Judgement Day by Paul Fenton

Vom Stil bewegt sich der Sänger, Gitarrist und Songwriter zwischen Psychedelic Rock, etwas Punk, einigen indischen Klängen („The River") sowie Bluesinfiziertem („Stella II", „Your Close Friends", „Judgement Day"). Dazu kommen etwas Sixties-Flair und eine Prise Bob Dylan („Desert Island Girl"). Diese Vielfalt hält Fenton unterdessen gekonnt zusammen, das Album wirkt wie aus einem Guß. Für aufgeschlossene Hörer. -Dietmar Hoscher-"

NEW APRIL 2007 REVIEW FROM BARCELONA SPAIN:

If you like psychedelic sound references with Delta blues drops and a punk rock touch, do not hesitate and get the new singer and guitar player Paul Fenton recording. Once again Fenton surprises us with a serious, restrained, original work and high musical quality. Paul is an able musician with new bright ideas who has done a great contribution to contemporary music. As usual, he tastefully plays with great technique all kind of guitars, slide, acoustic and electrifyied, plus bass and slide bass. His voice does not have the orthodox blues singer record, but it sounds deep and balanced, with a very special harsh touch which improves all songs. A new piece of work completely different to what he has been doing till now, you should bet for, if you like the most new fashion trends. VERY GOOD. - Vicente Zumel, "La Hora del Blues"

Paul Fenton “Judgement Day”. Jealous Monk 2006. Si os gustan las referencias a los sonidos psicodelicos con reminiscencias del Delta blues mas toques de punk rock, entonces no lo penseis dos veces en adquirir una copia de este último álbum del cantante y guitarrista Paul Fenton que, una vez más, nos sorprende de nuevo con un trabajo serio, sobrio, original y de gran calidad artística. Paul es un músico competente con ideas brillantes y grandes aportaciones a la estética musical actual. Como suele ser habitual en él, Paul se encarga de tocar con técnica y atinado gusto, todas las guitarras del disco, slide, acústica, electrica, mas el bajo y el bajo con slide. Su voz no suena como la de un cantante de blues ortodoxo, pero eso no es óbice para que aflore profunda y equilibrada con un toque mas bien áspero y muy particular, embelleciendo sobremanera todas las canciones que interpreta. Este nuevo trabajo es totalmente diferente a lo que ha publicado hasta el momento y creo que deberíais apostar por él si os gusta lo más novedoso. MUY BUENO. - Vicente Zumel

*****

PAUL FENTON Judgement Day Jealous Monk Records JMR0208

Perhaps only the Australian Dave Hole is comparable in the slide guitar stakes, as Canadian Paul Fenton plays some of the most mesmerising, warm toned slide guitar you have ever heard. In fact 'Judgement Day' is not so much about the strength of his songs as establishing different musical context's for his searing slide. From the opening repeated catchy slide motif of 'Lost In The Woods' to the two part closing title track, Paul seeks out every nuance and every tone colour imaginable on his array of guitars.

On the aptly titled instrumental 'Red Tele Raga' he extends the Eastern feel explored on the preceding George Harrison influenced 'The River', and both pieces suggest Paul is happiest searching out different textures and drones rather than focusing on one particular style. On the up side it's a rare pleasure to hear such musicianship outside of the usual 12 bar context on, although when he does dip into the Bo Diddley beat underpinning 'Skydog', he comes up with a Keith Richard style triumph...(and) by the time of the penultimate hard rocking intro of 'Nothing To Say' you get swept along by the sheer frisson of it all.

The closing title track is a tour de force guitar piece opening with a mournful sounding slide over a lilting blues backing. Paul reverts to a an effective laid back Dave Gilmour style vocal and for the rest lets his playing colour the piece.

The closing use of harmonics is perfect. A majestic player who at times seems to weave his guitar lines through the eyes of an imaginary needle, 'Judgement Day' is the perfect introduction to those who have never heard Paul Fenton before. Once you've heard this album you will be hooked.

