Monster Mike Welch - Nothing But Time (2023) [CD Rip]

Monster Mike Welch makes a spectacular return to form after battling Long Covid and surviving on his new record Nothing But Time.

The new set comes out June 30th, 2023 and is his label debut on Mike Zito’s Gulf Coast Records imprint. Welch tracked at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California with studio boss and Nightcat guitarist Kid Andersen producing, engineering, and playing on the sessions. The rest of Welch’s all-star studio band for the record includes bass legend and two-time Grammy winner Jerry Jemmott (Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Gregg Allman), harp master Rick Estrin, drummer Fabrice Bessouat, and pianist Bob Welsh.

Welch fought the Covid fight for more than 18 months and said of his experience “At its worst, Long Covid was completely debilitating, and I spent most of 2022 genuinely unsure whether I’d be able to play music full-time ever again. Kid Andersen and Mike Zito inspired me to take a leap of faith and make a new start; they both had my back and gave me the support and freedom to make the most personal record of my career.”

Given the nickname “Monster Mike” by actor/”Blues Brother” Dan Aykroyd at the age of 13, Welch went on to become a fixture on the international blues scene with nearly 30 years in the game. He had released a solid body of work as a solo artist, been a member of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones from 2001 to 2017, and recorded with the likes of Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Earl, Danielle Nicole, Duke Robillard, Johnny Winter, Victor Wainwright, Nick Moss, the Mannish Boys, and Sugaray Rayford. He’s also won two Blues Music Awards, one with the late, great vocalist Mike Ledbetter and their band Welch Ledbetter Connection and one on his own. He’s a big part of the present-day blues climate and hearing him bounce back with this new album is cause for celebration.

Welch opens Nothing But Time with the powerful, B.B. King-inspired “Walking To You Baby.” Immediately, Welch is fully switched-on and swinging for the fences. His guitar lines are audacious and bold, as are his vocals. The horn-enhanced band swings hard behind him and gives him plenty of space to fly. You can easily tell how good he feels to be back in the hot seat.

Robert Johnson’s eternal “If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day” becomes a revved-up, train beat rocker with a down-home vibe in Mike’s grip. Rick Estrin guests on harp and does himself proud. Welch’s voice is urgent and full of soul and sounds like he’s singing right in front of you. This is real, ragged-edge blues and the energy it creates is what this thing of ours is all about.

In contrast, Welch’s title track “I’ve Got Nothing But Time” is laidback and deeply funky. Mike wails with a sweet vintage tone overtop of a chilled-out beat sure to get people moving wherever it’s heard. Figure in the horns and backup singers and you’ve got yourself a proper party. It’s a fun song and one of the best on the set.

Another amazing moment on Nothing But Time is Welch’s complete reinvention of The Beatles’ “I Me Mine.” It’s wild how well George Harrison’s classic song transforms into a passionate blues/rock epic without losing any of its original greatness. Kudos to Monster Mike for taking an ambitious stab at an unexpected cover and slam-dunking it. This is how the blues songbook expands.

“Time To Move” is a haunting, minor key blues with a perfect late-night feel. Welch drops some of his most well-conceived guitar lines on it and sings with real grit and fire. A list of additional album highlights would have to include “Hard To Get Along With” and “Jump For Joy.”

Monster Mike Welch proves that he’s 100% back in the saddle all over Nothing But Time and the album will come to be known as another high-water mark in his blues career. He’s a guitar arsonist and a vocal force to be dealt with who is now recovered and ready to go harder than ever before. This is fine work from one of the top artists making roots music today. Listen loud and love it! ~Mike O’Cull