Gravelands
Review by Heather Phares Belfast postal carrier by day, Elvis impersonator by night — that's the life of James Brown, aka the King. His debut album Gravelands suggests a possible answer to the question "what songs would Elvis perform today?" The hits of other dead rock stars, of course. From Nirvana's "Come As You Are" to Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," the King pays tribute to the departed greats, all with regal rock flair. Gravelands displays the King's soulful side as well, with lip-curling versions of Otis Redding's "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" and Marvin Gaye's "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." For rock fans with a sense of humor, Gravelands is a tribute that's dead-on in more ways than one.