Review by Pete Feenstra

http://www.getreadytorock.com

London England November 2006

*****

review from Norway

CD REVIEW: Paul Fenton Judgement Day (Jealous Monk Records, 2006 Canada)

Remember I gave Canadian Paul Fenton's previous CD (Live! In Toronto , 2002) a terrific review. And when I now, in receiving Judgement Day, his fresh release on my desk, am giving another excellent thumbs up to this brand new disk. Man this is a very good one, categorically! Fenton has composed a bunch extraordinarily varied songs and sounds that absolutely creep under your skin and stay there.

They aren't pure blues, by any stretch of the imagination, but they're not pure rock rather. Both describe the music here but let's call it blues rock along with hippie - active psychedelia. Listen to the the lovely instrumental track "Red Tele Raga", and you'll see what I mean. The superb title cut "Judgement Day" also deserves special mention. Paul Fenton is plainly put an incredible slide guitar player, a slide guitar player without equal.

He has during his 5 or 6 solo CDs clearly invented absolutely his own radical down'n dirty slide tone and is in a class by himself. I said before I was glad to make the acquaintance of this special musician, and I say it again after hearing this superb new CD.

Decca said in ’62 as they declined to sign The Beatles that 'guitar based music is on the way out.' Absolutely not!

Bjorn Wiksaas

Om Radio Ung

Norway

PLATEANMELDELSE: Jeg husker jeg anmeldte kanadiske Paul Fentons forrige utgivelse (Live! In Toronto, 2002) i meget rosende ordelag. Og når jeg nå, i form av skiva Judgement Day, får hans nyeste prestasjoner inn på pulten, så husker jeg så bestemt hvorfor. Mannen er fantasisk bra, basta!

Fenton har skrevet et knippe overordentlig vakre låter som simpelthen sniker seg inn under huden på deg, og blir der. Dette er ikke rein blues, langt der ifra, men det er ikke rein rock heller. Det nærmeste men vel kan komme blir å kalle det blues-rock med hippie-aktige psykedeliske overtoner. Hva nå enn det måtte være…Sett på for eksempel låta ”Red Tele Raga”, og du forstår hva jeg mener.

Det er rett og slett de gode låtene som gjør Judgement day så bra, det og det faktum at Paul Fenton spiller en absolutt avsindig bra slide-gitar. En slide-gitar som er helt og holdent hans egen. Han har i løpet av sine 5-6 utgivelser klart å spille på seg en helt egen tone i slide’n sin, Paul Fenton ligner rett og slett ikke på noen. Jeg sa det i 2002 – se å bli kjent med denne mannen, og jeg kan ikke annet enn å gjenta meg selv.

For min del setter jeg på skiva for ”ørtende ” gang, og denne gangen skal jeg bare nyte. Decca sa i ’62 da de nektet å signere Beatles at gitarbasert musikk var ut – tror ikke det, nei!

Bjorn Wiksaas

*****

PAUL FENTON - "JUDGEMENT DAY" full CD - CAN

I didn't know the Canadian Paul Fenton until I received his new album "Judgement Day." What a revelation this mix of blues, punk and psychedelic rock. A sound that brings us back from the late sixties to the early seventies. He is a great guitar player when it comes to rhythm guitar but his slide distinguishes him from other guitar players. He learned it from books by the way. One of the biggest influences to start playing himself was the late Rory Gallagher, but his list is much longer. Mainly blues guitar players who made Paul play the way he does now. His new album "judgement Day" doesn't contain your every day blues which we (read you and me) can expect on a blues site, but there is enough blues in this album for those who want to listen carefully. Blues isn't the same for you or me. On this album we hear twelve fresh songs and the majority stays in your head and is all very well performed. I must say I played this album over and over again for several days before I was ready to write an honest review. I cannot compare him with any other guitar player which means that Paul has, for me at least, a unique style. There's only one cover to be found on the album and that's 'Your Close Friends' by Blind Willie Davis. All other songs are written by Paul and the title track "Judgement Day" got the most of my attention, because it has got a blues base, although "Skydog" has got it as well. He finishes the song with a blues turnaround. For all you guys who want to try something else I advise this album, and don't judge it immediately but give it some time. Definitely worth the effort.

