German label Ruf Records releases a double album by singer Mitch Ryder to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday. According to Mitch’s own words, if we talk about music, age is not important, because the true and essential thing is the feeling you communicate, as well as enjoy what you are doing and, of course, the music you play, and this may happen if you are a young or a veteran musician with a long career behind you, as is the case of Mitch Ryder and the musicians who have worked together in these two albums.

The two CDs become a varied example of the styles Ryder is able to develop, ranging to blues, power-blues or hard-rock-blues. The first CD gathers the most powerful heavy rocky songs, where Mitch and his musicians give free rein to an electrifying strong repertoire, able to rise a dead man. On the other hand, the second cd includes a more relaxed repertoire, mostly with slow calm songs, where it becomes evident the wide variety of nuances Mitch and the musicians give to the seven CD cuts.

Mitch’s vocal qualities and different textures are immense. They are firmly built over the compact block formed by a greasy well teamed band that includes guitar players Gisbert “Pitti” Piatkowski and Heiner Witte, Manne Pokrandt on bass and backing vocals, Tobias Ridder on drums and backing vocals, Wolfram “Boddi” Bodag on piano, organ, keyboards and backing vocals and Rene Decker on sax, keyboards, harmonica and backing vocals.

A double album where Ruf Records wants pays tribute to this intense and veteran singer who, in all recordings and live shows, he always gives the best of himself.