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RECORDINGS



Guitar & Bass Magazine
(UK) Vol 21 No. 8, May 2010 (June issue)
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

As the title would suggest, Scottish alt-bluesman Hughes' debut album is a caustic, fuzz-laden, lo-fi affair with gritty acoustic slide aplenty. Arresting.


Loud Horizon
(UK) April 2010
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share
(10/10)

This is simply a brilliant album!

Originally restricted to a limited physical release in November 2009, 'Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share' benefited from some excellent reviews and was even voted UK Blues Album of The Year by Canada's Blues Underground Network. As a result, it has now been given 'full release' status and quite rightly too - music this good should not be hidden away and hard to find.

Here we have forty minutes of traditional based Blues music given a bit of an 'alternative' twist, with an added sense of Glaswegian dark humour. In fact, some of the songs are just downright 'dark' but presented in a form that somehow makes them jolly little foot-tappers! For instance - a common perception of Blues music is that it is full of self-pity; that life has dealt the singer a real raw deal. Craig's songs, for the most part however seem more angst driven and cynical. But anyone who can open an album with a song asking what makes someone crack and become a murderous sniper 'On A Rooftop With A Rifle And A Scope' and yet have the listener singing along to the infectious slide-guitar backed vocals, gets my vote!

Song titles such as 'Everybody's Fault But Mine,' 'You Don't Care At All,' 'Dancing On Your Grave,' kind of give an idea of where Craig's coming from. And if it's bitter and sarcastic you want, then try 'Poor Thing.'

Following the two acoustic / slide guitar based openers ('On A Rooftop With A Rifle And A Scope' and 'Everybody's Fault But Mine') there is the first of the full band electric numbers. 'You Don't Care At All' opens with a rasping, chugging guitar riff like that on The Stray Cats 'Rumble In Brighton.' It's a pacy little blues rocker and shows Craig can really rock it up big time.

'Poor Thing' is next and reverts to the acoustic slide sound with Craig's growled, sarcastic vocals, before 'Three Hundred And Sixty Five' takes a completely opposite tact and shows a more sensitive side to Craig's writing, this one about the first anniversary of a love lost. And this reflective mood is also demonstrated later on with 'The TR7s Have All Gone To Heaven' in which the listener is taken back to the days of youthful dreams and a time when all you had to worry about was what time you'd be called in for your tea!

But the overriding atmosphere is dark. 'Dancing On Your Grave' crashes in with a loud roar of electric guitar, then reverts to an acoustic base and features a chorus where the 'ah'ah'ah ah' backing sounds very much like that on 'Fight' by fellow Glaswegians Sons and Daughters.

'I Don't Mind' still goes with the acoustic / slide theme, as does 'Tell Me I'm Wonderful' which is lighter in feel and the style of which momentarily reflects that of the late Rory Gallagher.

'Cuban Necktie' is the only instrumental of the twelve tracks and continues with the dark theme... the track being named after a notorious method of gangland execution! It has the rocking sound of George Thorogood mixed with the dexterity of Stevie Ray Vaughan and could quite easily have benefited from an extension to its two minutes duration.

Album closer 'Well Well Well, My My My' is a catchy slide-based number with a driving backing - again in George Thorogood style - that basically reminds the not-so-dear departed that they are headed only one way and that they probably now regret the pain they caused the singer during their time on this earth.

Cheery (?!)... but your foot WILL be tapping!

Colin Jackson


Blues Matters! magazine
(UK) Issue 53 - March/April 2010
also
www.paris-move.com
(France) - March 2010
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

By just reading the album’s title, we thought… here we go again, some self-pitying Glaswegian who’s got to moan about everything and the black and white album sleeve doesn’t help us feel more upbeat about it, but Craig Hughes’s music isn’t about that at all. Just prove you shouldn’t judge a CD by its cover or its title! This kind of Blues isn’t for the faint-hearted, there is true grit and plenty of gravel in Craig’s voice drawing us to the dark side with plenty of slide guitar and stomping. Tracks such as the excellent, fast-paced ‘You don’t care at all’ and ‘Cuban Necktie’ remind you that Craig Hughes on electric guitar was and still is a damn good rocker. There are twelve tracks in this album all written by Craig, and true, life is tough in Craig’s world: war, recession, death and bankers of course as in the very factual and heart-wrenching ‘Everybody’s Fault But Mine’ or ‘On A Rooftop With A Rifle And A Scope’, the story of a guy who’s just had enough of it and takes a rifle on the roof. ‘Dancing On Your Grave’ feels as if Craig has been inspired by Eric McFadden’s latest album “Train To Salvation”. There’s definitely some humour in Mr Hughes’ lyrics, black of course! Difficult to describe Craig’s music and its many facets, it’s as if a Blues line-up of Black Sabbath had decided to play Tom Waits with a hint of Velvet Underground.

