Leslie West seems so slow to reach his third Spring - and after his diabetes caused his leg was removed. With this handicap he comes to very transparent, in some booklet photos one sees his artificial leg very much. After a series of half-baked blues cover albums in the early two-thousand it has changed back to their own material since "Unusual Suspects" - that was a good decision. "Still Climbing" is a part of the follow up to "Unusual Suspects", the other, a semantic relation to "Climbing", celebrated with the West anno 1970 his breakthrough. Further back covers self Cover "Long Red" and the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman" are to be considered. The Saturn rocket on the cover is not just "up to date", but a contemporary album so nobody expects from such a dinosaur.
What can be said about "Still Climbing"? The song material is strong, the sound really good, the guest posts refreshing, informative booklet. The guitar work is usual exquisite, fresh and energetic as the song ten years ago. Lyrically plays Leslie, as usual, with the death, the love, the fate and everything else that could transport large pathos. Fans of the previous model can strike in any case, as well as all others who love neat verrockten Blues with heart and soul. Playing tips are the rocking opener "Dyin since the Day I was born" and the acoustic "Tales of Woe". Rock on Leslie. Four stars.