Canned Heat: “Finyl Vinyl” (2024) CD Review

Some bands go through a lot of personnel changes over the course of their existence, but somehow manage to keep the core idea and vibe of the music going. Take Canned Heat, for example. The band released its first album in 1967, a self-titled record of delicious blues covers. None of the people who played on that record are still in the band. None of them, in fact, are even still alive. The next year, the band released two fantastic albums, Boogie With Canned Heat (which featured “On The Road Again”) and Living The Blues (which featured “Going Up The Country”). By then, Adolfo De La Parra had replaced Frank Cook on drums. Adolfo De La Parra, who has played on all the band’s big hits, is still drumming in the band. The rest of the current members are all recent additions, but the band still boogies. In fact, on their new album, Finyl Vinyl, there are two tracks with “Boogie” in their titles. And yes, for those wondering, this album is going to be released on vinyl as well as CD. With that title, how could it not be? The band, in addition to Adolfo De La Parra, is made up of Dale Spalding on harmonica and vocals; Jimmy Vivino on guitar, keyboards and vocals; and Richard Reed on bass. Most of the songs on this album were written by the band members. One of the exceptions was composed by Dave Alvin, who joins the band on vocals and guitar. More on that in a bit.

The album opens with “One Last Boogie,” which begins with the line “One last boogie, turn up the heat,” a playful nod to the band’s name. This song has a classic Canned Heat sound. It was written by Jimmy Vivino, who also sings lead on it. This is just the thing you want to hear from this band. It features some great stuff on harmonica and guitar. I particularly like the guitar work at the end during the jam. “One more boogie, ‘til the clock runs down/What a way to go, you can boogie right into the ground.” That sounds like the way to go to me. Then we get the song written by Dave Alvin, “Blind Owl,” a song about the band itself, and particularly about founding member Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson. Dave Alvin sings lead on this track, delivering a cool performance, as he seems to always do. And in these lines he refers to the early Canned Heat hit “On The Road Again”: “Folks are dancin’ and sweatin’/Somewhere between salvation and sin/And when the morning sun rises/I’ll be back on the road again.” This track also features some excellent guitar work. There is a delicious jam in the middle, and I love that harmonica. It is fantastic that this song exists on this album, and is reason enough to purchase the CD or record.

“Goin’ To Heaven (In A Pontiac)” is pure fun from the moment it starts. It was written by Jimmy Vivino, who sings lead on it. This track is good ol’ rock and roll, and it features some really good stuff on keys and guitar. “I’m goin’ to heaven/Ain’t no turnin’ back/Don’t need no chariot of gold/Take me in a Pontiac.” Then, interestingly, the band revisits a song from its 1970 LP Future Blues, “So Sad (The World’s In A Tangle).” Though more folks are aware of environmental concerns now than were at the time of this song’s original release, there are still many people who deny climate change for their own political gains. The battle continues. The world is still in a tangle, so it seems fitting to revisit the song now. This version isn’t quite as long as the original, but still contains a good jam. Dale Spalding sings lead on this one, and Joe Bonamassa joins the group on guitar. And there’s a whole lot of excellent guitar work. This version includes an echo of “So sad.”

The other track with “Boogie” in the title is an instrumental titled “East/West Boogie,” which features a great bass line, giving the song a bit of a punk edge. This is a seriously cool instrumental track that transports us and features a strong rhythm.  Wally Ingram joins the band on percussion on this track. That’s followed by “Tease Me,” a playful blues number written by Dale Spalding and Adolfo De La Parra, and featuring Dale on vocals. Here he tells his woman he wants her to tease him all day. “You got to tease me all day/You got to love me, baby, with a thrill/If you don’t tease me right, baby/You know some other woman will.” And the line he tosses out then, “Oh, somebody tease me,” made me laugh out loud the first time I listened to this disc. Right after that line, there is a really good harmonica part. “I want you to tease me, baby/‘Til I go out of my mind.” Dale also sings lead on “A Hot Ole Time,” a song written by Sam Hollander and Chris Scianni, and one features a wonderful, delightful rhythm. Oh yes, this is designed to make you feel good, to get you on your feet.

The rhythm is then the driving force of “You’re The One,” one of my personal favorite tracks. It was written by Dale Spalding, who also sings lead, and here he delivers one of the album’s best vocal performances. This is a sweet blues number. “You’re the one, no one else/There ain’t no substitute/I never met nobody that was ever so fine as you.” This song has such a good vibe about it. And check out that harmonica work in the second half. That’s followed by “When You’re 69,” which has a classic, mean blues vibe. It was written by Jimmy Vivino, and he sings lead on it. It’s a song about aging, and yeah, this topic speaks pretty strongly to me these days. “Someday you’ll get there too,” he sings, then gives a laugh before adding, “And the same thing’s gonna happen to you.” Yup, if you’re lucky. Also, check out these lines: “Just like an old dog/When you can’t learn no new tricks/Every day you wake up/Somethin’ needs to be fixed.” The line about having no sense of time also rings true. This track contains another great lead on harmonica during that jam, and is one of the disc’s highlights.

“Independence Day” was written by Dale Spalding and Dean Zucherro, and Dale sings lead on it. This one has a catchy and cool groove, one that will have you smiling before long. “Looking over my shoulder/See the world I’m leaving behind/Never once more to hold her/Never more that moment in time.” The band then wraps up the album with a cover of Rollee McGill’s “There Goes That Train,” a song that McGill released on a single in 1955. Canned Heat delivers a fairly faithful rendition. Dale Spalding sings lead on this track, and does a great job capturing that classic vibe. The whole band gets into the spirit of the thing, making the song breathe. And  this track features some seriously cool work on harmonica.

CD Track List

1. One Last Boogie
2. Blind Owl
3. Goin’ To Heaven (In A Pontiac)
4. So Sad (The World’s In A Tangle)
5. East/West Boogie
6. Tease Me
7. A Hot Ole Time
8. You’re The One
9. When You’re 69
10. Independence Day
11. There Goes That Train

Finyl Vinyl is scheduled to be released on April 5, 2024 on Ruf Records.