Search - R. L. Burnside :: Mr Wizard

An unstoppable force of nature

05/25/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no other description for it: this CD has BALLS. Burnside unleashes the screaming, vengeful ghost of Elmore James to claim the Delta's muderous retribution on all the Chicago crap that has passed for "blues" over the last 3 decades. I dream that Buddy Guy, BB King, Eric Clapton, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and all the other popular "blues" guitarists are led to a one room shack surrounded by a blinding cotton field on a dirt road deep, deep in Mississippi. Outside RL and his band tear into the groove of "Alice Mae" with such ferocity it sounds like a freight train loaded with nuclear bombs slamming into a mountain. The blasphemers inside the shack wail and gnash their teeth as they beg for mercy for their terrible sins. RL's cataclysmic howl of "DID YOU SEE MY BABY?/CALL HER ALICE MAE!" summons a pillar of fire from the black sky to consume the shack and lay waste to the world.That's what this CD sounds like."

Raw and incredibly rocking blues.

02/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I say rocking I mean that sometimes Burnside and his accomplices sound as though they'd just as soon burn the place to the ground. RL Burnside specializes in extremely raw, loud Mississippi Delta blues. If you are interested in this type of music you should buy one of his records immediately. You will be amazed that such a brilliant and original old style Delta blues musician has come to prominance so recently (all of his records are from the late 80s and 90s).While other records of his, particularly the brilliant "Too Bad Jim" are more emotionally affecting, this one rocks like crazy, as Burnside's deep John Lee Hooker-style vocals are joined by clattering drums, distorted guitars, wah-wah pedals and theramin, couresy of his grandson, his stepson, and various members of the John Spencer Blues Explosion."

Like The Record Company Says:

08/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is raw & electric - and one of my all time favorites. I agree with one reviewer who said that he keeps trying to find another R.L. CD with this much energy, but can't. I doubt we ever will. If you like the "quieter", more traditional style of "Too Bad Jim", you may not find this to your taste. But for raw power and emotion, you won't find anything else like it. I think that's why I've played it so much over the past 5 years - it's just different. First you get lulled by "Over The Hill" and then crashed into with "Alice Mae". Also, check out the often overlooked gem on this collection - "Tribute To Fred". The range on this CD is about as big as the style allows. You'll reach for this whenever you don't want to hear the same old sounds."