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Deborah Magone – Alternate Realities

www.DeborahMagone.Com

Time: 48:45

If you have a soft spot for pretty women wielding a Les Paul guitar cranking out high-voltage riffs that give you an instant rush, than you can add Deborah Magone’s Alternate Realities to your playlist.

Magone wastes no time in announcing her entrance to the blues rock world. Opening track “Clean Up Woman” reminds you of Chicago’s own Joanna Connor with its greasy slide attack that can cut through a laser beam. The thunder continues to roar in “It’s All About Money” only to get a softer edge in the following song “One Love.” Soft edges or not, a wall of sound effect is something Magone prefers in this material to grab a listener interest. One reviewer describes her as “Janis Joplin with a guitar” which may or may not be true if you think Magone’s vocal abilities compare to the late singer. No doubt she can shout out the lyrics with the effect of a person going under for the last time.

Alternate Realties can’t be considered as just a blues CD only. Magone is primarily a rocker and like the generations of rockers that came before her she acknowledges the blues but uses it as a backdrop for the style of hard rock that she creates. When she launches into acoustic material “One Love” and “Forever,” it’s a short detour from the Marshall amp over-driven comfort zone she lives in. It’s something to be thankful for. But you would not necessarily like to see Deborah drop the electrical baggage to pursue being a solo acoustic act.

Magone’s songwriting is solid. Though the songs won’t win any awards for lyrical complexities, it’s the way Deborah sings the words that hits a bulls-eye in the soul. Listening to “It’s Alright” gives a feeling you’ve heard this number before as it seems to come from the past somewhere.

The vocal delivery really hits the mark with Magone’s own “Queen Bee.” In this case her guitar playing is riding shotgun. She gets help from guitarist Joey Tuchrello in the rockin two-step “No More.” The ship steers into gospel-styled waters with “All I Need” which would be the perfect song to play at a funeral to wish the deceased into a better life.

The dark clouds disappear and soon Magone is unleashing her pulverizing assault once again. Tuchrello’s guitar solos and riffs abound in the straight forward rocker “It’s A Sin” with Magone more or less shouting/talking through the lyrics. Her “One World” with its no nonsense shuffle gallop can easily draw the praises from Bonnie Raitt who would give anything to play and shout like the she-devil Deborah is.

What helps matters especially is that Magone keeps the energy levels high. Sure there is acoustic numbers thrown in the mix. Since they move at a fair speed, the temperatures don’t instantly drop. “Rain Rain” is the perfect precursor to the ending track “Aint No Mistake.” If you’re looking for that bluest electrical moment, this could very well be it with Magone pouring her heart into both guitar playing and singing. It is that good.

By no means is Malone a traditionalist. Folks who wish to tread on quieter waters will probably run for the hills given the lady’s lust for grabbing the music by the throat and strangling it like it needs to be woken up. But you have to give credit to Magone. Compared to other darlings of the industry, Magone is her own woman and if she’s willing to kick things up a few notches to get the blues some recognition, than the lady has done her job.

Reviewer Gary Weeks is a contributing writer. He resides in Marietta, GA.

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