Randy Lee Riviere – Concrete Blues
Randy Lee Riviere – Concrete Blues
Format: CD
Label: New Wilderness Records
Release: 2024
Release date: September 13, 2024
Singer/songwriter Randy Lee Riviere, pronounced (“Re-VEER”), announces a September 13 release date for his new blues/roots-rock album, ‘Concrete Blues,’ produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy), on Wilderness Records.
Concrete Blues showcases Randy’s thought-provoking songs and voice supported by a cast of A-List musicians … people who have backed up artists such as Bob Dylan, Delbert McClinton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Guy and many others in the past. Along with this stellar cast, Riviere delivers a solid blues/rock album that is as modern in its message as it is traditional in its delivery. Riviere, who splits his time between his Montana farm and a home outside of Nashville, has delivered an album that fits right at home with today’s blues/rock anthems as well as Americana’s rootsy vibes.
In addition to a lifetime of music, Randy, as a wildlife biologist, has been involved with large-scale efforts in the past working to protect and restore important elements of the Native American landscape. One example of these efforts involved his leadership role in protecting over 40,000 acres of wildlife habitat with permanent conservation easements. The title track of his new album, Concrete Blues, speaks to the impacts of dams on watersheds in Western America. “Let’s just look at California” Riviere says. “There are over 1,300 dams in the state … every river, except one I think, has at least one dam on it. In some cases ALL the water in these watersheds has been taken for metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and huge-scale monocultural agriculture. Rivers/streams provide some of the most diverse and important wildlife habitats on this planet. Plus it’s really cool to float down them in a raft or inner tube! I did this tune on my Blues Sky album, ‘Riverdale,’ with a lyric: ‘there ain’t no river at Riverdale.’ A true story. This Concrete Blues album is a continuation of that sad saga.”
Music, and later songwriting has always been a driving force in Randy’s heart. Today, he prefers a more peaceful life out in the country somewhere, where he can take his past experiences all in, and consider our future in a rapidly changing world. His songs are quite diverse, but they commonly have a foundation involving the human condition and what’s happening to the natural landscape he loves.
“I’ve gone through lots of twists and turns with my life and songwriting over the years” Randy Lee says. “I’m a country boy, mostly, but took to different Rock-oriented music at an early age. I really gravitated to ‘60s and ‘70s bands, including that old ZZ Top album, Tres Hombres. That record really got burned into my psyche back when I was in high school … and apparently it’s still there! You’ll hear that vibe on Concrete Blues. You know, just that head bobbing driving force of energy. Tom Hambridge, who is an amazing producer and drummer, really picked up on this … and off we went to make what we think is a crazy good Blues Rock album. We hope you will agree!”
Website: https://www.randyleeriviere.com/
Tracks:
01. MANIA – 4:01
02. THE WAYSIDE – 3:14
03. CHANGE IS STRANGE – 4:24
04. JUST TRYING TO GET BACK HOME – 3:48
05. MAGIC BULLET – 4:43
06. STRANGER IN MY HEAD – 4:02
07. THANKSGIVING – 3:26
08. MOCCASIN LAKE – 3:10
09. CONCRETE BLUES – 3:26
10. SAIL ON – 3:49
11. IT’LL BE ALRIGHT – 3:00
12. DRIVE – 5:47
Line-up:
Randy Lee Riviere – Lead vocals and guitar
Tom Hambridge – drums, percussion, background vocals
Kenny Greenberg – guitar
Bob Britt-guitar
Stephen Mackey -bass
Robert Kearns -bass
Mike Rojas -keyboards