David Landon

Living Blues Magazine April 2012

   San Francisco Bay Area guitarist David Landon, whose sideman credits include work with Frankie Lee, earl Thomas and Lenny Williams, is a consistently creative player who holds back when he wants and charges ahead when the mood calls for excitement. He utilizes several sonic shifting devices such as tremolo bar and wah-wah pedal, but only sparingly, instead keeping the focus on his clean articulation and wonderfully melodic lines that draw B.B. King tradition leavened with hints of jazz. His solos are models of well- refined taste, as is his sensitive use of dynamics. I Like It Too Much, his fifth CD in 17 years features 11 original songs.
   He is a superb tunesmith. “I like it too much - though I know that it’s true, it aint good for me but it’s just what I want to do”. He sings in light tenor tones on the shuffling title track about smoking, drinking, womanizing, staying up all night and sleeping all day. His compositions are distinguished by clever chord substitutions, turn arounds, instrumental breaks and other variations on standard blues structures. Landon’s humor-laced vocal and guitar duet with Alvon Johnson (another underrated Bay Area Bluesman) on the rocking That’s What Friends Are For is particularly pleasing. Three instrumentals further serve to put the spotlight on Landon’s remarkable guitar prowess.
   Landon carefully produced the CD- surrounding himself with a changing cast of first-rate players while maintaining the continuity of the program. The include B-# organist Tony Stead and Melvin Seals, pianist Steve Willis, bassist Steve Evans, drummers Randy Hayes and Andrew Griffin, harmonica blower Michael Peloquin and saxophonist Charles McNeal. The performances are nicely enhanced by a horn section playing punching arrangements by Kelly Park and Landon himself.

- Lee Hildebrand

Golden Gate Grooves 2012

A bit of rock, a tad of funk, a touch of jazz, a smattering of pop and a bunch of blues is what you'll get when you pick up David Landon's new one, "I Like It Too Much."
According to the liners, Landon has "written, arranged, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered" this brand new effort. He's lead guitarist, lead vocalist, played some keyboard, written horn arrangements and produced "other sounds." Whew! He's obviously all over this album, and his exemplary attention to musical detail shines throughout the 59-minute affair.
On this, Landon's fifth CD, he's been privileged with the guest artistry of a true "who's who" of Bay Area musicians, (several of them world-class,) a few of whom include impeccable bassist Steve Evans; steady Randy Hayes on drums; Charles McNeal on superb sax; the first-rate Tony Stead on Hammond B-3; Melvin Seals on same; Tom Poole and Mike Rinta on horns and the singing talents of Alexandra Kaprelian on backup vocals.
Of the cuts, the ballad, "Our Last Goodbye" conjures British soul artist George Michael with its pop-sensibilities and anguished guitar work. The title track is a standout of the record in its tale of a man's indulgences and nasty habits, ("it ain't good for me, but it's just what I want to do.")
Positively outstanding is guest artist's Michael Peloquin's sax and harmonica playing on "A Little Bit Better" (without you.) The interplay between Landon and his good buddy Alvon Johnson (guitar/vocals) just blues-rocks in the playful, "That's What Friends Are For," an album highlight. One of the album's tracks, "Frictitious" has a funky feel and an Average White Band groove.
Landon's horn arrangements are outstanding throughout. Kelly Park takes on those same duties with aplomb on "Well Alright."
The CD contains, among its 11 songs, three instrumentals, which in most any other album would be about two too much, but Landon makes the most of them through his clever, compelling and sometimes incendiary guitar work and chart composition.
You want to buy this one 'cause of Landon's tremendous guitar work. He can be a monster on his chosen instrument.
Ultimately this album comprises yet another fine & impressive effort by this Berkeley-based musician of dazzling talent.

Blues Matters 2009

This is the fourth album from the long-time San Francisco Bay area Blues-rock four-piece, and it’s a good ‘un. Leader
and guitarist David is a versatile and highly accomplished player, but all the individual band members have achieved
formidable reputations on their local scene. Listening to this accomplished set, it is easy to understand why. If you want
to imagine what rock superstars The Eagles would sound like singing the Blues, try ‘Who’s Loving You?’. You want a
good old-fashioned pounding shuffle, with very Freddy Kinginflected playing? Try the instrumental ‘Log Jam’ (which also
has an excellent break from Tony Stead on the old Hammond B-3). A little deep-soul maybe? Go for ‘Say
Goodbye’ then. There’s old-time rock’n’roll, too, a little supercharged rockabilly, a Jimi Hendrix styled psychedelic rocksoul
hybrid, a gospel into powerhouse Blues-rock ballad called ‘This Time’ and even a gentle, wistful singer-songwriter
styled elegy for a closer. And, of course, the Blues pure and simple - the eight and a half minutes of ‘I’m Gonna
Quit You’ is enough to convince most readers, but there are other examples, too, in this very worthwhile release.

