Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Aynsley Makes YOU Listen with
Eyes Wide Open
The excitement among the phalanx of Aynsley Lister’s loyal fans has been growing ever since the news that a new album following the critically acclaimed Home was going to be out in 2016. With this much anticipation, all too often the hype and expectation turns to disappointment. Not so with Eyes Wide Open – Mr Lister has done it again with an album of thirteen tracks oozing with assured confidence. The approach is open your ears and connect to Eyes Wide Open from the eye-catching album artwork an original by Anthony Greentree through to the last notes of Aynsley’s delectable guitar work and the undeniable power of the song. The presentation is meticulous, stylish with a vista that beckons you with a booklet that is full of the spirit of Aynsley and his band. Now for the main event the music with twelve self-penned tracks it is a delicious A La Carte of Blues, rock and rocked up blues.
Aynsley’s guitar playing is immense, as any fan would expect, as he digs deep into the emotional groove of his six-strings, bending the notes to his will as he shapes his own signature Blues-rock. Opening with All Of Your Love, we dive straight into a deep pool of Ainsley’s magic with the addition of Bennett Holland on keys adding a deep fruity vein of chords for Aynsley to play with as the deep riffs underline the urgency portrayed in the lyrics.
Building on the opening track is an effortless step for the maestro as joining his trusty rhythm section are horns that just add a full on blues sound. The drums of Boneto Dryden and Steve Amadeo’s bass always lay down rhythms that hold onto the mood driving the track with that frantic ticking panic when time is rushing by relentlessly. This is a blues mood and message that connects to the real world we spin round in.
Third track in and this has to mentioned gangsters and guitars meld in a track with an ear catching intro defying being fitted into an Aynsley box. The music darkens and we hear that he is taking us down a path to a world that is deep, dark and murky. The door is opened by the lyrics into a world of gambling, dirty money and danger this is a captivating dirty number.
Then we are back to the vintage Aynsley we love to hear recorded and live melding lyrical vocals with guitar playing that just makes your eyes spring wide open with pure delight at the power of the riffs and the subtle beauty of the licks of Time. He picks up a Freddie King mood and style as we are at the half way point this is thoughtful smoky blues. There is nothing Dishevelled about this number.
The instrumental that is an intro that leads into Kalina stands on its own as guitar playing that makes you weep for this troubled soul. Kalina, with a slower introspective beat hides a secret like the women at the heart of the song. Is this a rock ballad masquerading as something else. Who cares, this is a ballad that unfurls a story of mental health, misery and loss. The melodic simplicity is a mirror in the complexity of a woman bought low and lost behind that happy smile.
Now we are back rocking with the blues as we are Right As Rain with a stinging guitar as he slips in a Tommy Castro number that fits the space perfectly as the album heads for the closing bonus track. The album is an exploration of relationships, moods self-doubt and hurt as he pairs songs of opposing thoughts and feelings. The Other Part of Me is about completeness and Stay about falling apart the two sides of human relationship constructive and destructive.
Then do you want one more yes, well unlucky for some the thirteenth track is Hold You To It – bass driven vibe this is a stand alone number with horns and a song that will always bring a smile to the face and a spring to your step. The perfect bonus track the unexpected that is rather good.
Approach, Eyes Wide Open with caution! Listening once is not enough there is a new side of Aynsley that is asserting its place on the album. We like it.
Aynsley Lister – Eyes Wide Open – OUT Friday 7th October
Bluesdoodles gives this CD TEN 
doodle paws out of TEN ….
Track Listing
- All Of Your Love
- Everything I Have To Give
- Il Grande Mafioso
- Won’t Be Taken Down
- Time
- Dishevelled
- Troubled Soul (intro)
- Kalina
- Handful Of Doubt
- Right As Rain
- Other Part Of Me
- Stay
- Hold You To It
Bonus Track
Eyes Wide Open
Produced by Aynsley Lister
Recorded at Superfly Studios (UK)
Engineered by Andrew Banfield
Mixed by Adam Ellis and Aynsley Lister at Deadline Studios (UK)
