The album opens with a delicious original number titled "Bring Me My Whiskey." Oh yes, who doesn't have the blues these days? And who isn't drinking? Music, loved ones, good books, and alcohol are the things I turn to these days. "Well, you don't know how good that makes me feel when she's sitting by my side." Some of us are fortunate enough to know exactly that thrill. And the line "I'm gonna lay my head down in my baby's lap" makes me think of Hamlet and Ophelia, though this song is much more joyful. This song has a groove you can move to, and features some very cool guitar work in the middle. That's followed by "Big Frame Woman," a fun number right from its start, with that delightful stuff on both harmonica and piano. Soon Mud Morganfield comes in, telling us just what sort of woman he wants: "I want a big frame woman/One that'll love and treat me right." The harmonica backs him up here on everything he says, everything he claims. And the guitar work here is outstanding. The jam in the middle is a big part of what makes this track so special. Following the guitar lead is a great lead on piano. There is a good amount of joy to the playing, and we need that these days, for that joy transfers to us as we listen.
"Strange Woman" is the first of two Muddy Waters songs that Mud Morganfield delivers on this album. I love that opening moment, when it kind of creeps in. So damn good. There is something sexy about this song's vibe, and it contains an especially strong vocal performance. And, yes, it too contains some really good guitar work, particularly during that instrumental section in the middle. "Hello, strange woman/Can I go home with you?" I don't think that line would work for me, but I'm sure Mud Morganfield has no trouble with it. By the way, he plays bass on this track. Just before the end of this track, there is a very cool lead on keys. Then the harmonica is singing at the start of "Don't Leave Me," over a good rhythm. "Don't leave me/Don't leave me here all by myself," Mud sings, and at first it sounds almost like he's pleading. But then he continues: "'Cause if you walk out that door/You can't come back no more," taking a position of some strength. Though soon he apologizes and admits to making a mistake, which makes me wonder if he'll be able to hold this promise to himself, not letting her back if she walks out that door. "All the promises I made, I tried to keep them."
There are some crowd sounds at the beginning of "She's Getting Her Groove On," and here we get a fun and funky rhythm. You'll be getting your groove on too whenever you play this track. Phil Perkins joins the band on trumpet on this track, delivering some great stuff. "My telephone rings, don't pick it up," Mud sings at one point in this one. It's interesting, I've heard several songs this week that mention ignoring the phone. Can anyone do it anymore? Everyone expects you to immediately return calls and messages. But it might be a good thing for all of us, in our efforts to retain at least a portion of our sanity. Anyway, this track also includes a good lead on organ. That's followed by "Ernestine," which has a full, pumping, delicious sound and groove. I'm digging that bass. And again, Mud is eager to go home with a woman. "Ernestine, Ernestine/Can I go home with you?" he sings at the beginning of this one. This is a totally enjoyable tune, and that lead on keys really shines. "Ernestine, Ernestine/Can I make love to you?/I'd go anywhere/Anywhere you want me to." The guitar lead in the second half flows so naturally. Yup, everything is working perfectly.
"Strike Like Lightning" has a classic blues vibe and sound, the harmonica driving things forward. "I call her up on her phone/But no one ever answers," Mud sings. It's weird, but it still sounds appealing even here, this whole not-answering-the-phone thing. This track features an excellent vocal performance and a very cool lead on guitar. It's followed by "Cosigner Man," another fun number, with Phil Perkins again delivering some fantastic stuff on trumpet. You can get your groove on to this track too. Mud Morganfield is clearly having a great time here. Some wonderful backing vocal work by Felicia Collins and Kristen Lowe adds to the appeal of this song, to its great sense of fun. Their voices will take you back to an earlier time. The work on piano here is delicious. "I just want you to know/Everything I say is true." Oh yes, we implicitly trust him. That voice won't steer us wrong. "Cosigner Blues" is followed by yet another fun one, "Lover Man," a song to get you on your feet. See? Life can be good. This music tells us so. Once it is established that he's the woman's lover man, he asks, "Now can you shake it for me/Just like a willow tree?" I love that. And I have no doubt that the woman in question had no trouble fulfilling that request.
"In And Out Of My Life" has a different vibe, a sweeter feel, and Mud Morganfield's vocal approach is different too, to match the song's feel. He delivers some wonderful work here, and Felicia Collins and Kristen Lowe again join him on backing vocals. "The first time I saw you, the rain was falling down/The first time that I saw you, the rain was coming down." This track also contains some good stuff on piano. Then the first moments of "The Man That You're With" announce we are getting deeper into the blues, digging in, and everything sounds excellent. This track contains a great vocal performance by Mud Morganfield, and some passionate work on harmonica. Those elements are striking early on, and the track just gets better and better as it goes. That guitar work is so damn good! This is one of my personal favorites. It's followed by "Carolina," some swinging blues to get you smiling and snapping. "Now when you move it to the left/I'm going to move right with you/I'm going to love you, girl/'Til you don't know what to do." That guitar is moving too.
The second and final Muddy Waters song on this album is "Country Boy," Mud Morganfield delivering a deep, mean vocal performance. "I just love to stay out all night." Oh yes, you can imagine this song being delivered at some obscure hour of the night. Things are still moving, but more slowly now. Rodrigo Mantovani plays upright bass on this track. This one also contains some nice work on guitar. The album then wraps up with "A Dream Walking," a song that begins with some cool, interesting stuff on organ. I am totally enamored with this song from its first line, "Have you ever seen a dream walking." This wonderful song features some great gospel-like backing vocals from Felicia Collins, Jacole Avent and Demetrias M. Hall. The album, as I mentioned, is dedicated to Mud Morganfield's mother, and this song is about her. A beautiful, personal song. "I'm a sad, sad boy/A sad, sad boy ever since you went away."
CD Track List
- Bring Me My Whiskey
- Big Frame Woman
- Strange Woman
- Don't Leave Me
- She's Getting Her Groove On
- Ernestine
- Strike Like Lightning
- Cosigner Man
- Lover Man
- In And Out Of My Life
- The Man That You're With
- Carolina
- Country Boy
- A Dream Walking
No comments:
Post a Comment