MTB slide guitarist Stuart Swanlund has released a CD with his side band, The Tone Generators. The band, from Mt. Prospect, Illinois, play blues and southern rock with a little jazz influence thrown in here and there. The ten-song CD features mostly original tunes penned by Stuart and his writing partner, Pat Hamann. My favorite is Burning Daylight - a great jammin' song about the road. This would make a great live song for any MTB show. It's one of those songs you just wanna crank up from the opening riffs. The Generators also cover a song from MTB's first LP, My Jesus Told Me So. Of all the songs they could have covered, this one is a bit of surprise... but it is STELLAR! It's over ten minutes in length and the song gave me chills the first time I heard it. Toy would be proud. The song is more up-tempo than the original, but the tempo fits the lyrics beautifully. Lovely keyboards accentuate the melody and Stuart's guitar punctuate the interludes. A driving backbeat remains steady throughout and solos abound. Like great classic Tucker, the song takes you to another place and time. The legacy of Toy is alive and well - thanks, Stu. This song is worth the price of the CD alone. Every Tucker fan will love it and it would be the perfect closing song for MTB's new jamming orientated shows. That's not to say the rest of the CD's songs are clunkers. Far from it. Several instrumentals show off the band's versatility. State Street Shuffle is an Allmanesque romp, Dear Daddy is a blues tune that you just get lost in and Just Between You & Me is a jazzy little number that is groovy as all get out. Driving All Night and Sugar Sweet are both funky numbers that will have you singing along. All the songs feature great solos and jammin'... Seems Stuart learned a thing or two from his predecessors in MTB!
The band has been playing together since the early 90's and gives Stuart a chance to pay homage to the music that has influenced him. Their live sets feature anything from classic blues such as The Thrill Is Gone to classic southern rock like Can't You See or Allman Brothers.
In addition to Stuart, the Tone Generators are Pat Hamann on keyboards, Gary Boldt on bass guitar, and Mike McNicholas on drums. To purchase their CD visit www.tonegenerators.com.
Track Listing
M.T. Blues
I'm Cold Becasue I'm Old
Why Can't You Love Me
Burning Daylight
Between You and Me
Sugar Sweet
Driving All Night
State Street Shuffle
My Jesus Told Me So