Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol. II

I dug this out to give it a spin because I've just started reading Brother Robert - Growing Up With Robert Johnson by Annye C. Anderson. Apparently this is the book which dispels all the (Eric) Claptrap which has been spoken about Johnson over the years.

This record has no sleeve. The paper inner sleeve in which it is stored has a 1 pound sticker from Low Price Records in Barking. This was a proper old shabby record shop round the back of the shopping centre, that used to have a big poster of Billy Bragg behind the counter, signed with 'If music be the food of love, eat at Low Price Records.' I bought a few blues LPs sans sleeves there.

#Music #NowPlaying #Blues #RobertJohnson #Vinyl

Johnny Guitar Watson - Giant

Once was a time when my three favourite artists were filed under W (Womack, WAR, Watson). Years later, I still find myself drawn toward the W section of a record shop first.

Johnny Guitar Watson always tried to adapt to whatever the current trend in black music was. By adapt, I mean he did his signature singing, scatting and clean Texas blues guitar playing largely unchanged, over the new-style backing. Sometimes this works really well; sometimes it doesn’t. It helps if you’re a fan, which I am.

This album tries to hit the jazz-blues-disco highs of his hit I Need It from a couple of years prior. Whilst it doesn’t achieve that, its still a decent album – mostly disco-orientated. Apart from an updated version of his early hit, Gangster Of Love and his cover of WAR’s Baby Face (She Said Do Do Do Do).

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#JohnnyGuitarWatson
#Giant
#Disco
#Blues
#WAR
#Music

The Robert Cray Band - Bad Influence

Robert Cray’s sophomore and breakthrough album.

I remember thinking how fresh and soulful this sounded at the time. It seemed like a real break with tradition. Cray has a soulful vocal style and crispy Strat licks, which are as much Steve Cropper as they are B.B. King. The album sounds both well-produced and raw enough at the same time.

Saw him live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1985, and he was really good.

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#TheRobertCrayBand
#BadInfluence
#Blues
#Music

In about 1985, my mate Tim and me went off to the 100 Club to watch Phil Guy & Jimmy Dawkins. This remains one of the best gigs I've ever been to.

As a result of that I picked up this LP when I saw it for sale (in Our Price Records in Romford, I reckon, which rather oddly had a decent #blues section.)

Dawkins' guitar tone is class - I'm a sucker for an ES-335 - his playing is never fancy, but always delightful.

#blues
#100Club
#vinyl
#PhilGuy

#JimmyDawins
#GibsonES-335