Too Slim and the Taildraggers - The Fortune Teller

If ever you wanted to hear a CD that most accurately represents my own personal taste in blues/rock music, you need look no further than “The Fortune Teller”, the latest release from the Washington State based Too Slim and the Taildraggers. Within the 11 original tracks of this outstanding CD, you will hear a sampling of most every style, tone, and influence that has so endeared me to this genre of music for the last 45 years or so. The story of this CD is quite interesting as well, as it was born from an encounter between Too Slim, aka Tim Langford, and a fortune teller in Oslo, Norway, hence the title of this latest project. This meeting begat some soul seaching which begat songs that are considerably more personal than some of the bands earlier releases. This is all good news to the listener as the formula has

produced a truly enjoyable piece of music.

Let me begin my highlighting of the remarkable aspects of this recording by saying that that Langford has been at this for a good while and has a pretty extensive catalog of very fine recordings in his past. Despite that fact, “The Fortune Teller” is without question his best work to date. This is quite an accomplishment and one rarely seen out of any artist, as most seem to lose steam rather than continue to build momentum. Langford’s guitar work is its usual diverse and powerful self, with a style somewhat suggestive of what John Fogerty might have ended up sounding like if he had been fed a steady diet of Hendrix as a child. Too Slim’s vocals will remind you somewhat of Billy Gibbons however the sound is distinctively Too Slim. The band remains a 3 piece power trio (my favorite format of course) and includes a most impressive rhythm section of Dave Nordstrom on bass guitar and Zach Cooper on drums. They are tight, talented, and create enormous energy. The engineering and mastering are also first rate, which has also been true on all of the bands former releases. This has been no doubt Langford’s most ambitious project to date, as even the packaging of the CD is a notch above the norm.

As for favorites, there are many here and I like each track for different reasons. The title track, one of the bands sort of signature electric boogies, is monstrously good and has plenty of hot guitar licks. However, if I were have to choose my favorite all around tracks they would have to be “Cowboy Boot” and “Givers and Takers” both featuring intensely personal lyrics, thunderous driving rhythm, guitar ala Too Slim, and that wonderful sound that confounds purists and transcends genres. However, at another listening I may offer you another as a favorite, as everything here is good.

In two words, Too Slim and the Taildraggers are excellent and consistent. While I have not used this term lately when describing a recording, “The Fortune Teller” is a MUST OWN and can be purchased at many internet sites including Amazon.com or better yet directly from the band at their official website www.tooslim.org. From my experience, any CD you order from them is going to be worth the investment.

Tom Branson

The Band is:
Tim “Too Slim” Langford-Guitars,Vocals
Dave Nordstrom-Bass guitar, Vocals
Zach Cooper-Drums

The tracks are:
1. The Fortune Teller - 2. Cowboy Boot - 3. Big Guns - 4. Mexico - 5. Ain’t It Lonesome - 6. Mother Lode - 7. She Give me Money - 8. Baby Likes To Ride - 9. Spell On Me - 11. Givers and Takers - 12. Lonesome Alone

Link: Too Slim and the Taildraggers