1 	The Job 	
2 	Keep On Diggin' 	
3 	Black Heart Baby 	
4 	Mexico 	
5 	Beating In My Hand 	
6 	Quick On The Trigger 	
7 	Smash & Grab 	
8 	Hangin' Tree 	
9 	You're My Girl (I Don't Want To Talk About It) 	
10 	Shoot My Way Out 	
11 	Die In The River

Bass – Steve Smith 
Drums – Jean Paul Gaster
Guitar – Phil Dürr
Organ, Percussion – J. Robbins
Vocals – Robin Zander (tracks: 9)
Vocals, Guitar – Brad Coffin
Vocals, Harp – Eric Oblander 

Released in January 2013, The Taking of Black Heart literally sees retro-rock survivors Five Horse Johnson "galloping" back into action -- or at least that's the rhythmic feel of the album's opening number, "The Job," the image gracing its cover art, etc. Given all they've been through (none of it more traumatizing than frontman Eric Oblander suffering a stroke!), few would expect the group to come riding in to rescue classic rock from a fate worse than death (irrelevance), especially some six years removed from their last long-player's release. But as song after song rolls by, oftentimes driven by bluesier and rootsier songwriting ethics than 5HJ's ever displayed before, hope does spring eternal -- amen, bruvvers and sistahs, alright. Wailing harmonica and slippery slide guitars wrap themselves round and round laid-back groovers ("Keep on Diggin'," "Smash & Grab," "Die in the River") and foot-stomping bruisers alike ("Black Heart Baby," "Shoot My Way Out"), thereby luring patrons left and right into 5HJ's juke joint -- and the first shot of canned heat is on them. Heck, and if any additional credibility were needed, get a load of Cheap Trick's Robin Zander taking over the mike stand for the album's funkiest, most euphoric moment in "You're My Girl" -- Otis Redding surely would approve. Perhaps more than any other track, the latter also highlights Five Horse Johnson's enduring faith and pure joy in playing rock & roll, regardless of how many paying customers show up on any given night. They're a band's band, at the end of the day: playing to play -- and The Taking of Black Heart is therefore a welcome return, bringing good news to the rock & roll faithful everywhere. ---Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic Review

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01. Jake Leg Boogie
02. Magic Man
03. Cryin' Shame
04. Ropes And Chains
05. Hard Times
06. Smoke Show
07. Little Lonely
08. Overload
09. Daddy Was A Gun
10. Last Song

Eric Oblander - Vocals - Harp
Brad Coffin - Guitar - Vocals
Steve Smith - Bass
Phil Durr - Guitar
Tim Gahagan – Drums

Hailing from Toledo, Ohio, Five Horse Johnson have been going since 1995 and this is their 8th album. Starting out as a blues band, they have since morphed into a hybrid of blues, classic rock and southern boogie. I was fortunate enough to see them live some years ago and they were right on the money. Front man Eric Oblander has also added blues harp to Clutch shows in the past, so that gives a pretty good idea of where their music is at.

Jake Leg Boogie is high on quality, low on ballads and for existing FHJ fans, it’s exactly what they want to hear. The title track opens proceedings with a Texas boogie flavour and Magic Man rattles on behind in true FHJ style. ‘Cryin’ Shame’ lulls the listener into a false sense of calmness with its picked intro but it is a blues rock tour de force. ‘Ropes & Chains’ is a bit slower paced which sets up ‘Hard Times’ a treat. This opens with a heavy Motown beat and riff – imagine Corrosion Of Conformity covering a Supremes song – I know it sounds odd but it really works. ‘Smoke Show’ is a great show case of Oblander’s harp playing and ‘Little Lonely’ allows guitarist Brad Coffin the same. In fact Coffin is worth special mention on this album; his playing is the foundation on which all the songs are built. ‘Overload’, ‘Daddy Was A Gun’ and ‘Last Song’ close out the 10 song album. ‘Daddy Was A Gun’ is particularly good; a slow and menacing tribal beat with a funky guitar riff, it’s the best thing here. ‘Last Song’ is the only slow song present and they keep it brief but, in my opinion, the album drifts to a close because of it.

So there it is – it’s 2017 and we have a new Five Horse Johnson record. As they go it’s as good as any before it and at this stage of their career, it’s probably all that their fans ask for. Get them on a UK stage and it’s guaranteed that they will find plenty of new fans because that is where they do their best work. So maybe, with a strong album to support, we may see them back over here – let’s hope so. --- Bernard Baker, maximumvolumemusic.com

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