Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers

Translucent Blues

Blind Pig Records

By Geoff Trubow

             Slide guitarist and blues partisan Roy Rogers began playing at age twelve and has continued to do so religiously for nearly fifty years.  At the beginning of his career, he played with many different groups before forming the Delta Rhythm Kings in 1980.  He later joined John Lee Hooker’s Coast to Coast Blues Band and has released several solo albums since his debut, Chops Not Chaps, in 1985. 

            Chicago native Ray Manzarek was the keyboardist and co-founder of the Doors.  The iconic band from L.A. may not instantly conjure up visions of a blues band, but they were rooted to an extent in the blues.  Releasing six albums in four years (which is mostly unheard of in this day and age) with singer/lyricist Jim Morrison, the Doors would frequently draw on the blues.  From their version of Willie Dixon’s “Back Door Man,” on their first record, to their own “Roadhouse Blues” to such tracks as “Been Down So Long” and “Cars Hiss By My Window” from their final album with Morrison, L.A. Woman, the Doors always included blues in their varied repertoire.

           Translucent Blues brings these two musicians together with Steve Evans on bass and Kevin Hayes on drums.  As with his most famous band, Manzarek has sought out poets for a few of the tunes, beginning with the album opener, “Hurricane,” with the lyrics supplied by the late Jim Carroll.  Carroll, who was best known for his autobiographical novel, The Basketball Diaries and as the lead singer of the Jim Carroll Band, provides lines such as: “Like Moses in Egypt and the blood stains/ Like Moses and Pharaoh and the blood stains.”  The song chugs along with Manzarek’s vocals and divergent keyboard playing which is brought back down to the blues level by Rogers’ slide guitar.  This style is a common theme throughout the recordings.

            Another Chicago native, the late, great Warren Zevon is credited as a co-writer of the lyrics on the next track, “River of Madness”, which mentions the deaths of River Phoenix and Marilyn Monroe.  Rogers sings lead on this one as he wrote the music -- another common theme.  All of the music, save for one song, was separately written by either Manzarek or Rogers.  Rogers is generous to his collaborator on this song by stepping back for his piano solos.  Yet, that makes his own slide guitar solos all the more vivid.

            Manzarek returns to another poet, beat writer and close friend of Jim Morrison’s, Michael McClure, for “Kick”.  This is one of the feeblest numbers, even with McClure’s drug referencing lyrics, as Manzarek’s playing turns it into lounge music.  Rogers does not appear to be present, instead replaced by George Brooks on saxophone.

            Rogers returns with his solo composition, “Blues in My Shoes”.  This kicks things up a notch in a rock and roll mode and Rogers definitely makes his presence known.  The album closes with two instrumentals.  The first one, “As You Leave” by Rogers, is also a bit of a letdown.  Rogers’ slide playing is very good, but distant and restrained.  It almost seems as though Manzarek wrote it, since the tune is dominated by his weeping piano and again accompanied by Brooks on sax.  The last song, Manzarek’s “An Organ, a Guitar and a Chicken Wing” is a vast improvement.  Manzarek’s bluesy piano and organ interplay well this time with Brooks’ horn.  Rogers joins in during the latter half, playing some of the bluesiest guitar on the record.

            This is by no means a straight up blues album, making the title somewhat deceptive, but Manzarek and Rogers generally work well together and unite their dissimilar styles effectively.  All in all, Translucent Blues is a good effort by these two artists.  

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