Frankie Pfeiffer/Nat Harrap


stillgigging.com
(UK) April 2010
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

Craig Hughes learnt his craft the hard way by spending long days busking the highways and byways of Scotland. In 2005, he got a spot support Tony McPhee of The Groundhogs and his career received the street cred it deserved. By 2008, he started hosting That Devil Music a monthly alternative Blues/roots/country night at The State Bar, Glasgow. The CD is all self-penned and all vocals and instrumentals are provided by Craig with exception of bass and drums which are the work of Tommy Duffin. Craig’s an impressive songwriter his lyrics are a very profound comment on life, full of rich imagery and emotion.

The bulk of the CD features Craig on electro acoustic slide guitar but it is broken up with a fuller band sound on a variety of songs. The CD kicks off with ‘On A Rooftop With A Rifle And A Scope’, a driving electro acoustic Blues ballad and you get a first listen to Craig's deep, gritty, emotion ridden vocal telling its tale. ‘Everybody’s Fault But Mine’, again a Blues ballad whose lyrics bite hard into the mind with their comment on the human condition and modern day life. Craig may be using the traditional protest and story-telling methodology of the Blues in his music but this is a music lyrically centred in the present day. ‘Poor Thing’ again a Blues ballad displays some clean electro acoustic slide and finger-picking throughout and once again, those thought provoking lyrics which characterize the CD. ‘Dancing On Your Grave’, starts as a fuzzed electric guitar riff before moving into a more traditional electro acoustic Blues/Country number. The lyrics on this are superb and matched by the pure acid emotion that Craig’s vocal pours into them. This song is complex in all aspects and has a deep tribal feel to it, which is haunting.

‘Cuban Necktie’ is an instrumental and it great to see musicians in this day and age, who are not afraid to include an instrumental on their CDs to give more texture and variety to it. This a Blues Rocker, fuzzed guitar riffs wailing, percussive bass riff and good drum fills. This is CD of merit and worth a listen, especially to those who like alt Blues and fine songwriting.

Carol Borrington



Blues Underground Network
(Canada) January 2010
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

I give this CD, my highest rating, Five *****

Craig Hughes' Debut Album Release, "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share", will be compared to and called a lot of things, I would like to call it Tarantino Blues, because believe me if Quentin Tarantino was a blues singer, this is the kind of stuff he would be putting out.

With, "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share", Craig takes the Blues into a new and unique direction, doing so in a way I have not heard before. This is not a reverent album and you will quickly find that out with the opening track, "On A Rooftop With A Rifle And A Scope", and continuing on with the next track, "Everybody's Fault But Mine", in which the opening line is, "Got A Bible In My Hand And I Wish It Was A Beer".

For a Debut Release, "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share", is an exceptional offering and a new take on the Blues and Blues Rock Genre that will be a refreshing delight to all those fortunate enough to hear it.

Well done Craig... Looking forward to more...

John Vermilyea



bluesinthenorthwest.com
(UK) January 2010
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

Treading similar territory to Dave Arcari, fellow Glaswegian Craig Hughes is an alt. blues and roots musician and writer, who mainly just armed with his acoustic slide guitar playing gives us 12 of his own songs – mainly about the dark side of life, but delivered in an stomping, upbeat manner.
       
“Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share” is his first full-length release, following on from his “Broke, Lonely And Guilty” EP. Co-producer Tommy Duffin gives some cuts a full band sound with his drums and bass, including the rocking and grungy “You Don’t Care At All” – Hughes on electric slide here and his growl of a voice.
       
“Everybody’s Fault But Mine” borrows, not surprisingly by the title, from the blues standard “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, with suitable black humour in his lyrics. The haunting tale of lost love, “Three Hundred And Sixty Five” is an album highlight, a pretty song again dominated by his acoustic slide work.
       
“Dancing On Your Grave” blasts off with a salvo of electric guitar, before reverting to some nice fingerpicked acoustic, giving it a nice folky feel. “Cuban Necktie” – named after a notorious method of gangland execution – has an uptempo Texas Blues feel on this, the album’s only instrumental.
       
Elsewhere “The TR7s Have All Gone To Heaven” will raise a smile, while “Sighed Smoke Halo” is probably the album’s hardest song to categorise – slightly folky, with a bit of psychedlia thrown in for good measure. “Tell Me, I’m Wonderful” is a full-tilt acoustic slide tune about the things he wants to hear from his lady! The closing “Well Well Well, My My My” rides on another electric guitar riff – think something like Jesus & The Mary Chain meets ZZ Top and you’re there!
       
