The disc opens with "Temple In The Wind," a song with a strong energy, particularly to Joey's vocal work, and some catchy guitar work. It was released as the EP's first single. "You are my heart/You're my temple in the wind," Joey sings here. We all need that sort of sanctuary, a place where we feel safe. And if it can be in the arms of a special person, all the better. Yes, it's a love song. There is a cool lead on guitar in the second half. And, as won't come as any surprise, this track features good work by both Dusty Wakeman and David Raven. There is a false ending, and then after the guitar leads us back into the song, Joey sings, "Making my way to a better place." Then "Born To Be Your Toy" has a harder blues rock sound, featuring some serious guitar work, a guitar that means business. And a powerful vocal performance. "You're made of stone, I'm made of mud/You're every curse ever known to man/I should be running as fast as I can." This is an older song, co-written by Charlie Hoskyns (of The Popes), who died in 2017, and a version of it was released as a single in 2020. "You win again/I was born to be your toy." Not a good relationship, obviously, but sometimes we can't help us ourselves and it feels strangely good to give in, to lose. "You have the power, I have none."
"King Of Strings," the EP's title track, is a song about Les Paul himself, though apparently there was an earlier version of this song written for Duane Allman. The song mentions, "'Smoke Rings' by Les Paul and Mary Ford/Hanging on every word." And soon, Joey sings, "King of strings/Master of melody/Crafter of tunes/Such sweet harmony/Taken too soon/From this reality/The king of strings." The lines "Taken too soon/From this reality" apply much more to Joey Stuckey than they do to Les Paul, who was 94 when he died (and they apply to Duane Allman, who was only 24). There are moments when Joey's vocal approach reminds me a bit of Van Morrison. The title track is followed by "Hertsmere Blues," a totally delicious blues number that opens with some wonderful guitar work. "Can't live without, baby/Without you, nothing is the same," he sings, with a great ache and passion in his voice. There is nearly a howl in his voice when he contemplates life without this woman's love. There is something primal here, which we completely understand. Who could stand a minute of this world without that special person? "Now listen, I'm going to talk to you," he says nearly halfway through the track. But it is his guitar that does all the talking then, and so eloquently. I'm digging that guitar lead, delivered over a solid rhythm. Here he stretches out a bit, making this track stand out.
"Baby Don't" is a song with a classic rock and roll sound and flavor, as well as a playful sense, a sense of humor. "Baby, I want to believe you/But I don't/Every time you say you will/Baby, you just don't." You can hear the humor in his voice, in his performance. "All the lies you're telling/They are so innovative." And, yeah, there is some damned good work on guitar here too. The disc concludes with a cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love." Yup, a trio covering another trio. This was the song that turned me onto Cream when I was a kid, and I have a soft spot for it. Here the band gets heavy. Joey's guitar lead in the middle is what makes this rendition special.
CD Track List
- Temple In The Wind
- Born To Be Your Toy
- King Of Strings
- Hertsmere Blues
- Baby Don't
- Sunshine Of Your Love
King Of Strings was released on October 23, 2026 on Senate Records.
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