Search - Various Artists :: Risque Blues: It Ain't Meat

It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion

Gary F. Taylor | Biloxi, MS USA | 12/18/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The "race" records of the 1920s often presented blues artists who specialized in double entendre lyrics--and although the lyrics were toned down over the years the genre itself became much beloved, albeit in an underground sort of way. One of several compilation CDs drawn from the vaults of King Records of Cincinnati and issued under the general title of Risque Blues, IT AIN'T THE MEAT offers a nice sampling of the style as it existed from the late 1940s through the early 1960s.



While there are one or two weak selections--"I Knew He Would" by The Sharps and Flats is a case in point--the two selections by the Swallows and Fluffy Hunter's truly wicked "Walkin' Blues" would be worth the nominal cost of this CD; add in "Shake That Thing" and "Wasn't That Good" by Wynonnie Harris and Lula Reed's driving "Your Love Keeps Working On Me" and you have a very fine package indeed. Strictly speaking, this is more rhymthm and blues than it is blues pure and simple, so if you're looking for the original hard edge you may be disappointed. Still, it's a lot of fun, and the sound quality is unexpectedly good. Recommended!"