Popa Chubby: “Emotional Gangster” (2022) CD Review

While few things seem certain in this nutty world, we know we can count on Popa Chubby to deliver some excellent and energetic blues rock. He has been doing it for three decades, and does it again on his new release, Emotional Gangster. This album features mostly original material, written by Ted Horowitz (Popa Chubby). Popa Chubby also plays most of the instruments on these tracks. While politics and the pandemic have gotten us down and exhausted us, the music on this album seems designed to rejuvenate and reinvigorate us. Hey, it’s always been the musicians, and not the politicians, who carry us through.

Popa Chubby opens this one with “Tonight I’m Gonna Be The Man,” a driving blues rock number about life as a traveling musician. Sure, it features a bit of boasting, but it all rings true somehow, you know? And there is something playful about it as well, as when he suddenly interjects, “Oh man, here comes my wife.” And I am totally digging that guitar work in the middle. “I got the blues, and the blues is all right.” Then the guitar work is front and center right at the start of the next track, “New Way Of Walking.” Here he sings, “Sitting in my hotel, listening to the blues on the radio.” Ah, that must be a good radio station, somewhere down at the left end of things. This song has a heavy blues rock sound. “Well, I’m tired of getting burned/Just another lesson learned/Strung out/I need a new way of walking.” That sounds about right, doesn’t it?

“Equal Opportunity” is a totally fun track, with a different vocal approach. This one had me smiling like an idiot before very long. It’s a song I feel a need to memorize so I can sing along every time I listen to it. And that “La-la la-la la-la” part caught me by surprise. It’s easy to sing along with that part, and in fact that is encouraged. This track also features some nice work on keys. And, don’t worry, for there is some good stuff on guitar too, particularly in the second half. This track is a complete delight from beginning to end, and is one of my personal favorites. Popa Chubby then gets back into a more serious blues vein with the first of only two covers, “Hoochie Cootchie Man,” which was written by Willie Dixon. This version features some strong guitar work, Popa Chubby jamming on it for a bit. At the end he says thanks to Muddy Waters, who first recorded this song.

“Save The Best For Last” grabs me with its opening lines: “You might tell me I’m evil/You might say I’m bad/You might me tell me I’m no damn good/But I’m the best you’ve ever had.” So good. And it has a nice groove. Plus, this track features some great stuff on harmonica. That’s Jason Ricci on harmonica. But it is that guitar work that really speaks to me, particularly that lead halfway through. That’s followed by “Why You Wanna Make War,” another of the disc’s highlights. I love this vocal performance, which at moments actually reminds me of Dr. John. “We could go upstairs/And make love all night/We could do it in the kitchen, baby/We could do it in the yard/So tell me, pretty baby/Why you wanna make war.” Then the second of the album’s two covers is the classic “Dust My Broom,” written by Elmore James. And of course Popa Chubby delivers a lively rendition with a good amount of attitude. That’s followed by “I’m The Dog,” which comes complete with some howling and is itself a force. The guitar does its own bit of howling, helping to make this another of the album’s highlights.

Things get funky with “Doing OK,” with Popa Chubby singing “Everyone is in a terrible way/But I’m doing OK.” There are some surprisingly playful lines, such as “In the meantime, I’ll find out who to pray to/So far, got nothing to say to you/Guess that I’ll pray to Joe Pesci/You know he never forgets me.” Not sure I’ve ever heard lyrics quite like those (except, I suppose, from George Carlin). As he begins “Fly Away,” there is a brief spoken word introduction in which he dedicates this song to “all you daddies out there who love your daughters.” He then adds, “Tell them you love them before they fly away.” And that’s what this song is all about, knowing your child has to lead her own life, and letting her know she can always count on you wherever she goes, while hoping she never goes too far. He delivers a passionate vocal performance. “I hope to never let you down.”

Well, the first version of “Why You Wanna Make War” was fantastic, so why not deliver a second version, this time in French? Or at least mostly in French. Some lines are still delivered in English, including the main line at first. Popa Chubby is clearly having a great time with this track, and it is totally enjoyable. The album then concludes with “Master IP,” which is listed as a bonus track. This is an instrumental track, or at least a largely instrumental track. There are voices heard briefly partway through. It has a heavy groove, and is driven by guitar, a good way to close out the album.

CD Track List

1. Tonight I’m Gonna Be The Man
2. New Way Of Walking
3. Equal Opportunity
4. Hoochie Cootchie Man
5. Save The Best For Last
6. Why You Wanna Make War
7. Dust My Broom
8. I’m The Dog
9. Doing OK
10. Fly Away
11. Why You Wanna Make War (French Version)
12. Master IP

Emotional Gangster was released on March 18, 2022 on Dixiefrog Records.