THE BALLAD OF K.B REMAINS THE COUNTRY FUSION BENCHMARK FOR KEVIN BENNETT AND THE FLOOD

Going way back to when I started this website mid way through 2010, I wrote an article about an album which has to rate as one of my favourite country fusion albums ever recorded.

This album was a live recording of the Australian country fusion band THE FLOOD
doing a one off gig with an american alternative country artist named Kevin Welch. 

The Flood is lead by the none too subtle but an extremely talented singer songwriter named Kevin Bennett. The Flood generally speaking is known as Kevin Bennett and The Flood. 

I dont exactly know where the band got their kudos that night when they recorded the concert with Welch at the Basement in Sydney but they were literally doing somersaults on stage, they virtually outplayed the star of the show Kevin Welch, not taking away from his outstanding performance on the night.

The live recording ended up materialising as LIVE DOWN HERE ON EARTH, it is an absolute gem, heaps of blues and boogie woogie to back up some of the most intense country fusion ever recorded. 

If I did have to choose my favourite The Flood album in their own right, then the wonderful debut THE BALLAD OF K.B, in reference to Kevin Bennett, would still have to be the one.

It was released around 1998, it's jammed packed full of The Flood's unique amalgam of country, rock, blues and even a dash of boogie piano, be that unintentional or not.

MILK is a 7-minute long drawn out slow blues affair, TEAR STAINED EYE is uneventful musically but lyrically one of Bennett's most enduring artistic expressions, HIPPY JOHNNY STIRFRY is the best example going of Bennett at his eccentric and indefinable best, I dare you to work out what he is singing about and songs like BANK, MARY and the title track remain crowd favourites at any Flood gig.

My favourite song is number one off their very first album, titled DONT LOOK BACK AT ME.