Kingcrimsonprog
Five Horse Johnson are an Ohio based Blues band who appeal to fans of Stoner Rock and Classic Rock, due to their similar outlook, attitude and production styles.
The No.6 Dance was the band's fourth full-length studio album and was something of a minor breakthrough for the band back when it was released in 2000, and the Mountain referencing track ‘Mississippi King’ was featured in several notable videogame soundtracks.
No.6 Dance is an album that you can just stick on from beginning to end, have a good time and not have to skip anything. The whole thing flows together very well, from the punchy start to the fourteen minute slow-blues closer ‘Odella,’ with no weak tracks and no filler. This is the sort of album you can just keep on listening to, it’s pretty difficult not to fall in love with tracks like ‘Spillin Fire’ or ‘Swallow The World.’
As an album, it is fairly straightforward and bluesy when compared to the two albums which would follow it, those albums incorporated a little more of a Stoner Rock influence into the sound after the band became more associated with bands like Clutch, Halfway To Gone and Sixty Watt Shaman. There are still some moments of that stylistic mixture here however, such as on the superb and catchy ‘Lollipop’ and ‘Buzzard Luck.’
It is difficult to articulate the band’s sound correctly but what my favourite description is, is getting you to imagine what a Stoner Rock band would sound like if they had never heard any Black Sabbath, but had owned a lot of classic Blues Records.
If you like slide guitar, harmonica/harp and Bonham influenced drum grooves then you are in for a good time when you pick up a copy of this album. The vocals purr with a wonderful infectious attitude. The production job is warm and the mix is spacious, furthering the Classic Rock similarities.
Overall, I would highly recommend The No.6 Dance and by extension Five Horse Johnson to anyone with an interest in any form of Rock, Metal or whatever. If you want a good earthy band playing music with feeling, give them a shot.