The Bura
Bernard Fowler
Label: MRI
Review Date: July 12, 2015

 

“The Bura” is the second solo project by the legendary Bernard Fowler and what an incredible CD it is!  It’s been six years since his last album but – while I hope we don’t have to wait another six years until his next CD – this has been well worth the wait.

Named after the hurricane force winds that blow off of the Adriatic Sea, between Italy and Croatia, Bernard just as strongly blows the listener’s ears and mind with that incredible voice of his. That voice executes to perfection great original songs as well as his treatment of some classics.

Boomerocity will highlight three of the originals:

Shake It: Fowler blasts right out of the gate with this driving, danceable rocker. Against the backdrop of Robert Davis’ killer guitar work, this tune will burn itself into your psyche and DNA.

See You Again: Boomerocity doesn’t usually pick a favorite tune from CDs but, in this case, we’re making an exception. THIS is, by far, one of the best original songs we’ve heard in 2015 and is worth the price of “The Bura”, alone. Yeah, it’s that great.

My Friend Sin: This song gives the listener the sense of being taken down to the Mississippi delta and the dusty crossroads, waiting for Robert Johnson to show up to make his pact with the devil. Oh, did I mention that Slash does some guitar work on this tune?  Yeah . . . 

Of the covers (The Letter, Helter Skelter, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’, Dragon Attack), Bernard’s treatment of “Helter Skelter” is the absolute best that I’ve ever heard . . . and, yes, I’m including U2’s version of it. Yeah, seriously.

In Boomerocity’s opinion, “The Bura” is one on a very short list of CDs to purchase in 2015. Yeah, it’s that great.