Mastered by John Webber at Air Mastering (UK)
2016 UK TOUR DATES
Tickets available HERE
Thursday 22nd September 2016 CHISLEHURST, BEAVERWOOD CLUB
Ticket Price: £12 adv / £13 door Venue Box Office: 0208 761 9078 / 0788 865 7952
Friday 23rd September 2016 SUTTON, BOOM BOOM CLUB
Ticket Price: £12 advance / £13 door Venue Box Office: 0208 761 9078 / 0788 865 7952
Saturday 24th September 2016 SKIRLAUGH, CORNUCOPIA FESTIVAL
Ticket Price: £45 day / £99 weekend Venue Box Office: 01377 217406
Wednesday 28th September 2016 MILTON KEYNES, THE STABLES
Ticket Price: £16.50 Venue Box Office: 01908 280800
Thursday 29th September 2016 CHESTER, TELFORDS WAREHOUSE
Ticket Price: £13 Venue Box Office: 01244 390090
Friday 30th September 2016 BURNLEY, MECHANICS
Ticket Price: £14 advance / £15 door Venue Box Office: 01282 664400
GUISBOROUGH, RHYTHM & BLUES CLUB
Saturday 1st October 2016
Ticket Price: £14 Venue Box Office: 07815913981
Friday 4th November 2016 BLAKENEY, HARBOUR ROOM
Ticket Price: £10 Venue Box Office: 01263 741666
Thursday 1st December 2016 PUTNEY, HALF MOON
Ticket Price: £14 advance / £16 door Venue Box Office: 020 8780 9383
Friday 2nd December 2016 ST. HELENS, CITADEL
Ticket Price: £12 Venue Box Office: 01744 735436
Saturday 3rd December 2016 DERBY, THE FLOWERPOT
Ticket Price: £12 Venue Box Office: 0844 412 4642
Sunday 4th December 2016 NEWCASTLE, THE CLUNY
Ticket Price: £14 advance / £16 door Venue Box Office: 0191 230 4474
Thursday 8th December 2016 KENDAL, BOOTLEGGERS
Ticket Price: £12 advance / £15 door Venue Box Office: 01539 723824
Friday 9th December 2016 DARLINGTON, RHYTHM ’N’ BLUES CLUB
Ticket Price: £15 Venue Box Office: 01325-363135
Saturday 10th December 2016 NORWICH, THE WATERFRONT
Ticket Price: £14 Venue Box Office: 01603 508050
Sunday 11th December 2016 LEICESTER, THE MUSICIAN
Ticket Price: £12 advance / £14 door Venue Box Office: 0116 251 0080 / 07970 529 760
Monday 12th December 2016 FARNHAM, MALTINGS
Ticket Price: £15 Venue Box Office: 01252 793430
Thursday 15th December 2016SOUTHAMPTON, THE BROOK
Ticket Price: £14 advance / £16 door Venue Box Office: 023 8055 5366
Friday 16th December 2016 SHEFFIELD, THE GREYSTONES
Ticket Price: £14 advance / £16 door Venue Box Office: 0114 266 5599
Saturday 17th December 2016 MANCHESTER, ACADEMY 3
Ticket Price: £14 Venue Box Office: 0161 832 1111
Sunday 18th December 2016 EDINBURGH, THE CAVES
Ticket Price: £13 Venue Box Office: 0131 510 6969
2016 EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
Tickets available HERE
Wednesday 5th October 2016 RANKWEIL ALTES KINO (AUSTRIA)
Venue Box Office: +43 05522/45387
Thursday 6th October 2016 FRICKS MONTI FRICKTALER BLUES FESTIVAL (SWITZERLAND)
Venue Box Office: +41 62 871 04 44
Friday 7th October 2016RUBIGEN MUHLE HUNZIKEN (SWITZERLAND)
Venue Box Office: +41 900 325 325
Saturday 8th October 2016 LINTHAL BLUES LINTHKRAFT LOUNGE (SWITZERLAND)
Venue Box Office: +41 55 643 26 86
Sunday 9th October 2016 HABACH VILLAGE (GERMANY) www.village-habach.de
Venue Box Office: +49 8847 725
Monday 10th October 2016 HAIMING GEWOLBE (GERMANY)
Tuesday 11th October 2016 MUNICH GARAGE DELUXE (GERMANY)
Thursday 13th October 2016 JABLONEC NAD NISOU KLUB NA RAMPE (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Venue Box Office: +420 605 960 357
Friday 14th October 2016 CESKE BUDEJOVICE HIGHWAY 61 JAZZ AND BLUES CLUB (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Venue Box Office: +420 7206 29045
PENZION SMOLOTEL, SMOLOTELY
(CZECH REPUBLIC)
Saturday 15th October 2016 Venue Box Office: +420 7206 29045
POSTBAUER-HENG KISH (GERMANY)
Sunday 16th October 2016 Venue Box Office: +49 9188 3321
WOLFACH KLAUSENBAUERNHOF (GERMANY)
Monday 17th October 2016 Venue Box Office: +49 7834 47639
METZINGEN-GLEMS HIRSCH (GERMANY)
Wednesday 19th October 2016 Venue Box Office: +49 7123 959132
STUTTGART LABORATORIUM (GERMANY)
Thursday 20th October 2016 Venue Box Office: +49 711 505 2001
Friday 21st October 2016 SCHÖNENBERG-KÜBELBERG GASTHAUS SCHLEPPI (GERMANY)
Venue Box Office: +49 157 8594 1438
Saturday 22nd October 2016 BRASSERIE LE NEUMUNSTER (LUXEMBOURG)
Venue Box Office: +00 352 26 20 52 981
Saturday 29th October 2016 OSNABRÜCK LUTHERHAUS *SPECIAL SOLO SHOW* (GERMANY)
Venue Box Office: +49 0541 2001 831
Friday 18th November 2016 OLDENBURG CHARLYS (GERMANY)
Venue Box Office: +49 441 2171 630
Saturday 19th November 2016 HAMBURG DOWNTOWN (GERMANY)
Venue Box Office: +49 4027 5056
Sunday 20th November 2016 APELDOORN BLUESCAFE (THE NETHERLANDS)
Venue Box Office: +31 55 578 5014
