Search - Guy Davis :: Butt Naked Free

Butt Naked Free
Guy Davis
Butt Naked Free
Genres: Country, Blues, Folk, Pop
 
If the earthy power of Guy Davis's sandpaper vocals doesn't grab your attention and the resonance of his acoustic-guitar strings doesn't turn your head, you need to make sure you're still alive. The songs he writes and sin...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Guy Davis
Title: Butt Naked Free
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Red House
Original Release Date: 3/14/2000
Release Date: 3/14/2000
Genres: Country, Blues, Folk, Pop
Styles: Contemporary Blues, Acoustic Blues, Modern Blues, Contemporary Folk
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 033651014225, 033651014225

Synopsis

Amazon.com
If the earthy power of Guy Davis's sandpaper vocals doesn't grab your attention and the resonance of his acoustic-guitar strings doesn't turn your head, you need to make sure you're still alive. The songs he writes and sings will make you laugh and tap along, but the way this guy blows is truly pulse quickening. This is Davis's fourth album, and though he's a veteran of A Prairie Home Companion and many other national broadcasts, it's on this disc that Guy Davis truly arrives. Producer John Platania brings out a lushness that evokes Davis's day gig playing guitar for Van Morrison. And the presence of the Band drummer Levon Helm affirms the music's Americana link. Like Keb' Mo', Davis doesn't stick to straight blues; there's a toe-tapping pop sensibility at work on "Let Me Stay a While" and others. He sings, "I ain't no bluesman/I'm the bluesman's son," a nice analogy for his music--it's linked to the past but living today. ---Robert Gordon

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CD Reviews

File under: Contemporary Traditional
Jac Polsgrove | 05/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Guy Davis, son of actor Ossie Davis, plays acoustic guitar, blows harp & sings. His style is deeply rooted in Piedmont Blues, I could hear strong traces of Reverend Gary Davis as well as Cephas & Wiggins, who I'm more familiar with. His voice is definitely his number one instrument here, the only comparison I can think to make is Howlin' Wolf. You'll understand what I mean when you hear it.Davis also reminds me a lot of Keb Mo in the way he has contemporized the blues without compromising it. Listening to this cd, I get the impression that although he gives frequent nods to his influences (even giving Rev. Gary Davis "authorship credit" on one of his originals), the music he's playing is his own. He doesn't seem bound by anyone else's ideas of what blues should be, which gives him the freedom to include a more diverse song selection than I'm used to hearing on a "blues" recording, much less an acoustic one.A nice bonus is Davis' inclusion of all the lyrics in the liner notes, as well as a description of where each song came from, why he wrote it, what inspired it, who it's about, etc. This little extra gives the listener a brief glimpse into the man behind the music and makes for a more complete listening experience. All in all this is one of the most original, enjoyable and listenable cd's I've heard in a long time."
COUNTRY BLUES AS GOOD AS IT GETS!
James Bohannon | High Point, North Carolina USA | 08/02/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title of this review suggests how much I like this CD.This music brings me true enjoyment and reaches way down into my comfort zone.I live in the piedmont region of North Carolina,and I hear sounds that remind me of artists like Etta Baker, Mississippi John Hurt, and also Doc Watson who draws energy from these ballad style blues.I hope I get a chance to hear Guy Davis in person some day;he has become one of my favorite artists."
A nice helpin' o' blues
Jac Polsgrove | Tucson, Arizona | 06/08/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Earlier reviews have compared Guy Davis to Rev. Gary Davis, but this CD finds a gentle, rolling sound that reminds me of an updated Miss. John Hurt. There's a sweet undercurrent that keeps you tapping your toes, much like John Hurt's easy on the ears Delta blues. The only complaint I have is that Davis leaves us wanting more. CDs hold 78 minutes of music and, like so many others, this clocks in at about 45 minutes. The albums I grew up with (scratch, pop, skip!) ran 45 or so minutes. It's a shame that that length seems to be ingrained as the "standard" length of any "long player." Davis is so hot, so perfect for a summer evening, that I want more, more, more..."