It is almost 25 years since the singer and guitarist Vidar Busk became Norway’s most talked about and celebrated blues artist for his debut album Stompin ‘Our Feet With Joy (1997). With Norway’s most famous international blues star Kid Andersen as producer, The Civilized Life delivers both fully T-Birds-inspired, swinging blues, soulful ballads, and red-hot guitar playing
Sometimes the line between genius and madness gets blurred – sometimes, it almost disappears. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That makes for a neat bumper sticker, and unfortunately, it’s not always the case, but luckily for the music world, it’s absolutely true for Vidar Busk.
Here he is in 2021 – 100 % raw and utterly confident. His vocals, vulnerable and unashamed, walk the tight-rope between wounded and ecstatically crazed. His instrument virtuosity is so much a part of him that the execution of chops long ago became an afterthought. Instead, his guitar playing travels in a seamless conduit, straight from the expansive emotional pallet of his soul and directly to the listeners’ ears and hearts.
This project, produced by an old friend, the award-winning Kid Andersen, reunites Vidar Busk & His True Believers with Norwegian Blues titan, multi-instrumentalist, and co-producer Johhny Aguland, who was a key ingredient during the band’s heyday at the end of the 20th century. Original True Believers Rune Endal on bass and Arne Fjeld Rasmussen on the harp are joined by world-renowned drummer Alex Pettersen to form Vidar Busk’s strongest unit to date.
The material is not only solid, but you can also feel that the man has lived every word he sings on this album. This masterful and mature comeback statement is truly the crowning achievement of Vidar Busk’s already legendary career.