Not one for the blues purists, but Craig Hughes angry, dark take on life will appeal to those who have open ears – I found his mix of styles quite appealing, and as previously mentioned definitely in Dave Arcari’s “punk blues” area, and well worth checking out.
Grahame Rhodes

The Blues Report blog
(Canada) December 2009
Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share

Yesterday I informed you all that I was going to be listening to a couple of recently submitted CD's, Craig Hughes "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share", Floyd Lee Band "Doctors, Devils & Drugs". Well I must say that I was more than just impressed, those were two damn good CD's. Blues Music the way it was meant to be played, down and dirty, no prisoners taken.

Blues Matters! magazine
(UK) Issue 49 - July 2009
Broke, Lonely and Guilty (EP)

Lack of money, being alone and guilty of committing a crime - enough to give anyone the deep blues, and on this seventeen-and-a-half minute EP, that is just what Glasgow, Scotland based alt.blues and roots singer and guitarist Craig purveys.  The five songs are generally down-tempo items, and titles such as 'Everybody's Got To Cheat And Lie Sometimes' and 'He Loved Her And She Sent Him To Hell' are indicative of darker sentiments, with world-weary vocals, and a bottleneck guitar style that draws on the greats, such as Son House, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson, and others (that last-named title is almost jaunty by comparison with the other tracks).  Alt.Blues lovers can buy with confidence.
Norman Darwen

Blues Bunny
(UK) March 2009
Hope It Makes You Happy b/w All the World’s Women

Craig Hughes is from Glasgow which is not exactly the home of the blues but fortunately he doesn't know that. Armed with a guitar and the devil on his shoulder, he growls through "Hope It Makes You Happy". Laconic and twisted - but in a good way - he berates his lady for wanting a song named after her. That's what we need - none of this angst ridden rubbish but a sinking in of the boot just when it is needed. Damn, you can even sing along to it. Class!
       
On the flipside - if there were a flipside for it to be on - is the melancholy "All The World's Women". A more conventional blues number, Mr Hughes guitar playing seems more assured here than on "Hope It Makes You Happy" and he successfully manages to make this song sound like it had fallen right out of time itself. Works for me!
       
A record destined to be on vinyl? Hell, yes.
Bluesbunny

Blues Bunny
(UK) February 2009
Broke, Lonely and Guilty EP

The world is a strange place. You'd think you would find the blues in somewhere like Chicago and not in dear old Glasgow but here we have singer songwriter Craig Hughes and his EP "Broke, Lonely and Guilty" as evidence.
       
Obviously a blues stalwart, the first song "Everybody's Got to Cheat and Lie Sometimes" starts and finishes with pops and crackles just like an old 78. It's a pretty clear sign that Craig Hughes is going to be handling things with respect (and a not inconsiderable amount of impassioned slide guitar). There's always going to be tears before bedtime with this kind of music and "He Loved Her and She Sent Him to Hell" demonstrates that point and may I tell you that makes a refreshing change from the self pity that normally characterises Glasgow singer songwriters.  "Bale of Blood" mixes up redemption and rock to quite memorable effect as well.
       
The blues ain't nothing but a feeling, or so the saying goes. It's fair to say that Craig Hughes has that feeling and in this self obsessed, antiseptic world that we live in that is very welcome. Turn the lights down, turn the volume up and see if the Devil visits you too.
Bluesbunny

Last.FM
(UK) December 2008
Ship Sails Away (from Broke, Lonely and Guilty)

Look up melancholy in the dictionary and be prepared.  In a good way.  So down it makes me feel glad to be me.
Ken Robertson


LIVE

Blues Bunny
(UK) November 2009
live at The State Bar, Glasgow

Now, finding a good or even great blues guitarist around Glasgow is like finding Moses and the burning bush - it doesn't happen too often - but I think the search is over. Hughes is an impressive guitar player who plays his guitar with impeccable virtuosity. Then, when you add his gruff, bold vocals to the old Scottish twang, he makes for one hell of a performer.
Ryan Lashkari

Blues Bunny
(UK) August 2009
live at The State Bar, Glasgow

Now, Craig Hughes is what you would call an imposing performer. Not the kind of guy whose beer you'd want to spill. Better off seeing him live. Armed with fine wit, anger, and a Takamine, Craig Hughes suppressed all his frustrations and observations into a brilliant 45 minute onslaught. Imagine RL Burnside was deported to Glasgow for his sins. Might well have sounded like Craig Hughes. Brilliant.
Peter McGee

Rockradio.co.uk
(UK) Rock Blogs: Blues On The Road - July 2009
That Devil Music @ The State Bar, Glasgow July 3rd 2009

Grand night at the State last night ... Blog regular Craig Hughes played a fine set with some cool new numbers ...
Dave Arcari

Rockradio.co.uk
(UK) Rock Blogs: Blues On The Road - July 2009
Blues on the River Festival, The Ferry, Glasgow June 27th 2009

Our buddy Craig Hughes plays a crackin’ set.
Dave Arcari

Dave's Diary
(UK) davearcari.wordpress.com - June 2009
That Devil Music @ The State Bar, Glasgow June 5th 2009

That Devil Music last night was great – ever-dependable Craig Hughes played a great set ...
Dave Arcari

FEATURES

Blues Underground Network
(Canada) January 2010
Year End Review 2009


Top 25 Albums 2009
(see original article for full list)

no.6
Craig Hughes "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share"

Best British Blues Album
Craig Hughes "Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share"

... These are the movers and shakers that will define or have already defined the Blues.

