Search - Byther Smith :: Smitty's Blues

Mistitled, but strong blues

Tim Weber | Iowa | 05/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's curious to title an album of mostly covers "Smitty's Blues" but this import is a strong collection of 12 tunes marred only by the unusually skimpy number of Byther Smith originals. In fact, of the four songs written by Smith, two - "Your Daughter Don't Want Me No More" and "Don't Hurt Me No More" - appeared on the all-originals collection "Mississippi Kid" (terrific album, that) a scant five years earlier, and one is an instrumental. Oh well, Smitty shines on this disc recorded in The Netherlands with, apparently, an all-Dutch band. Sure, a few too many old blues warhorses are trotted out - "She's a Good 'Un", "Five Long Years", "Tramp", "You Don't Love Me No More" - but our man is in fine form and the band is good, including some nice Hammond organ by Roel Spanjers, who also produced. Despite the scarcity of originals, this is a strong disc though not Byther Smith's very best."