Bernie Marsden: Big Boy Blues And Green (1995-2005), 4CD Box Set

• Hefty 4CD collection of blues-infused rock from virtuoso guitarist Bernie Marsden.

• For fans of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac / Whitesnake.

Although Bernie Marsden has enjoyed a long and varied career, including stints with Wild Turkey, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Babe Ruth, UFO, Paice Ashton Lord, Alaska, and most famously as part of Whitesnake, co-writing the US No 1 single, ‘Here I Go Again’, he was always a blues man.

A major influence on the young Marsden was the original Fleetwood Mac, and on ‘Green And Blues’ (CD1) he pays homage to his heroes, most notably to one of the musical world’s most influential and best-loved guitarists, Peter Green. ‘Green And Blues’ kicks off with Freddie King’s ‘Hideaway’, informed by the work of Eric Clapton with John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, but of the 15 tracks, Fleetwood Mac are the greatest influence, from Jeremy Spencer’s ‘My Heart Beats Like A Hammer’ to Green’s ‘Love That Burns’ and the poignant ‘Man Of The World’.

CDs 2 and 3 feature ‘Big Boy Blues’ and ‘Big Boy Blues: The Sessions’, which, as Bernie waxes lyrical about in the liner notes: “Throughout my professional career I have always tried to play music that moves people and makes them enjoy themselves. This is the kind of music that inspired me in the early days.” Featuring original songs penned by Bernie, the album includes a further homage to Peter Green with ‘Loved Another Woman’ and to blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson with ‘Do It If You Wanna’. CD3 contains many out-takes, demos and alternative versions from the same ‘Big Boy Blues’ sessions.

CD4 sees Bernie take it on the road. Recorded at The Granary, Buckingham in February 2003, the set kicks of with George Jackson’s ‘Downhome Blues’, branching out from solely blues and R&B, with the band’s worthy covers of 60s standards, ‘How Sweet It Is’ and ‘Hold On I’m Coming’. The set concludes with Bernie’s biggest hit, a duet with Sharon Watson on the Whitesnake classic ‘Here I Go Again’.

As reflected in the liner notes of this album, “don’t forget what the great BB King said on German radio in 1996 in an interview, when asked if white men can play the blues, he replied with this, ‘Some can, Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Jonny Lang, they feel the blues, oh and that Whitesnake guy, Bernie, he got it.’” High praise indeed!

Track Listing:

DISC ONE

GREEN AND BLUES (1995)
1 Hideaway
2 Don’t Want No Woman
3 If You Be My Baby
4 Little Girl
5 Rollin’ Man
6 Merry Go Round
7 Watchout
8 Snowy Wood
9 My Heart Beats Like Hammer
10 Shake Your Money Maker
11 Love That Burns
12 The Welfare (Turns It’s Back On You)
13 Steppin’ In
14 The Supernatural
15 Man Of The World

DISC TWO
BIG BOY BLUE (2003)
1 Burn Your Bridges
2 Working For The C.S.A.
3 Man Or Mouse
4 Dream On
5 Downhome Blues
6 Lady Friend
7 Memphis
8 Funny People
9 Loved Another Woman
10 Pick It Up
11 Do It If You Wanna
12 Place In My Heart
13 Tone Down

DISC THREE
BIG BOY BLUE: THE SESSIONS (2003)
1 Wiggin’s Wail (Alternate Mix) 2 Someday After (Alternate Mix) 3 Dream On
(Session Outtake) 4 Working For The
C.S.A. (Session Outtake)
5 I’m Tore Down
6 Pick It Up (Acoustic Demo)
7 Pick It Up Groove (Session Outtake)
8 Do It If You Wanna (Alternate Mix)
9 Place In My Heart (Alternate Vocal Mix Version)
10 Funny People (Alternate Harmonica Mix Version)
11 If You Be My Baby (Alternate Version)
12 Place In My Heart (Instrumental Mix)

DISC FOUR
BIG BOY BLUE LIVE AT THE GRANARY (2005)
1 Downhome Blues
2 I’m Tore Down
3 Funny People
4 Key To The Highway
5 Loved Another Woman
6 Knock On Wood
7 3 O’Clock Blues
8 Man Or Mouse
9 Place In My Heart
10 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
11 Hold On I’m Coming
12 Here I Go Again