Album Notes

Mike Allen, no stranger to music fans in Ontario (Hamilton-Burlington-Toronto area), has delighted audiences everywhere with his unique acoustic guitar style, deep-down vocals and his freewheeling stage personality. His creative and versatile guitar work, based on decades of study, puts a fresh twist to his covers and lends an instant appeal to his originals.

This CD - 13 originals based on classic blues and folk forms, highlights his lyrical and storytelling talents. The CD's first song boogies out like a John Lee Hooker shuffle, and tells the tale of a blues legend's advice to a starry-eyed young musician - "Make Sure You Get Paid."

Allen says, "Live audiences love this song - it's based on a real incident."

Another audience favourite is track 4, Door in the Floor, a tale of a wacky home improvement project that goes astray and is done without advice from Martha Stewart. Mike's talents at slide guitar help tell why Good Intentions (track 5) are not enough. Some Mississippi John Hurt style fingerpicking gives a ragtime feel to track 7, a blistering call to leave Mother Nature alone.

Many guitar influences have sweetened the mix here, from Eric Clapton's acoustic work, to the big strums of Richie Havens (track 2). Other influences include Leadbelly, Joni Mitchell (see track 9), and Dave Van Ronk (see track 8). Vocally, Track 11 seems to remind a lot of people of Jim Morrison, although Allen says he was trying to sound like John Lee Hooker doing Dylan lyrics.

Allen has gigged regularly in Ontario since 1980, but his pro debut traces back to 1974, at the Stone Phoenix Coffeehouse in Boston. "I was in college studying art, and I started appearing at open mike nights. Much to my surprise I started getting gigs, so I realized I needed more than ten minutes worth of material." He became a walking encyclopaedia of old blues and folk songs. "I just love that old stuff, and I think that's where the power of my songs comes from, having those kinds of roots."

The CD was recorded at Wedgewood studios and mastered by former Blue Peter bassist Richard Joudrey.