Buddy Guy
Ain't Done With the Blues
**** out of *****
As the title suggests, the 89 year old legend Buddy Guy has more blues to give on his fine new album Ain't Done With the Blues. Guy sounds strong on both guitar and vocals as he hooks up with a host of friends, but this is not a duet album, Guy commands the stage.
"Been There Done That" is a fantastic look back at Guy's career as he amps up the blues rock and let's it rip with Chuck Leavell contributing winningly on organ/Wurlitzer piano. Guy is comfortable with all deviations of the blues whether it is his acoustic tributes to friends long gone ("Hooker Thing" "One From Lightnin'") or going over the top with big soulful horns and major production ("Upside Down"), Buddy is just fine.
The strutting guitar licks and strong singing of "Blues Chase The Blues Away" prove that Guy has still got it, while "Love On A Budget" is classic Guy with humorous lyrics and a great fuzzy solo. Guy can still get funky as well with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram helping out on the wah-wah laced ode to New Orleans "Where U At" and the organ drenched, funky blues of "Jesus Loves The Sinner" which brings onboard The Blind Boys of Alabama for vocals.
A few more guests stand out as Joe Walsh plays slide and sings with Guy on the growling blues of "How Blues Is That" while the chugging ode to Chicago blues of "It Keeps Me Young" has great contribution from Peter Frampton. Guy's most powerful song here is "I Don't Forget", a scathing ode to racial injustice that he has lived through; in an age of erasing history this tune rings even more powerful.
The album does run long and may have packed more of punch closing with "I Don't Forget", but covers of Earl King's "Trick Bag", the groovy "Swamp Poker" and closer full band acoustic "Talk To Your Daughter" are fine. At this point releasing all that he can is probably high on Guy's list of priorities.
A strong record that touches on his history as a towering pillar of the blues, Ain't Done With the Blues proves the title with each song as Buddy Guy is still blue down to his soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment