues.
However, these days I am beginning to listen to a lot more blues music, and this album is 'all blues' (I think). Thus, I've written this review from the perspective of someone with more mainstream tastes, but also someone who can still appreciate some of the qualities of blues music.Bill Homans (Watermelon Slim) sings with a lot of feeling, whether he is belting out high energy rockers or using a more understated style.
Whilst I like some music that combines blues with other genres, I don't consider myself to be a blues fan. The supporting musicians (including a tight rhythm section) provide first rate accompaniment; also, there are a few solos from guest players - piano (David Maxwell) on two tracks, and electric slide (Lee Roy Parnell) on one.
He has a slight lisp which gives his vocals a little bit of character (but some listeners may find this distracting). One of the most striking things about the music is the electric slide playing which features on many tracks - some of it is astonishing stuff.
In terms of my own enjoyment, 'No Paid Holidays' is a 'mixed bag' - I'm not keen on a number of songs towards the middle of the album (perhaps, better appreciated by more dedicated blues fans). I can't be as generous with my rating as other reviewers because there are 5 songs that I dislike - but even so, it's good to hear some decent music from an artist who hasn't been 'got at' by the major music corporations; 3.5 stars.
No Paid Holidays is a strong, bluesy album. Glad I gave it a whirl.
I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Watermelon Slim for the first time on The Legendary Blues Cruise. He is an original and an American treasure. I was absolutely blown away. As Slim says in his music " I am who I am and who I always have been". I had the chance to talk to him and his wife and found them to be down to earth people who were very happy to talk to their fans. If you listen to Watermelon Slims music and don't like it then you just don't "get it".
The guy and his band are amazing performers. Once again. Slim's slide guitar and harmonica are incredible.If you have to do without lunch for a day or two to afford this, DO IT. Watermelon Slim is a winner. The guy is a great musical genius.Love it.Wonderful mix of modern and traditional and even some whimsy.I have seen Watermelon Slim twice in person. You can feast on the blues by Slim and the Workers.
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