Reviewed by BluesBoy (Georges Dorka)

www.bobtjeblues.com

Belgium/Netherlands

*****

"He doesn't really sound like a blues singer in the traditional sense, but more like a rock vocalist, and actually, more like a punk rock vocalist. He's gotten more and more into developing a distinctive style of his own since I first heard him, which I think is a really good thing. This new album in particular, is different than anything else you've done before." Marty Murray, The NAIL (St. Catharines, ON Canada)

*****

Sein neuestes Werk heißt "Judgement Day und ist 2006 erschienen!!

Paul Fenton wurde in Kanada geboren, ist Blues-Rock Gitarrist, Sänger und ein bekennender Fan von RORY GALLAGHER. Paul Fenton hat Rory 1973 das erste Mal in Kanada live gesehen u. konnte mit ihm sogar sprechen. Paul sagte Rory, daß Musik sein Leben sei ...... Rory war fasziniert von dieser Aussage eines 13Jährigen!!! .... und schon 1982 sollten sie sich wieder treffen. Paul Fenton trat damals im Vorprogramm von Rory auf. Der Tourmanager von Rory in Kanada war seinerzeit Tony McLean und heute ist er der Manager von Paul Fenton .....

Paul schenkte Rory nach einem Konzert 1985 eine weiße "Supro-Dualtone", die Rory auch des öfteren gespielt hat. Ich habe diese Gitarre auch gesehen, als er sie spielte, nämlich später 1985 in Montreux. Er spielte damit "I Wonder Who". Sehe könnt´ ihr diese Gitarre (und viele andere von Rory´s Gitarren) noch bis zum 21.01.2007 in Dublin bei einer Ausstellung.

Jetzt aber mehr Infos zur neuen CD:

Paul Fenton ist ein sehr gefragter Musiker in Kanada. Aus diesem Grund ist er in Europa auch eher selten auf Tour ... leider!!

Seine neue CD ist über seine HP www.paulfenton.com zu ordern. Was Dave Hole in Australien ist, ist Paul Fenton in Kanada ... der absolute SLIDE-KÖNIG!! Er spielt fast 95% seiner Stücke mit Slide. Auf der CD sind 12 Titel eines Musikers, der durch sein Slidespiel sehr an RORY erinnert ..... meine persönlichen Favoriten: Das Instrumentel "Stella II" und "Your Close Friends". Eine sehr hörenswerte CD .... Blues-Rock mit einem Touch Psychedelic und Punk ... ein super Mix!!!

Fazit: Eine sehr starke CD mit Allem, was dazu gehört. Schön gemachtes Booklet und ein Bonus-Video "Lost In The Woods" und auch hier ist deutlich wieder die Verehrung von Rory Gallagher spürbar!! .... am Anfang des Videos eine Kameraeinstellung mit Vollbild auf die Kopfplatte von Paul´s "Airline Guitar" .... dort kann man lesen "To Paul Rory Gallagher" als Original mit der Unterschrift von Rory Gallagher!

Danke an Tony McLean und www.paulfenton.com

Euer 20$Bill, von www.rorysfriends.de

*****

Thomas Ruf, president-owner of Germany's Ruf Records label, after hearing a preview of the new CD said "It was a real listening pleasure! Different, very cool and well crafted."

