Wow …. Just wow! I think that was the expression I first used when I heard “I’m Going On My Way”. Immediately I thought I was listening to a track from a bygone era, played by a dream supergroup hybrid of some of my favourite artists. The track is everything, it’s The Velvet Undergound, it’s earl Stones, it’s Dylan and it’s absolutely boss!
If anyone is looking for some sort of Lou Reed reincarnation, then Frank Fogden and “I’m Going On My Way” is probably the closest you are going to get. What makes this whole dream turned reality even sweeter is we can call Frank our own, he doesn’t hail from the deepest underground depths of New York City or make his way cross-country a la Senor Dylan from the port city of Duluth, Minnesota but is actually based in the Hampshire port city of Portsmouth. Listen to “I’m Going On My Way” and you will struggle to believe this is even possible, I mean surely the dirty, grimey underworld of New York City’s Velvet Underground years added an air of intriguing beauty to the music ?? At least, that’s what I thought until I heard Frank Fogden, no all that shit’s gone out the window ……. thankfully … I think!
Despite the deep rooted familiarity to “I’m Going On My Way”, it’s purely influence and the track and indeed Frank Fogden stand on their own, and when I say on their own, I mean on their own, which is yet just another surprise. You get the impression there is a band full of talented musicians behind the single and even some drafted in help for some backing vocals …… wrong again, clever Frank takes the credit for all the vocals and instruments on the track from the nostalgia vocal to the flourishing nod to Dylan at harmonica’s end.
Even these words aren’t doing it justice so I suggest you just get yourselves swiftly on this and you can thank me later (note youtube link below):
If, like me you can’t get enough of Frank Fogden, rejoice and praise your god of choice or no choice as Frank will be releasing a new track every two weeks for the next two months and we will be featuring them all here at Ramble on.
Peace & Love as per x
Ramble On 