Eric Burdon & The Greenhornes: “Out Of My Mind”
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During his SXSW 2012 keynote address, Bruce Springsteen spoke about how big of an influence the Animals were on his musical understanding. He even admitted stealing a riff or two from their discography, and who can blame him? The band was a revolutionary force, bringing a harder-edged version of the British Invasion to ears worldwide. But even after the Animals disbanded in the late ’60s, frontman Eric Burdon continued his progressive direction both as a solo artist and with the funk outfit War.
And at age 71, Burdon still knows how to get attention. The singer was also at this year’s SXSW and he shared a stage with Brendan Benson (known for the Raconteurs and his solo work). Immediately after the performance, Benson arranged for the Greenhornes to accompany Burdon in the studio as his backing band. Besides putting out their own music, the Greenhornes also share members with the Raconteurs, so they know their way around a rock song. Sure enough, the pairing turned out to be an inspired decision: With Benson producing, Burdon and the Greenhornes knocked out a four-song EP in a day and a half.
The self-titled collaboration sees a release in vinyl form on November 23 as part of Record Store Day’s “Black Friday” celebrations. You can also find a digital version November 27, and today KUT has a selection from the EP as our song of the day. With the help of the Greenhornes’ rock-and-soul groove, “Out Of My Mind” finds Burdon returning to his roots. His tough guy persona may have softened over the years, but he can still sing of lost love like no one else.
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