Rocky Athas Livin’ My Best Life

December 27, 2024

Rocky Athas

Livin’ My Best Life

Cherry Burst Records

“Livin’ My Best Life” is the new album from Rocky Athas. Athas was born in Oak Cliffs, Texas, a Dallas suburb in 1954. He and Stevie Ray Vaughan were schoolmates long before either became known. By 1977 Athas was already listed as one of the ten best guitarists in Texas. In 1984 Athas appeared on Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas’ “Ready As Hell” album. Athas became their lead guitarist and toured with Back Oak Arkansas from 1996 until 2001. Athas recorded his own debut album in 1999.

In 2002 Athas recorded with Buddy Miles on his Ruf Records recording “Blues Berries” also featuring the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section “Double Trouble”. In 2009 John Mayall asked Athas to join the band, the Bluesbreakers, and he was Mayall’s lead guitarist for eight years. Athas appears on five Mayall albums including 2009’s “Tough”, 2011’s “John Mayall Live in London”, 2014’s “A Special Life”, 2015’s “Find A Way To Care”, and 2016’s “Talk About That”. In September of 2016 Mayall announced he would reduce his band to a trio and become his own guitarist. Athas joins a list of former “Bluesbreakers” that include Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Coco Montoya, and Walter Trout, just to name a few.

“Livin’ My Best Life” was recorded at the Walter Hill Studios in Grand Prairie, Texas. It was mixed and mastered by George Miadis at the Music Cat Studio in Ft. Worth. The album opens with the original title track written by Athas. A second original “Only in My Dreams” follows with the lyric “I feel lonely in my dreams, as memories play all through my mind”, the song is about a love not fully realized.

“Black Cat Moan” written by Don Nix, was recorded by Jeff Beck in 1988. Athas utilizes his wah-wah pedal as he sings “goin back to Memphis cause that’s where I want to be”. “Dark Days” is about listening to your father’s advice “dark days, black nights, I hope I make it thru the night…keep pushing for the light, gotta make it thru the night”. “Sad Affairs” is about a broken heart, “didn’t do no good, soon she’s gone again, I ain’t gonna try no more, cause soon she’s gone again”.

“Long Grey Mare” is performed by Athas as a tribute to Peter Green and features their boss John Mayall on harmonica. “I got a long grey mare, she won’t let me ride, she makes me brush her hair in the morning, put her to bed every night, long grey mare why can’t it be like before”, first released in 1968 “Long Grey Mare” was part of Fleetwood Mac’s first album.

“Watching the River Flow” is the 1971 Bob Dylan classic “people disagree on just about everything…but I just sit here and watch the river flow”. “Solid Ground” is Athas’ fifth and last original, he states his philosophy, be grounded in a positive mindset and everything will be alright.

“Walk in My Shadow” is a 1969 cover written by Andy Frasier, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, and S. Kirke, better known as the band “Free”, “when I get you in the shadows I’m going to give you what’s in store. The closer “(Living in The) Palace of The King was written by Leon Russell and Don Nix, and recorded by Freddie King in 1991.

“Livin’ My Best Life” comes full circle as many of the above musicians were former Bluesbreakers but it’s Athas’ amazing guitar work that drives this album. Athas bares his soul on this beautiful and revealing album.

Richard Ludmerer

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