Produced, written, recorded and engineered by Seasick Steve, MAN FROM ANOTHER TIME is a resolutely organic album that eschews modern studio trickery, in favour of the warm ambience of live analogue recordings. Everything on teh album was performed by Seasick Steve, aside from drums which are credited to his longstanding Swedish drummer Dan Magnussen.

Steve utilised a variety of favourite guitars on the recording including a one-string Didley-bo (a 2×4 with a string nailed to it), a guitar made out of an old cigar box (with four strings), his famous three-string Trance Wonder guitar, and an old beat-up acoustic guitar. These were complemented by a tattered Fender Tweed Deluxe amp, antique 40’s ribbon mics and otehr vintage microphones. The natural sounds and echoes of the recording rooms were used for reverb and any delays were done with tape.

“I hope by making records like this that it’ll make people want to hear music that’s recorded without the use of digital equipment, and that people’s ears can get a little rest from all that shit,” commendted Steve. “But if not, at least it was nice for me. Me and my computers do not see eye to eye…”

In our experience, it’s rare to to see a live performance before receiving an album (which usually decides whether we witness a live show or not). But that’s the case here with Seasick Steve after first seeing him on the Jools Holland Later show. That was a couple of years ago since when I have never heard the man on plastic, until now. There is no doubt Seasick Steve is an accomplished and exciting live performer but this album proves that he is a supreme ’studio’ musician. And I use the word ’studio’ advisadly… The above background points to recordings taking place just about anywhere, with anything. But the results are nothing short of stunning, in fact so much so this album is in danger of becoming our ‘album of the year.’ It’s also an object lesson to hopefuls and established artists that ‘back to basics’ can and does work - supremely well.

The fun starts with the thumping blues-rock of ‘Diddley Bo.’ When I first played this I could not stop my toes tapping and could not sit down and just ‘listen.’ It’s vivacious, exciting, passionate and an object lesson in recorded musical entertainment. ‘Big Green And Yeller’ offers a somewhat darker blues vibe and is bang up-to-date with our social times. The guitar riffs are incredible, the melody monstrous and the lyrics - well, take a gander: “I’m gon’ get me/an old John Deer/old model 60/or somethin’ pretty near…don’t need no Ferrari/no Porsche too/big green and yella/for me that gonna do/gonna go out and buy me/ten acre’ now/get that ol’ tractor/gonna plow plow plow…”

Hell, this album is chock full of crackig songs but this next one, ‘Happy (To Have A Job)’, is one of my favourites. The melody, bass rhythmic vibe  and guitar work are amazing as it builds sonically, and the pace grows faster to reach a crashing vocal and instrumental crescendo. Superb! ‘The Banjo Song’ is what it says on the box. There’s a long banjo intro passage before Steve’s reflective and expressive vocal arrives. It’s a moving, melancholy, slow/medium-paced song with another superb melody. ‘Man From Another Time’ is the stunning title track with another wonderful set of lyrics, distinctive guitar sounds and highly original chorus.

‘That’s All’ is a rhythmic beauty that bounces along at building pace. This is another very special song with just a hint of pop sensibility. I reckon this could fly as a single! ‘Just Because I Can’ is a contemplative, slow alt country/blues song which is more stripped down and simply gorgeous. ‘Never Go West’ changes up several gears as it rocks its socks off with more compelling, winding guitar riffs and a vocal that twists and turns.

‘Dark’ is another reflective and introspective beauty. The lyrics tell the story: “I like the dark/it is my friend/there at beginnin’s/be there at the end…I like my own/I like my own/ company/that way it’s easier/at least for me.”

This album is a monumental achievement when one considers how it was recorded; sonically, it’s of the highest quality. The song writing is brilliant, the diverse pace and mood keep one guessing as to what’s coming next. .. It could even go down as a classic blues-rock record - a masterpiece. ESSENTIAL!

5/5