Friday, July 15, 2016

Throwback Thursday: The Big Come Up, by The Black Keys



It's not uncommon for bands and artists who do eventually make it big to have rather humble beginnings. However, the degree of that humbleness can vary. In the case of The Black Keys, their beginnings were so humble that they made their first album The Big Come Up (as well as some subsequent ones) almost entirely themselves - recording, engineering, mixing, mastering, everything. Although it didn't sell all that well at first, this raw dirty blues rock record has since garnered attention from critics and hard core fans alike.

The DIY nature of The Big Come Up is quite frankly what gives the album its charm in my opinion. You can tell that they recorded this on old school reel to reel tape. That rawness is what gives this record a good chunk of its soul, aside from the passionate blues infused rock n' roll that it protrudes through your speakers. This is just two guys: just drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach giving 110% at it with what little money and equipment they had at the time. This no frills, back to basics rock record started The Black Keys on one of the coolest rock n' roll journeys to ever happen.

As is a common thing to do with a debut rock record, a noticeable amount of the album (a third) is covers. One of my personal favorites is The Black Keys' treatment of She Said, She Said, by The Beatles. While it differs noticeably from the gentle woozy vibe of the original, it still is just as psychedelic - just in a more bluesy gritty way with some oomph in the overall sound. To me it sounds kind of like how it would have sounded had Cream recorded the song instead. In a way, I feel this is the definition of a good cover because it takes the song and goes completely in a different and original direction with it.

Countdown while not a widely talked about song is one of my absolute favorite Black Keys songs of all time. You can hear that early delta blues influence on Auerbach's guitar playing. That finger picking is absolutely delightful. There is no better word for it. His low, gritty, soulful singing and the drumming that comes in after a few measures just makes it that much more entertaining to listen to. I know for me I'm always kind of jumping up and down in my seat just a little bit as it plays. It masterfully combines old with new.

Honestly, The Big Come Up just goes to show you that you don't need a whole lot of money, fancy studio equipment, or dazzling production in order to make a good album. All you need is the dedication, passion, talent, and drive to do the best you can with whatever you have access to in order to give fans the best music possible. You can tell they are feeling every last note they play on this record and that it's all genuine. No rock n' roll just to make money and impress chicks here. Just a couple of guys who love what they do.


The Big Come Up, by The Black Keys receives 3.85 stars out of 5.

Track List:

1. Busted
2. Do the Rump
3. I'll Be Your Man
4. Countdown
5. The Breaks
6. Run Me Down
7. Leavin' Trunk
8. Heavy Soul
9. She Said, She Said
10. Them Eyes
11. Yearnin'
12. Brooklyn Bound
13. 240 Years Before Your Time

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Come-Up-Black-Keys/dp/B000063WDH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468567312&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Big+Come+Up

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