Philipp Fankhauser proves that decent soulful blues can also come from Switzerland. With ‘Love Man Riding’ he released his eleventh album full of blues with a soulful touch. He learned the tricks of the trade from the in 1997 deceased Johnny Copeland. Philipp’s music is not your standard three chords and twelve bar blues but it goes much deeper. There is a lot of soul in his music.
His influences are Jimmy Witherspoon and Bobby Bland amongst others. The lyrics are more important than the music although the music is of a high standard. Telling stories with good music is a gift that not to many people have but Philipp is one of them. On ‘Love Man Riding’ we are treated twelve times with this gift. Serious lyrics telling us all the aspects of modern day life. Accompanied with good musicians with bass player Richard Cousins (ex Robert Cray Band) as the most famous one, for me that is, I really enjoyed listening to this album. Sometimes a bit dull but solid all the way through.
The songs that immediately caught my intension from the first time I heard them are “I’m Finished Here” , “Easy For You To Say” and the acoustic ‘I Got A Love”. Great lyrics who relentlessly point out all the weaknesses if it comes to the relation between man and woman. That’s all the soul we want. So f you like blues and soul this one is for you.