Search - Pinetops Boogiemen :: Eagle in Disguise

A Blue-blooded Winner

Evan Fargoe | Fort Lee, New Jersey | 12/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Critics of blues and reggae sometimes say that the genres just repeat the same music over and over. Even some die-hard Eric Clapton fans were bored when he cut a record of just roots blues. But this record reminds me of why I enjoy blues: it's got pure, emotional drive and it's performed with red-blooded energy. Some of the songs are soulful (like "Mule to Ride"), some have a more complex jazz flavor ("Help Me, Baby"), while others are pure, Saturday night juke party (like "Two Step"). This record has amazing variety for someting billed as "blues." It also sounds like a live performance. There isn't any whiney electric guitar, just a full, woody-sounding acoustic, plus some jangling piano and a thumping upright bass. The blues harmonica player has a great sense of melody. Insted of noisy sucking and blowing it sounds more like a saxaphone. "Eagle" is a CD that gives everybody a great reason to come back to the blues."