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Can't Teach an Old Dog

by Tom Doughty

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  • Full Digital Discography

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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Can't Teach an Old Dog, Have a Taste for This, Running Free, and The Bell. , and , .

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1.
Milky Tea 03:12
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2.
Journeyman Blues 03:35
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3.
Your Picture has Faded 03:27
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4.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine 03:45
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5.
Ask Sweet Mary 04:02
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6.
Shimmer 01:30
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7.
Girl from the North County 04:14
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8.
Running Free 03:46
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9.
Come Back Baby 03:12
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10.
Batasta 02:52
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11.
Out of the Asylum 02:51
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12.
Long Merkin Less Boomy 02:21
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13.
Rescue Me 02:12
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14.
Almost Naomi 04:21
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15.
Awakenings 03:36
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about

This is Tom’s newest album released just this year (2016). “Can’t Teach An Old Dog” is a 15 track CD that comprises of 11 vocal/playing songs and 4 pure instrumentals. Kicking off with proceeding with his foot stomping “Milky Tea” (a pastry, brew, pie fixation that Tom often humorously visits), Tom hits the ground running, this must be a real audience winner when he plays it live. “Journeyman Blues” continues this impactful approach and sits very comfortably with the opener to create a brace of smouldering blues infused slow burners. “Your Picture Has Faded” is another fantastic blues percussion, bass and slide ensemble that is a truly representative ‘Tom Doughty’ track. Seamlessly following up this blueprint is Tom’s enigmatic cover of “Heard It Through The Grapevine” with some joyous and lively deltaesque Tricone slide playing. “Ask Sweet Mary” a song about ‘dunking biscuits’ no less :-) regardless of the frivolous subject matter the musical delivery is choice full of sweet soulful blues rhetoric that is infectious and patriotically southern blues in its DNA. 
It’s interesting to see Tom has categorised the album into ‘Side One & Side Two’. This marks a distinct shift in emphasis for me in musical direction, ‘side one’ being very ‘working man blues’ in its approach and ‘side two’ beginning  to emphasis ‘playing dynamics’ with pronounced slide articulation. 
This is very evident on “Shimmer” which is an objective lesson in ‘the importance of intonation and sustain’ simple single note plucks with elongated sustain and once again the divine and magical control of microtones which just as the title suggests ‘shimmer and shine’. A cover of Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country” gets new life injected into it with Tom’s tasteful slide refrains and arpeggiated chord arrangements, this is a great cover that does what a cover should do in my opinion, i.e offer up a new and creative prospective to a familiar song. “Running Free” is a new version of an old song from Tom’s second album of the same name. This version is more upbeat with more movement and a faster cadence woven together with some added ‘Cora’ instrumentation for a slightly sub continental flavour. “Batasta” is a Weissenborn/Tricone instrumental duet that is a real album favourite of mine. Simple clean melodies extenuating intonational tone and dynamics, this is flawless playing! Following up hot on it’s heels is the instrumental  “Long Merkin Less Boomey” another sweet soulful composition that Tom effortlessly performs in a recital style manner, yep another one for the lap steel purists. As if i didn’t love this man and album enough already then he goes and covers “Available Space”. A Ry Cooder instrumental that Tom has added lyrics too and called it “Rescue Me”, a genial move that highlight Tom’s great slide skills in a homage to the great man’s ‘feel and rhythm’. 
The last two tracks “Almost Naomi” and “Awakening” are instrumental duets with Theobo (kind of like a massive lute) player Matt Wadsworth. Well he’s my feedback they are MAGNIFICENT and for me personally the highlight of the whole album. The counter balance of the two instruments is splendiferous and the two ‘Paraorchestra’ members have very comparable approaches in delivery and composition ethos. The semi-classical nature of the tracks are extremely emotive, very clean and pristinely executed which gives them a renaissance feel. 
Tom Doughty is a name all lap sliders the world over should be aware off. A hugely underrated and criminally overlooked talent that all lap steel and slide aficionados should be dutifully educated about. 

credits

released January 1, 2016

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Tom Doughty England, UK

Described by some of the biggest names in the industry as one of the world's finest lap slide players.

“In 1963, a coracle was found floating in the river. A filthy 6 year old boy was inside, with an old gramophone with a ‘Bukka White’ record. He was taken in by local family. They named him Tom and gave him a guitar.”
Tom Doughty,
- instantly recognisable acoustic lap guitar style and vocals. ... more

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