Diggin’ the Roots…

Description

Diggin’ the Roots… is the fifth and final album by the Swedish blues rock band Vatten (“Water”), self-released on Gutta in 1992. The album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Vatten founder Tomas Ernvik at ernvik musik’s “studio gutta” in Gräsmark, Sweden. (Piano recorded at Berg Chapel in Gräsmark.)

Featuring Tomas Ernvik on guitar and lead vocals, backed by a rhythm section consisting of bassist Sven Lindvall (of Badmintons fame) and drummer Bengt Andersson, with Mats Eriksson providing keyboards.

Bet you thought they’d split up yonks ago, didn’t you? I certainly did. But no, those old Greenbelt favourites return with a barnstormin’ set all the blues covers that they have played live for years, together with one of two (five actually) of Tomas Ernvik’s own compositions which fit neatly into the package. They pull off a pretty convincing version of Clapton’s arrangement of Robert Johnson’s «Crossroads» and yank all the stops on other blues anthems such as Don Nix’s «Black Cat Moan», Howlin’ Wolfs «Killing Floor» and B B King’s «You’ll Never Know». Ernvik was born to play the blues and if you get off on the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Groundhogs, early Fleetwood Mac (or if you’re cool, the Betterdays) then you need this album about as much as you need your kidneys. [Andy Long, Cross Rhythms, October 1992]

CD tracklist:

01. You’ll Never Know – 2:19 (written by B.B. King)
02. Looking Back – 2:16 (written by Johnny Guitar Watson)
03. The Status Quo – 3:03 (written by Tomas Ernvik)
04. Crossroads – 2:54 (written by Robert Johnson)
05. Pretty Woman – 4:38 (written by Albert King and Paul Williams)
06. The Stumble – 2:07 (written by Freddie King and Sonny Thompson)
07. First Sight Phenomenon – 2:00 (written by Tomas Ernvik)
08. Black Cat Moan – 4:08 (written by Don Nix)
09. Walkin’ By Myself – 2:38 (written by Jimmy Rodgers)
10. Don’t Try Your Jive On Me – 2:29 (written by Tomas Ernvik)
11. Prisons On The Road – 3:13 (written by John Mayall)
12. Little Girl – 2:16 (written by John Mayall)
13. Baby, Baby, Baby – 3:02 (written by Tomas Ernvik)
14. Ernvik Boogie – 2:12 (written by Tomas Ernvik)
15. Killing Floor – 3:11 (written by Howlin’ Wolf)

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by gutta. The band also released a 7-inch promo single featuring two album tracks; “You’ll Never Know”, b/w “Ernvik Boogie” (GUTS-1009).