Album Notes

I’ve just finished listening to one of the best live albums in a long time, and what makes that
even more pleasing is that it is from local Western Australian band On the Level, fronted by
boogie blues man Dave Gillam.

WHAT A BAND, ROCKIN BOOGIE BLUES AT ITS BEST!

CD in a record three weeks – with absolutely no overdubs! This is a real live album.
One thing that immediately hits you as you listen to this CD is the clarity – unlike a lot of live
recordings, every instrument has its place in the audio field and nothing is buried in the mix. At
times, you’d almost think it was a studio recording.
So down to the music itself: of the 16 tracks, four are well-known boogie blues standards, one
is from keyboard player Bill Blissett, seven are penned by Dave Gillam and the remaining four
are from Dave’s favourite British boogie band, Status Quo. And it’s on one of the Quo songs
Railroad that we hear the harmonica playing of special guest Rick Steele. As well as Gillam
and Blissett, On the Level features Paul Fitton on lead guitar, Jim Awram on bass, and Ian
‘bones’ Ironside on drums.
The set opens with the Steamhammer song Junior’s Wailing working through Gillam’s Rolling
Stone and the ever popular Déjà vu. Moving on to Quo’s Break the Rules and In my Chair via
Blissett’s Find a Place, we come to one of the highlights of the CD Ice Cream Man. Opening
with a nice running bass line from Awram we have Gillam’s strong solo vocal for the first two
verses before the band comes in and the song motors on towards a solid slow-blues ending.
Only half-way through and we still have Gillam’s Blues in E (title track of OTL's debut
release), Quo’s Don’t Waste My Time and two more from Gillam before the longest track on the
disc, Quo’s Railroad featuring the haunting harmonica of PBC President Rick Steele.
The final three tracks are the old blues standard Bad Case of Loving You by Moon Martin,
Bottom of the Bottle (title track of OTL's second CD) and Johnny Watson’s Looking Back.
This is a very satisfying offering from On the Level and is a further testament to both the
musical and production talent in Western Australia.
Rocking Boogie Blues Live @ the PBC is the third CD from On the Level and is certain to be
the baby boomer stocking filler this Christmas, so if you don’t have any dancing shoes yet, put
them on your Christmas list – you’ll need them.
Dave Gough “ Perth Blues Club Web Master”

Check out OTL's other 2 cds " Blues in E " & "Bottom of the Bottle"
www.onthelevel.cjb.net or www.davegillam.com.au
" Printable CD artwork is available as a PDF from our website "