The Artists and Albums ... were chosen because they represented to me something that was either unique, fresh, totally enjoyable to listen to, or all of the above. They were not chosen by how much air play they got, or how many copies they sold, those are industry standards which I feel can at times mask true talent and neglect real talent.



Leicester Bangs
(UK) December 2009

A little Q&A with Craig Hughes. On his new record, Pissed Off, Bitter and Willing To Share, he sings, plays guitar, bass and stomps a bit. Tommy Duffin plays drums and some bass, too.

Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself.
Craig: I play alt. blues and roots music, think of myself primarily as a guitarist but have seen the dreaded 'singer songwriter' tag applied, not entirely inaccurately...

LB: How did you start out making music?
Craig: Started playing guitar at around 12 years old.  There was a good scene where I grew up - everything from blues to metal to punk and prog at the same gig, often in the same band.  Sometimes in the same song.  It was a good atmosphere to learn in.

LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now?
Craig: I first showed a real interest in music when I was a wee boy, and I was really into rock 'n' roll and rockabilly.  Loved early Elvis (had a copy of The Sun Collection which my dad gave me the day Elvis died) and at the time Bill Haley was my favourite - my folks took me to a Bill Haley show at a rock'n'roll revival show at The Glasgow Apollo when I was 9 years old.  That did it.  As the years rolled on I went through a lot of fazes, many of which stayed with me, and ended up in an alternative-rock head-space throughout the 90s - Rollins Band, RHCP, Soundgarden and so on.  Now I'm playing primarily solo blues, but it's with that attitude, I think.  The biggest influences on what I do now are probably Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Skip James, Keith Richards and Chuck Berry.  And Lemmy.

LB: Tell us about your latest release.
Craig: The latest release is my first album, 'Pissed Off, Bitter and Willing to Share', which kind of picks up where the EP 'Broke, Lonely and Guilty' left off. Where the EP was made up of fairly melancholy slide-heavy blues, and was pretty dark stuff all in, the album is a more aggressive and perversely upbeat affair - although lyrically it still draws from the darker side of life.

LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows?
Craig: My shows are solo acoustic affairs, but aggressive and full-on - I break a sweat.  I play mostly my own material but occasionally throw in covers by anyone from Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf - which you might expect - through Kris Kristofferson and Jerry Reed to Motorhead - which you might not. I put on some promotions in Glasgow under the banner That Devil Music, which is me performing with one or two other acts - I prefer to promote myself in the city as there are so many rip-off merchants at work in the live scene, particularly at the grass-roots level where everybody's trying to catch a break.

LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy?
Craig: There's a school of thought that has the kind of stuff I do down as some kind of catharsis, which probably isn't far off the mark although I think that's more in the writing stage.  Recording can be quite frustrating at times, but there's that great moment when it comes together and you think: cool - that's a proper fucking record, that is!

LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music?
Craig: The album is out now - the CD is currently available from the Channel Nowhere site and my website, where there's all sorts of other fascinating gubbins to catch your eye, and will be available from CD Baby (CD/download) from the end of November 2009.  CD Baby is handling digital distribution which takes time to roll out - the EP is already available to download from CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, Lala etc., so look out for the album to start appearing on those stores over the next few weeks.

You can also check me out on MySpace, YouTube and Last.FM, amongst others.
www.leicesterbangs.com


INDUSTRY QUOTES

Great performer.

Paul Clarkson, Sunny Govan F.M.

For anyone who likes their blues, and I mean real blues not your Gary Moore siphoned, commercial, rock blues... this is down'n'dirty slide geetar, gravelly voice 'I'm gonna kill myself or someone else close to me" blues. I really recommend you check this guy out... Many moons ago he was the guitarist in a band I played with, and I hold him in the highest regard as a musician.... And if you live in Glasgow pop on over to a show, you won't regret it!

Grae Tennick, Morpheus Rising

Kick ass Glasgow based alt.blues singer/songwriter. Top notch songs about infidelity, death, lost love and all that. Miserable and depressing in the best way.

Ken Robertson, What's That Noise?


Reviews/Publication links

Blues Underground Network

The Blues Report


Blues On The Road

Dave's Diary

Leicester Bangs

Loud Horizon

Blues In The Northwest.com

Sunny Govan Radio

Morpheus Rising

What's That Noise?

Guitar
& Bass Magazine

Still Gigging.com

Blues Bunny




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