"What a beautiful sound this is, blues meets Sixities music. It makes you think about life. And what slide guitar!" Bobtjeblues, Belgium

Paul was the featured artist on "Blue Jeans Generation" radio show Tuesday Sept. 19. "Mr. Paul Fenton is presented as the 'headliner' of this edition of the radio emission. His extraordinary music deserved it." Dragutin Matosevic, host, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Unlike a lot of artists, Mr. Fenton has got something to say in his work." Tom Branson, Blues Rockers website, Nashville TN

"We have a king-sized talent in our midst." George Seedorff, Big City Blues, Detroit

******

"De Candees Paul Fenton was tot kort geleden nog een onbekende voor mij, tot ik de cd "Judgement Day" ontving. Wat een openbaring deze mix van blues, punk en psychedelische rock. Een geluid wat ons gemakkelijk terug voert naar eind jaren zestig tot in het begin van de jaren zeventig. Hoewel Paul een goed ritmegitarist schijnt te zijn gaat zijn voorliefde duidelijk uit naar slide wat hij op zichzelf geleerd heeft via allerlei boekwerken. Een grote invloed om met muziek te beginnen was die van Rory Gallagher. Maar zijn lijst met invloeden reikt veel verder. Voornamelijk bluesartiesten die op een of andere manier een stempel gedrukt hebben op hoe Paul nu is. De cd "Judgement Day" bevat minder alledaagse blues dan dat wij (lees U en ik) zouden verwachten op een blues site. Maar er zit voldoende blues in verwerkt voor wie het maar horen wil. Blues is voor U niet hetzelfde dan voor mij. Op deze schijf horen we twaalf frisse nummers waar het merendeel van in je hoofd blijft zitten die stuk voor stuk goed uitgevoerd worden. Ik moet er wel bij vertellen dat ik deze cd meerdere dagen onafgebroken gedraaid heb voor ik zover was om voor mijn gevoel een eerlijke recensie te schrijven. Ik kan dan ook geen vergelijking maken met welke andere muzikant dan ook. Dit spreekt in zijn voordeel als je het hebt over geluid en stijl, uniek voor Paul Fenton. De enige cover komt van Blind Willie Davis en heet 'Your Close Friends'. De rest is van eigen hand waarvan de titelsong 'Judgement Day' mij het meest aanspreekt, waarschijnlijk omdat hier een lekkere bluesbasis in zit. Maar dit horen we ook in 'Skydog' waar Paul afsluit met een blues turnaround. Voor wie eens iets anders wil horen adviseer ik deze cd en dan niet gelijk oordelen maar even op je in laten werken, zeker de moeite waard." 'Blues Boy' Georges Dorka www.bobtjeblues.com

"Paul Fenton is a red hot slide player!" - Johnny Winter (after jamming with Paul)

BIO:

Paul has played with or appeared on bills with: Rory Gallagher (Montreal), Johnny Winter (three times), Mick Taylor (twice), Jack Bruce (Toronto's famous El Mocambo), Derek Trucks, George Thorogood, John Mayall (twice), Thirteen Engines, John Hiatt, Edgar Winter, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Roy Buchanan, The Strawbs, The Guess Who, The Stranglers and Mick Ronson (who also produced Paul's band "The Fentons" and played on their Woodstock NY session on Torrid Records).

Paul's been signed out of Montreal ("The Action", on Montreco Records, who got the band a US tour opening for the Ramones), New York City (Torrid Records, produced by Mick Ronson and engineered by Todd Rundgren's favourite engineer Chris Andersen) and through Universal/Rounder Europe's "Continental Record Service" with his band the Bleedin' Hearts who were picked for a seven country European tour opening for Walter Trout. Another solo album was distributed in Europe by In-Akustik.

Paul's jammed with everyone from Johnny Littlejohn, Big Moose Walker, Derek Trucks and the Strawbs to members of the Guess Who, Downchild Blues Band, Mick Ronson and Johnny Winter.

Buy the new album and hear why he's about to become much more than a hot cult item.

P.S.: We're thrilled to mention Paul has a special guest - Rudy Richman of the "London Quireboys" - playing drums and percussion on the album.

PRODUCED BY PAUL FENTON AND TONY MCLEAN

(C.) JEALOUS MONK RECORDS

www.paulfenton.com

www.myspace.com/paulfentonrocks

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