■ “Necessary Illusion,” a neo 60’s fusion of garage blues/rock, is the first solo album by The Reds® founding member and guitarist, and songwriter, Rick Shaffer. Necessary Illusion’s sonic signature is raw, distorted guitars, atmospheric percussion, stark droning hill country blues, in a swirl of “Excello Records” style reverb. ■ The lyrics echo the traditional elements of tragedy, betrayal, perseverance and redemption, the cornerstones of the blues. Blues greats like Lightnin’ Slim, Slim Harpo, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Junior Kimbrough R.L. Burnside, along with the early blues/rock styles of The Sonics, The Yardbirds and early Rolling Stones, all combine to create a mix of influence on Shaffer’s style. ■ The production combines raw sound, with a vital presence, living in the world of swamp/hill country blues, and the garage rock aesthetic of the mid-60’s. Shaffer’s idea was to combine and manipulate the sound structures of these basic sounds, with Joe Meek’s signature production approach, to maintain a primitive quality. ■ The heart of the sound is delivered in the opening track, ”Lucky Day,” where bad luck and fate take an altered metallic stomp, thumping drum percussion, with a dark bluesy vocal, framed in slashing guitar leads. ■The title track, “Necessary Illusion,” is a combination of tremolo, fuzz and reverb abound, could have been a great mid-60’s regional hit. The hypnotic wash of the tremolo fuzztone, and riff driving chorus, comes through to serve up the go