Step 1: Put the CD in.
Step 2: Press Play.
Step 3: Repeat.
Don't be put off by the fact that it won a Grammy. I'm not even being sarcastic. Did anybody watch the last Grammy's? If they weren't so Gaga about the whole affair, year after year after year till its an obvious fallacy, may be a lot more deserving nominations would surface and just may be a few less commercially appealing albums would go home honoured amongst those that find a nomination.
Getting back to the album, an important thing to know right off from the start is that the album represents, more or less, an entire couple of generations, most of which "Blues Boy" King has been at the forefront of. Especially when it comes to blues, you're better off perceiving it as a recreation or a personal interpretation rather than a cover. Although it wouldn't be as strikingly different at times as is "Whole Lotta Love" compared to "You Need Loving", B.B. is like no other.
From my homework on the album, I gather that T-Bone Burnett, the producer, was largely responsible for recreating the sound of the 40s and 50s, a few songs which were in fact from the era. Wonderful production, creating the right atmosphere from the word go, and never would you really feel the vintage nature of the music playing because of its modern sensibilities.
Kicking off with a cynical yet satirical piece by Blind Lemon Jefferson, the album takes a tour through a wonderful blues repertoire from T-Bone Walker to John Lee Hooker. Having played with a majority of these blues greats, and given my unfamiliarity with some of the original recordings, I'm quite sure their essence have been effectively captured onto this magnificent album.
It's rather a difficult task to pick a favourite out of the lot, but biased towards minor blues, I'd say I've given Get These Blues Off Me and Backwater Blues more plays than some of the others. Wonderful guitar work by B.B. There's a reason his surname is King and not Hammet. I find it quite odd that a majority of professional music critics have fixated as much as they have on B.B.'s age, with comments like, "You'd never think he was 82 when he recorded this album." Well, he was, and if it wasn't constantly pointed out, I'd hardly think anybody would notice. As B.B. once said himself: "Blues is whatever that ails you. It's for everybody."
Track Listing
01."See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
02."I Get So Weary" (T-Bone Walker)
03."Get These Blues Off Me" (Lee Vida Walker)
04."How Many More Years" (Chester Burnett)
05."Waiting for Your Call" (Oscar Lollie)
06."My Love Is Down" (Lonnie Johnson)
07."The World Is Gone Wrong" (Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon)
08."Blues Before Sunrise" (John Lee Hooker)
09."Midnight Blues" (John Willie "Shifty" Henry)
10."Backwater Blues" (Big Bill Broonzy)
11."Sitting on Top of the World" (Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon)
12."Tomorrow Night" (Sam Coslow and Will Grosz)
Personnel:
B.B. King - vocals, guitar
Dr. John - piano
Nathan East - double bass
Mike Elizondo - electric bass, double bass
Jim Keltner- drums, percussion
Jay Bellerose - drums, percussion
Eugene "Snooky" Young- trumpet
Ricky Woodard - tenor sax
Ernie Fields, Jr. - baritone saxophone
Jeffrey Clayton - alto saxophone
Neil Larsen - hammond organ
Darrell Leonard - trumpet, arranger, horn Arrangements
Ira Nepus - trombone
Charles Owens II - tenor saxophone
Johnny Lee Schell - guitar
Rating: Nine whiskers, only because I was expecting a new B.B. original.
Timelessness: I think the album itself is the epitome of timelessness because some of the tracks are older than my parents for God's sake! Just a wonderful reminder of the soulful artistry of the blues that's still cherished by true music lovers. Eight lives.
For the lazy:
Brilliant! Buy it, borrow it or call your local radio station, just get your ears tuned in to this Blues masterpiece!
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