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Blues Blast Magazine Review - April 7, 2020
Album Review April 7, 2020 by Rhys Williams

Roger “Hurricane” Wilson
I Did What I Wanted To! |
www.hurricanewilson.com
Bluestorm Records
12 songs – 49 minutes

I Did What I Wanted To! is Roger “Hurricane” Wilson’s 25th CD, released in what is his 50th year as a professional musician and features 11 self-penned blues-rock tracks together with one cover. Unfortunately, neither the promotional material that accompanies the CD, the CD itself, nor Wilson’s website provide much information about the album, such as where and when it was recorded or even who performs on it. What we do know is that Wilson provides all guitars and vocals, while the drums and percussion are credited to the Singular Sound Rhythm Section and all other instruments are credited to the Triple Play Allstars. Other than that, there isn’t much information easily available about this album.
As for the music itself, it sits very much in the category of guitar-driven blues-rock, with occasional forays into guitar-driven country-rock. The opening “I’m Coming Home” is indicative of the rest of the album as it roars out of the speakers with muscular authority. The song distinguishes itself from many other blues-rock songs through the neat three-chord descending keyboard lick at the end of each verse and nearly every song on the album has a similarly distinctive element to it. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into song structure. Tracks like the classic rock of “Solid Gold Love” and “If This Is Love” have particularly catchy choruses. Wilson is an adroit, nimble-fingered guitarist and the songs rightly highlight his fluid solos. His opening solo on the introduction to “I Did What I Wanted To” is a prime example. Ditto his slide guitar on “I’m Through With The Blues”. His voice however is less impressive, often being masked in heavy reverb, and sometimes struggling with the rhythm of the song on tracks such as the acoustic “Why Can’t It Be Like Christmas Everyday?”. To his credit, however, Wilson’s lyrics extend past the traditional love-lost, love-won subjects of many blues songs to include suicide-awareness on “Sittin’ On A Stallion” with its unusual metaphor: “Now you’re sitting on a stallion, with no idea how to ride. While you are living your dream, something’s still not right. You have it all, please don’t end your life. You’re sitting on a stallion, with no idea how to ride.” He also includes a frankly off-the-wall homage to a certain Atlanta media mogul and philanthropist in “Legacy Of Ted Turner”.
The Atlanta connection also arises on the album’s sole cover track, “Food, Phone, Gas & Lodging”, originally recorded in 1975 by the Eric Quincy Tate Group out of Atlanta.
There are plenty of enjoyable moments on I Did What I Wanted To!, but it’s difficult to shake the sense that this is something of a hurried release. The mix in particular is quite muddy in places, giving the album something of a sense of a demo. Still, it’s worth checking out if your tastes lean to the country-rock side of things and you like lashings of first class guitar playing in your music.

Beat Atlanta Magazine Review - April, 2020
Beat Atlanta Online Magazine


CD Review of Roger Hurricane Wilson’s
- “I Did What I Wanted To!”-

If you want to know who Roger Hurricane Wilson is, listening to this latest CD will tell you a lot. From “I’m Coming Home” to “Why I Do What I Do”, you get an honest opinion in some cases, or maybe an emotion you can relate to yourself. There’s no doubt that you’ll find some of the moods, temperament, and opinions to be familiar. Everyone’s story has a different ending but when you can relate in any way to a song, you can feel that connection to the artist. That’s what makes this CD so special. This album not only offers honesty, but a realistic look at life, love and even a little history. From growing up and what was expected and delivered, to traveling to the different cities and back home again, Roger shows just how he did what he wanted to in a bluesy style with an occasional country twist.

The title track, “I Did What I Wanted To” starts out with a confident guitar attitude, letting you know right off the bat who’s in charge! This song brings to mind the famous quote by Robert Frost. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” That last part has a lot of meaning; those roads less traveled by Roger in his career are what has made all the difference. With a career spanning over 40 years, he’s earned the right to do it his way. He’s had experiences that didn’t turn out the way he wanted, and some that did! In the end, this song sums it up perfectly. He even answers the “why” in “Why I Do What I Do”. It’s a simple statement, and a matter-of-fact account of how he can just pick up his guitar and write about what’s happening, what’s around him, in story fashion. It may seem like something insignificant at the time until you pay attention to the song that’s trying to write itself for you. You just have to listen to what it’s telling you and translate it into words and music – Roger does this to perfection!

Other songs on this album make you think. “Sittin On a Stallion” reaches into places you might not expect. No, it’s not about a horse. It’s really a compassionate song with a message to those that may be hurting. Even though life may buck and kick leaving you feeling like you have no idea what you’re doing or where to turn, just keep the faith, keep going. I’m Through with the Blues - An oxy-moron type song – a great blues artist that’s through with the blues? That can’t be right! Having no real regrets in life, feeling pretty good actually about the way life has gone – none of that “woe is me” attitude. I guess he’s just not accepting the negative side of the blues but looking upward and onward to the next opportunity when one doesn’t go as planned, which happens sometimes because the world is not what is used to be. A great synopsis of that analogy is laid out in “This Crazy World”. An almost reminiscent bluesy rock opening leads you to a story about how things have changed, especially with kids these days! It’s all gotten out of hand! “Legacy of Ted Turner” adds some real history to this album. Mr. Turner was definitely a big name in Atlanta and deserves recognition. It’s good to see he’s getting that on this album. Also seems appropriate that this recognition is on an album called “I Did What I Wanted To” because he did!

Oh, and you even get a Christmas song on this album! “Why Can’t it Be Like Christmas Everyday” gives you a glimpse into what that could be like. People just being kind to each other, every day – not just on Christmas.

“I Did What I Wanted To” is definitely a great CD with depth, charm, stories, and life! I mean with a title like that, it has to be!

12 Songs/48 minutes 8 sec
Released November 2019
http://hurricanewilson.com/

CD Review written by Brenda Lorenz
Beat Atlanta Online Magazine

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