Classic Rock Radio

 

BUDDY GUY "RHYTHM & BLUES"

 



I am excited to tell you about Buddy Guy's 27th studio album Rhythm & Blues. A 50 year career and a pioneer in the Chicago style blues sound, Buddy Guy has influenced our guitar royals, such as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  This is a two disc album, "Rhythm" Disc 1 and "Blues" Disc 2, released July 30, 2013 via RCA Records and produced by Tom Hambridge. 

Guy and Hambridge collaborated together writing songs that really showcase Guy's knowledge for many styles of the blues. Hard rockin' blues with songs like "Justifying," "Evil Twin" featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Brad Whitford from Aerosmith and "Messin' With The Kid" featuring Kid Rock.  Deep south haunting blues with songs like "Devils Daughter" and "Whisky Ghost."  Memphis style blues with "Best In Town."  Texas Blues with "Blues Don't Care" featuring Gary Clark Jr. Even some country blues with "One Day Away" featuring Keith Urban and "I Could Die Happy."  Also featured in this album is singer Beth Hart and the Muscle Shoals Horns.

Buddy Guy recently talked with Alan Sculley from The Columbian about the album saying,



"What really happened was, every time we came up with a song and we were both excited about it, (we'd say) let's do it, and every time we finished that, there was another one. Well, let's do it. All of a sudden, they put 12 cuts on a CD or something like that, and we had 16, and (then) another one popped up. Let's do it. All of a sudden we had, I figured, 22."

Guy was worried that RCA would only accept a single album, but to his surprise they bought in to the double album.  Buddy Guy comments on this with Sculley,

"I'm like saying 'Oh, thank God,' I can't wait to see what's going to happen. If we can get a little airplay, hopefully I can sell … more CDs and keep the blues alive a little longer."

Guy has been on a mission for two decades trying to keep the gravitational pull of music, the blues, alive, saying again to Sculley,

"I've dedicated my life to the music, the late Muddy Waters, Little Walter, the late Junior Wells, I could go on and on, and we used to sit down and talk and be having a shot of wine or a shot of whiskey, and we would be joking and laughing about it. 'If I leave here before you do, you had better not let … blues die.'"

Well Buddy Guy, you did it with this album!  The message is clear, we need to keep the blues alive and this album is a testament to that!  For me, this is one of my favorite new releases of the year.  No fillers, every track is worth spinning.  If you listen close to the lyrics, Buddy has given you a peek into his life.  "I picked my share of cotton, I drank water from a creek, split a hotdog five ways, just to make it through the week" (I Came Up Hard)  Long live the blues!


Track List:

Disc: 1
1. Best In Town
2. Justifyin’
3. I Go By Feel
4. Messin With The Kid (featuring Kid Rock)
5. What’s Up With That Woman
6. One Day Away (featuring Keith Urban)
7. Well I Done Got Over It
8. What You Gonna Do About Me (featuring Beth Hart)
9. The Devil’s Daughter
10. Whiskey Ghost
11. Rhythm – Inner Groove

Disc: 2
1. Meet Me In Chicago
2. Too Damn Bad
3. Evil Twin (featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Perry & Brad Whitford)
4. I Could Die Happy
5. Never Gonna Change
6. All That Makes Me Happy Is The Blues
7. My Mama Loved Me
8. Blues Don’t Care (featuring Gary Clark, Jr.)
9. I Came Up Hard
10. Poison Ivy

Buddy Guy Website:
http://www.buddyguy.net/music/rhythm-blues

Buddy Guy Official Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/therealbuddyguy

Purchase Rhythm & Blues CD:
http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Blues-Buddy-Guy/dp/B00DC3DGSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383406610&sr=8-1&keywords=buddy+guy+cd


Review by Jill Maciel
West Coast Correspondent for CRRdotEU