I Started Out With Nothin' and I Still Got Most of It Left

Seasick Steve, an artist with a wanderer’s destiny

Steve Wold professionally known as Seasick Steve is mainly famous for his playing non-standard guitars called personalized with a changed number of strings on them. Steve has lead a life of a wanderer when still a teenager, traveled a lot first around America and then the whole world, tried himself in different professions but his favorite guitar was always there with him. In the end Wold has decided to stay in Norway where he has found his wife. It was also there where his first album Cheap recorded with a Swedish collective The Level Devils was released. In 2006 the artist released his debut solo album Dog House Music and became one of the most popular artists in Europe practically in no time. He has performed actively in Great Britain early this year singing a duo with KT Tunstall a couple of times and this autumn his third record I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left sees the light of the day being a great continuation of not a young artist’s breakthrough career.

Road theme on I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left

Although Seasick Steve’s music is thought to be first of all blues there can be found the elements of other classic and alternative rock, country and even jazz both on I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left and his other works. This album, like the other works, too, is filled with the spirit of traveling, the theme of road passes from one song to another hiding between the lines or sounding openly. A good example is a tranquil and peaceful autobiographic track Walkin' Man. The record’s other peculiarity is the participation of Ruby Turner, Grinderman and KT Tunstall on it so Steve’s blunt vocals is shaded by female voices on a number of tracks. One of the highlights of the kind is composition Happy Man, a brilliant rock number with great vocal parts. Yet a real surprise is a collaboration with Nick Cave Just Like A King, a wonderful love confession full of philosophic ideas and an example of an amazingly harmonious sounding of guitars, drums and vocals. On one of the album’s versions the final song is My Youth, and it is quite logic for the singer reflects on aging on it and there are the positive thoughts that nobody can take the memories from the singer. As for the longer version, consisting of two discs, the outstanding track here is Steve’s almost 16 minute speech simply called Story which everyone is sure to listen with interest.

Self search is not over yet

Certainly Seasick Steve has gone a long way in the direct sense of the word and he has a lot tell people about. Even though I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left is already his third work the road theme in his songs is still not exhausted. Yet it is far from the only one. The musician is fond of talking of himself therefore practically the entire album consists of confessions, stories, thoughts and dreams. For instance on Heart Attack he tells of the heart attack he has recently had and which actually is the reason why he has decided to finish his eternal voyage and dedicate some time to his family. As for the sound quality it is getting better from one album to another and this is especially notable on I Started Out With Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left: if Steve recorded his first works almost in a garage today a modern studio is at his disposal. Nevertheless Seasick Steve always remains himself and even the new contract with Warner Bros. Records has not besotted him. Moreover the musician is sure that his self search is not over yet and probably his music career is just a temporary occupation. One way or another he still writes great music and the fruit of his work deserve all praise.