Music Review // Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado "Navigation Blues"

 

At some point in everyone's life they learn about the blues.  Typically, it can be found in a movie where someone doesn't know what the blues sounds like so they have this experience where they hear it for the first time and it's life changing.  The exact way that "Navigation Blues" starts is how I would show someone what the blues sounds like.  "You've never heard the blues before?" and then I'd press play on this video.

Though this one starts with a guitar sound, it kicks into a full band and just exemplifies everything I love about the blues.  The video has the main character swimming underwater, coming up and then walking onto land with guitar in hand.  I like to think this symbolizes that we are all like fish out of water whenever we venture into something new- or even things we are familiar with- because it's just that idea of viewing life as a learning experience.  

In a somewhat odd but welcomed way this video ends with a guitar solo and all I can think about when listening to it is B.B. King.  Regardless of whether or not you like blues on the whole, B.B. King has to be that exception and Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado could also be as well.   It's just such a perfect example of a sound that's been around for longer than me but doesn't seem to get as old.

Perhaps the best part about the "Navigation Blues" is that it makes me think back to when we didn't have computers inside of our phones and so you'd have to buy a map or print out directions from a place like Mapquest to get where you were going.  I like to think of this song as representing that but the destination isn't some place that can be found on a map it's more of a life journey type of thing.