BOB WOOTTON & SIX  MILE GROVE – GUARANTEED CASH

2011- Self Released.
 
3***

Bob Wootton replaced the recently deceased Luther Perkins in 1968 as lead guitarist for Johnny Cash and remained so until the final band tour in 1998. Fairly obviously three decades of working with ‘the man in black’ means that he has absorbed much from the great man as well as adding to his signature sound. He certainly started his recording career with Cash at the top, with his first session being on the classic ‘Live at San Quentin.’ To be honest I rarely listen to ‘tribute’albums but made an exception with this one because in many ways Wootton is just as entitled to play and sing this music as Cash himself was, particularly if it keeps the memory of some of these classic songs alive.  Whether it was actually necessary from a fans persective is arguable but Wootton
certainly makes a decent job of singing these well known songs, doing so in a deep vocal style very similar to the original, although fairly obviously the power that Cash imbued the songs with is lacking, though musicality is definitely not.

In many ways it was musically brave to record an album such as this with
all eleven songs having varying degrees of fame and all being songs that from the opening bars are associated with Cash. Woottons vocals are good on every song as is the support he gets from mid west alt. country band, Six Mile Grove and his renowned guitar sound is something I can’t imagine anyone with a pulse tiring of! There is not too much that can be said about the songs, with the highlight for me being a quite emotional version of Man in Black. It might have been nice to have interpreted them slightly differently but ultimately I guess Wootton thought that would be disrespectful to the classic originals. If that is the case it’s difficult to argue with, considering that the album is a good listen and hopefully will encourage the uninitiated to explore the originals!

Track List:
Bad news
Big River
Doing my time
Folsom Prison blues
Frankie’s man Johnny
I got stripes
I still miss someone
Man in black
My baby walks all over me
Ring of fire
Orange blossom special
   
Bob Wootton doesn’t seem to have his own dedicated website, instead he shares this one with Six Mile Grove
  http://sixmilegrove.com/bob-wootton 

---