Album Review: Andre Williams- I Wanna Go Back To Detroit City

Andre Williams

I Wanna Go Back To Detroit City

*** out of *****

Andre Williams is known for his outrageous ways and sex filled lyrics that make everything just extra funky, but now with his latest release Williams actually feels a bit nostalgic and mellow (for him) as the pushing 80 year old crooner gets real about the one thing he has truly always loved. By the title it is obvious this disk is an ode to his hometown of Detroit, a place that Williams barely recognizes as it goes through hard times and harder luck, I Wanna Go Back To Detroit City is a groove laden love letter through and through to The Motor City.

Every track can be directly linked to the town. Even some of the more open lyrical efforts come into focus with the theme as "Times", "What Now?" and "Met Me at the Graveyard" all ponder the bleak fate of things in Detroit. The songs work with a mix of slick P-Funk grooves, poppy guitar lines and smooth as silk delivery.

This middle album country lament for the best woman he ever had titled "Mississippi Sue" is a quick  break from things. This track recalls the best lover Williams ever had, who coincidentally was ended by the electric chair.

The ode to the hometown picks back up with the outer space waves, rock riffs, hand claps and gruff yells during "Detroit (I'm So Glad I Stayed)" as the disk falls back to it's theme. "Hall of Fame" has Mr. Rhythm telling the rock hall to Kiss Off over wah-wah guitars.

All over the map on past releases, here producer and contributor Matthew Smith, worked with Williams to deliver a coherent statement album and made one of the more lasting, full albums of his career.
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Support the artist, buy the album nothing from his new album is on youtube, so peep out some older classic tracks from Williams: