Michael Hill rocks. There's just no question. From the
opening notes of "Heat on the Highway," Suite: Larger Than Life
never lets up--not even when he slows down, as he does with "Terrible
Twos." Demonstrating that low tempo doesn't mean low energy, Hill keeps
the screws tight all the way through. Suite, his first album since
1998's excellent New York State of Blues, shows Hill expanding on
his previous work. The Hendrix influence is still quite audible, both in
guitar technique and in vocal style, and Hill continues to combine blues
and rock, sometimes doing a straightforward shuffle ("Under Cover"), other
times engaging in guitar acrobatics that owe more to Woodstock than to
Chicago ("Hurt Nobody").
However, as before, several things prevent Hill from being
just another blues-rocker. To begin with, his subject matter is more
complex and more deftly handled; while not every song is a paean to social
consciousness, Hill takes a more thoughtful look than do most of his
contemporaries. He's still got plenty of urban grit; this isn't country
blues, and Hill has no pretensions that it is. At the same time, he's not
gunning for the Next Stevie Ray Vaughan position. Hill acknowledges his
influences but seems determined not to imitate them too closely.
The album's 15 tracks are divided into four sections,
which perhaps explains the title. The first section, "Love and Lust on the
Blue Funk Tip," is full speed ahead for all its six songs, while the five
tunes that make up "Tales from the Hood" are more reflective and
observational--though Hill still offers plenty of guitar noodles. That's
all right; they fit. Things kick up again in the third part, "Shuffling
into Commitment," though here Hill goes a little more blues, a little less
rock 'n' roll. The final section, "At the End of the Day," consists only
of the upbeat "Blessings," which leaves the listener with a decidedly
sunny feeling. Overall, Suite ends with the impression of the
artist having told a story--and what's more, a story with a happy ending.
-- Originally appeared in Blues Revue No. 72,
November 2001, p. 46 (lead review)