House On Fire

Jeff Healey Band

Eagle Rock North, 2013

http://jeffhealey.com

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/21/2013

After the success of "Angel Eyes," the Jeff Healey Band hunkered down to work on the follow-up album Feel This. Apparently, the recording sessions for that 1992 album were fruitful, because eight songs recorded during that time were not used.

The new collection House On Fire rounds up those songs, as well as two covers not used on 1995's Cover By Cover album and a 1998 song, "Daze Of The Night." It could easily be a companion piece for Feel Thismy_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 , and for fans it will be a treat to hear these unreleased gems, or at least to get them in a high-quality studio format.

For many others who only remember this Canadian power trio for "Angel Eyes" and the fact that Healey is blind, House On Fire will spark some interest in the band's output. Popular in their homeland but never really in the States, despite a Grammy nomination, the Jeff Healey Band specialized in blues rock, offering up tasty riffs and solos set to solid rock grooves. You have heard it before and will hear it again, but that doesn't make it any less special. How these songs never made it to a Healey album before this is a wonder, especially when crap like "If You Can't Feel Anything Else" somehow made it.

Those inclined to like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, Jonny Lang and so forth will greatly enjoy this. "All The Way" and "You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine" are fiery rock songs with excellent guitar solos; the band earned praise from B.B. King and Clapton, and based on those two and the title track, it's easy to see why.

The few slower songs are rather dull, such as "Too Late Now" and the cover of Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight," but they help break up the intensity of the fun instrumental "Bish Bang Boof" and the smoking "Daze Of The Night," which has a Southern rock flair that rivals anything .38 Special put out. The closing "Joined At The Heart" is authoritative and self-assured, a great way to end this disc. The Springsteen cover "Adam Raised A Cain" has a wonderful solo but piles on the noise during the verses, which robs the song of its original sinister undercurrent.

Still, the majority of House On Fire is not only great blues rock but is a testament to an underrated band. Healey passed away in March 2008 from cancer; here's hoping that this collection brings about a discussion, or at least some more posthumous appreciation, for his music.

Rating: B

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