He never lets the grass grow under his boots so it’s no surprise to see another Deniz Tek single drop. Such things are essential, really, if you want to make money on the road in Europe and these two tracks were taken from a early sessions for a forthcoming Tek album.
“Crossroads” is a back-to-basics slice of chunky riff-a-rama that wouldn’t have been out of place on the Doctor’s “Outside” album back in his major label spin-off days. Its immediate and stripped-back production doesn’t sound as dense as that record but it’s coming from a similar Birdmanesque place. There's no fresh ground broken but most will feel there probably doesn't need to be.
Flip it over and you’ll get a one-take, rough-round-the-edges version of what’s a live staple in Tek solo band sets, “Oh Well" It’s a 1969 Fleetwood Mac song from Peter Green days (before the Mac became abominable, bloated pap) and it’s nicely rendered with none of the jagged bits filed off. Tek’s “damaged instrument” vocals sit just fine here. If the solo doesn’t quite stretch as far as as you might have hoped, the recording is pretty damned good.
The band on both is his Montana-based studio pals, Spinal Tap/Wayne Kramer drummer Ric Parnell and bassist Bob Brown. Get it from the Tek website or the label. Don’t delay. You never know how long they’re going to last.
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