23 August 2008

Fenton Robinson - Somebody Loan Me A Dime (1974)

01. Somebody Loan Me A Dime
02. The Getaway
03. Directly From My Heart To You
04. Going To Chicago
05. You Say You're Leaving
06. Checking On My Woman
07. You Don't Know What Love Is
08. I've Changed
09. Country Girl
10. Gotta Wake Up
11. Texas Flood

One of the most subtly satisfying electric blues albums of the '70s. Fenton Robinson never did quite fit the "Genuine Houserocking Music" image of Alligator Records - his deep, rich baritone sounds more like a magic carpet than a piece of barbed wire, and he speaks in jazz-inflected tongues, full of complex surprises. The title track hits with amazing power, as do the chugging "The Getaway," a hard-swinging "You Say You're Leaving," and the minor-key "You Don't Know What Love Is." In every case, Robinson had recorded them before, but thanks to Bruce Iglauer's superb production, a terrific band, and Robinson's musicianship, these versions reign supreme. ~ All Music Guide


No comments: