Advanced Medication For The Blues

Keith Sykes’ ninth solo album, Advanced Medication For The Blues, is a self-produced rock record and the debut release for Memphis-based Syren Records.

Advanced Medication For The Blues rocks full tilt from the opening track and never lets up. Highlights include “I Know An Angel,” a loving testament to youthful innocence he wrote for his grandchild, Kelsey; “The Whole 9 Yards,” a modern-day outlaw tale; and “One World,” which takes a sitar-like riff and infuses it with a swamp groove worthy of Dire Straits. The CD was produced, recorded and mixed at The Woodshed--Memphis by Keith Sykes.

Check out what the media has to say about Keith Sykes and Advanced Medication for the Blues:

• Keith is an unsung hero of Memphis’ singer-songwriter tradition. Check out the despairing “One Up One Down” for a passionate example of his craft... G. Brown/The Denver Post
  
• Keith Sykes make records far too infrequently; a fine collection of tracks... Jason Ankeny/All-Music Guide
  
• Six years after his last album, roots rocker Sykes returns with a barn burner. Sykes writes like a maniac unleashed... Alanna Nash/ Entertainment Weekly
  
• Jimmy Buffett, Jerry Jeff Walker and John Prine have all covered his songs. He comes up with a winner in “I Know an Angel”... Bill Ellis/The Commercial Appeal
  
• Part swamp, part blues, and certainly pop induced, he offers well-crafted, guitar-driven three-minute pop snapshots. What separates Sykes from the herd are catchy melodies coated with lyrics that are self-deprecating and full of wit. These are not philosophical musings of the big picture, but pinpricks of the local Joe just trying to make life work ... Dirty Linen

Song writing notes and other musings from Advanced Medication For The Blues. Check back here for play by play info from Keith's latest release, Don't Count Us Out!

“Advanced Medication For The Blues”
I was staying with Steven McCord and early one evening, just before I had planned to go out, this commercial came on TV. It said something like “Advanced medication for...,” and I took it from there. I wrote the title down right then. When I saw Danny Flowers the next day, writing this song became inevitable.

“I Know An Angel”
I know a bunch of angels, but Kelsey is the one I started this song about.

“Flyin’ Low”
Swain Schaefer and I were lucky enough to have Jimmy Thackery do this song on his live album. I always like songs than involve the dark side of life.

“The Whole 9 Yards”
Back to the dark side already. This was written with Kenny Evans, from Brownsville, Tennessee. He likes the kind of country music I like. I like the twist in the last verse.

“One World”
I like to groove.

“Give Me All Your Love”
When the weather is cooperating, I ride my motorcycle to the river, sit down in my chair and write whatever pops in my head. I hope you get to meet the Loch Ness monster.

“Baby Please” (All the Shrimp in New Orleans)
Hank Devito had the title with that Baby Baby line. Oh, that dark side calls.

“Hard Enough”
Jamie Hartford has come to Memphis a couple of times to write songs and just be in Memphis. This is my favorite one of ours so far.

“One Up One Down”
That guy just ain’t gettin’ that girl.

“Those Were the Days”
I wrote this as a tribute to some of my heroes and to remember what it was like back then. And I’ll be dammed, talk about heroes, Jerry Jeff put this song on his “Cowboy Boots and Bathing Suits” album. Life is good.

“Better Than a Husband”
I’ve put this song on and off this album a dozen times. What the heck, here it is.

“I Want You I Need You I Love You”
I know I shouldn’t do this stuff, no body can do it better than Elvis, but sometimes when I do it, I feel like a king.

“The Fireplace”
Danny Flowers got us passes to see Eric Clapton’s “blues only” show in Memphis. When it was over we went to The Woodshed and had a ball writing blues songs all night.