- Norman Darwen, Blues Matters

San Francisco Chronicle 2009

Time isn't something you usually hear, but you will hear years of experience on "This Time," an infectiously compelling CD by the Bay Area's David Landon Band. With three gifted veteran musicians, guitarist-vocalist Landon has crafted the kind of rocking blues album that will make you think you're hearing the group live. The 12 cuts showcase variations in blues, from the gently acoustic "Goodbye My Friend," to the rollicking country-rock flavored "One Hundred Years" to the funk-steeped "Think Twice." Landon's fiery finger work ignites "Ducks in a Row," while Tony Stead contributes sublime keyboard work on the Hammond B3 on "Think Twice" and other cuts. With bassist Steve Evans and drummer Randy Hayes rounding out the quartet, the David Landon Band proves itself a sweet, tight ensemble.

November 29, 2009, David Wiegand- San Francisco Chronicle

Blues Blast 2009

Vintage Guitar Magazine 2009

Full Time Blues 2009

“The Bay Area Blues Beast (a nickname I just made up, so if you don't like it, I apologize), David Landon, finally got the opportunity to make a record "his way," and the result is the self produced This Time, his latest offering on Whip Records. The David Landon Band is a quartet of highly talented and road tested Blues musicians that come together to form something entirely awesome. To put it in terms of a pop culture reference, if The David Landon Band were a character from Transformers, they would be Devastator: dangerous in it's individual parts, but it's power is ultimately felt when assembled as one. All of This Time's dozen tracks are written and composed by Landon. Landon's songwriting is very catchy. I found myself singing along with the lyrics after only having listened to the CD a couple times. The subject matter is identifiable, and the overwhelming majority of the songs deal with The Blues' favorite topic: woman troubles. ”
— Johnny Full Time, Full Time Blues

The Antioch Press 2008

The blues by way of Berkeley, you better believe it. Having started his musical guitar-based journey at the age of twelve, David Landon is an accomplished producer, ensemble player, jazz fan and can rock with the best of them. But the blues is where his heart is and where he's most at home. Lauded by every American blues magazine, and several international publications, David has all the confidence and swagger of the masters of the genre yet maintains the ingratiating enthusiasm of a youngster. Owning his own professional recording studio and having three highly successful CDs out is no mean feat, still David has produced hundreds of CDs from some of the better known names on the West Coast scene, regularly adding his remarkable guitar and vocals to the mix. David actually honed his blues craft in Boston and later, busking with his four-piece band in the Latin Quarter on the streets of Paris for several. Later, and over the next five years, he "graduated" to Parisian clubs and continental hotspots. He consequently gained a huge following of adoring European audiences. Landon returned to the States in 1994, ready to make music his life's career. He's been a much sought after "hired-gun" on guitar and has played with any number of stellar Bay Area and nationally-known bands, and with performers of particular note. Deeply touched by the music of the late blues/soul great Johnny "Guitar" Watson, also listen for Landon's other major influences, from Freddie King to Jimi Hendrix, with touches of other masters from the past but all in his own style, all of which you'll hear and make you fast realize that David is a force of blues nature.

- Joseph Jordan

Southland Blues 2005

Looking for guitar playing good enough to stop traffic? Then meet guitarist David Landon, who proved his point by playing in the streets of Paris for a few years before returning stateside. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area now, Landon creates plenty of excitement with his metal-edged rock guitar sound in his second outing, Chasin' the Blues.
He refreshed several of the very standard standards he takes on- especially a funked up version of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" – by speeding ‘em up, streamlining ‘em and cutting loose with his Robben Ford-like liquid heat on the guitar.
Landon's also a solid, energetic singer, showing some spunk on "Rock Me Baby" and "I'm Ready." Other influences? Well, let's see: "Red House" and "Voodoo Chile" are here, alongside many meat and potato blues cuts and some originals. The rhythm section is firm and steady as a politician's handshake, maybe a little too much so on coulda-been-a-swinger "The Music's Hot" and Johnny Guitar Watson's "Don't Touch Me," but all in all this is a very impressive straight-on blues performance.