Blues Image: “Next Voyage” (2023) CD Review

Blues Image is still most known for its major hit “Ride Captain Ride.” Founding member Mike Pinera left the band at the height of its popularity to join Iron Butterfly, and then began a solo career, revisiting Blues Image in the late 1970s. Then in 2017, Pinera released a new Blues Image album. Titled Timeless, the album contained new recordings of some classic Blues Image and Iron Butterfly material. Now that has been followed by Next Voyage, which also contains new renditions of some older songs. Interestingly, much of the same material is covered on both albums. The band’s lineup is the same as for the 2017 release, and includes Mike Pinera guitar and vocals, Tim Franklin on bass and vocals, Michael Franklin on keyboards and vocals, and Eddie Metz, Jr. on drums. There are also several special guests playing on these tracks, including Pat Travers, Tommy Calton, and Jonathan Cain, all of whom also played on the 2017 album. That of course leads to the question, Is this basically the same album, slightly reworked? Or at least taken from the same sessions? There are several noticeable differences in the songs from one album to the other, but most of them are not major. So if you own Timeless, you might hesitate before purchasing Next Voyage. However, if you don’t have the 2017 release, or if you are a big Blues Image fan and are curious about the differences, this is a good addition to your music collection. And its cover is much better than that of Timeless.

The album opens with “Butterfly Bleu,” a song originally included on Iron Butterfly’s Metamorphosis. Hey, does that little drum part that begins the song remind anyone else of the beginning of the Monkees’ theme song? Anyway, this is a totally cool song, with some delicious guitar work and a strong vocal performance. This song was also included on Timeless. I’m not sure exactly how different this recording is from that one, if it is in fact different at all, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable track, with some great touches from the horn section. And while this track is shorter than the original Metamorphosis recording, there is still a good amount of jamming. “Butterfly Bleu” is followed by “Something To Say,” a song that was included on the first Blues Image LP, where it was titled “(Do You Have) Somethin’ To Say.” It was then re-recorded by Blues Image for a 1977 album, where it was the title track. This song was recorded again for Timeless. As it begins, this track sounds like the same recording from Timeless. However, on that album the song is slightly shorter. There is a good deal of energy to this track, with some great, driving work from the horn section. And I love that backing vocal work. This recording has a much stronger finish than that on Timeless, which faded out. Then “Love Is The Answer” features some great stuff on drums. This is a good rock song with some weight to it, and includes some fantastic touches on horns. It was originally included on the Blues Image record Open, released in 1970.

“Isla” features strings, and their work at one point reminds me of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” This one is not a Blues Image or Iron Butterfly song. Rather, it comes from a 1977 Mike Pinera solo album, where it was the title track. This rendition also features some excellent backing vocal work. It does seem to be the same recording as on Timeless, but then at the end there is a bit on guitar that was not present on the earlier release. So who knows? There is an undeniable power behind this track. That’s followed by “Leavin’ My Troubles Behind,” another delicious blues rock song, this one originally from the debut Blues Image album. This one too has a whole lot of power, with some exciting work on guitar. And then in the second half it suddenly breaks, allowing for some smooth, cool vocal work before once again bursting into a glorious, high-energy blues rock realm. Check out that work on keys. And then we get “In A Gadda Da Vida,” the most well-known song of the Iron Butterfly material. This version isn’t as long as the Iron Butterfly LP version, but at nearly ten minutes, there is still plenty to sink your teeth into. There is some great stuff on keys, as well as a good lead on guitar, all while that delicious rhythm continues. It’s that bass line that really provides the heart of this song, at least in that first section, don’t you think? After approximately four minutes, there is a drum solo, and after that the drums continue to be a focus, at least for my ears. And is that a little nod to The Doors’ “Light My Fire” around the six-minute mark? When the band returns to the main theme, the horns are spectacular. After that, there is another drum section. This really is an incredible rendition.

One of the biggest differences between this album and Timeless comes with “Pay My Dues.” On this new release, it is paired with “Fugue.” Both songs come from the Blues Image LP Open. Interestingly, “Fugue” begins this track and leads directly into “Pay My Dues,” whereas on Open, “Fugue U” (as it is called there) follows “Pay My Dues.” The order works so well on this new release, as it allows for a more powerful, even jarring, transition, especially as this version of “Fugue” is mellower, prettier. The band explodes into “Pay My Dues,” an exciting moment. On Open, “Fugue U” leads directly into a cover of “Parchman Farm,” a very different sort of segue. Another difference from Timeless is the way “Ride Captain Ride” is labeled. On the earlier album it was called simply “Ride Captain Ride.” Here it is titled “Captain’s Suite: Next Voyage/Ride Captain/Safe Harbor/Ride Captain Ride.” The part labeled “Next Voyage” (thus, the album’s title track) is a rather pretty instrumental section, featuring strings. The strings then begin to take on something of the song’s theme. Approximately a minute and a half in, the vocals come in. There is such a good feel about this track, and we are reminded why this song was such a big hit. It still holds great appeal. There is another beautiful instrumental section halfway through, and it builds from there. “Next Voyage” and “Safe Harbor” were composed by Michael Franklin.

CD Track List

1. Butterfly Bleu
2. Something To Say
3. Love Is The Answer
4. Isla
5. Leavin’ My Troubles Behind
6. In A Gadda Da Vida
7. Fugue/Pay My Dues
8. Captain’s Suite: Next Voyage/Ride Captain/Safe Harbor/Ride Captain Ride

Next Voyage was released on February 17, 2023 through Solar Music.

Note (1/5/23): Just before the holidays I spoke with Michael Franklin, who produced Next Voyage, and he was kind enough to provide clarification on the question of this album versus Timeless. They are basically the same album, though Timeless is an inferior version that was not meant to be released. What happened was that after the initial recording sessions Michael Franklin became busy producing Jon Anderson’s 1000 Hands, and there was suddenly a rush to put out the Blues Image album. And so Timeless was released, though the tracks at that point were regarded still as demos. Michael Franklin was, understandably, not pleased with the product. And so when time permitted, he finished the project and released it under the title Next Voyage on his own label, Solar Music. This explains the similarities, and also why Next Voyage sounds better. It also explains why Timeless has been pulled.