Buddy Guy's Sweet Tea: Blues to scare the hell out of you
Holy shit.
Picked this up on kind of a whim at Amoeba the other day. I remember having read that the album was more rootsy, porch-stompin' in the swamp blues than Guy's usual blazing Chicago guitar style, but I had no idea what I was getting into.
What Buddy Guy is playing on Sweet Tea is, without question, the scariest, darkest, heaviest blues I've ever heard in my life.
I'm used to hearing Guy sound like kind of a pimp; "You're damn right I've got the blues!" he'd scream, then he'd launch into a lightning solo and I'd tap my feet and bob my head and it was easy to imagine panties flying up to the stage. There are a lot of guitar heroics here, to be sure, but the opening song sets the stage with a drastically different tone - "Done Got Old" is a bare, low song, Guy's voice creaking out musty and cruel, damning himself because he "can't do the things I used to do." You can feel the age in his breath - it doesn't sound feeble (far from it, this is powerful singing) but you get the image of rotting leaves and dead, crooked trees in the swamp. It sends a shudder down the spine, and when he follows it up with "Baby Please Don't Leave Me", a huge electric dirge, there's a sense that the apocalypse is coming. It doesn't let up, either.
The solos are all still here, and they're really impressive - more so, really, because the context is completely different. There's no night club groove, but the wild licks fit in anyway, sounding more chaotic and dangerous as a result of the new setting. Metal fans who've gotten interested in the blues but don't know where to start will find a lot here to like.
This is definetly not for every mood, but Jesus, it's amazing.
Picked this up on kind of a whim at Amoeba the other day. I remember having read that the album was more rootsy, porch-stompin' in the swamp blues than Guy's usual blazing Chicago guitar style, but I had no idea what I was getting into.
What Buddy Guy is playing on Sweet Tea is, without question, the scariest, darkest, heaviest blues I've ever heard in my life.
I'm used to hearing Guy sound like kind of a pimp; "You're damn right I've got the blues!" he'd scream, then he'd launch into a lightning solo and I'd tap my feet and bob my head and it was easy to imagine panties flying up to the stage. There are a lot of guitar heroics here, to be sure, but the opening song sets the stage with a drastically different tone - "Done Got Old" is a bare, low song, Guy's voice creaking out musty and cruel, damning himself because he "can't do the things I used to do." You can feel the age in his breath - it doesn't sound feeble (far from it, this is powerful singing) but you get the image of rotting leaves and dead, crooked trees in the swamp. It sends a shudder down the spine, and when he follows it up with "Baby Please Don't Leave Me", a huge electric dirge, there's a sense that the apocalypse is coming. It doesn't let up, either.
The solos are all still here, and they're really impressive - more so, really, because the context is completely different. There's no night club groove, but the wild licks fit in anyway, sounding more chaotic and dangerous as a result of the new setting. Metal fans who've gotten interested in the blues but don't know where to start will find a lot here to like.
This is definetly not for every mood, but Jesus, it's amazing.
10 Comments:
At 9:56 PM, L said…
Found you on Google Blog search...Just got home from seeing Buddy Guy perform at an old opera house in Mobile, Alabama. It was an AMAZING show.
At 5:33 PM, Anonymous said…
I just ran across this CD. Oh wow. This is a MUST HEAR CD. Incredible. And you are right ...the blues meets sabbath sort of explains it. I'd like to know .. what beat this CD for the Grammy ??
At 4:22 PM, Anonymous said…
I'm looking for the Japanese CD release - it's got 2 extra tracks. Know anywhere to get them?
This is the most amazing music I've heard in a long long time!
At 11:23 AM, Anonymous said…
if you like this stuff you have to check out junior kimbrough and r.l. burnside. the first 2 tracks are kimbrough's. the vast majority of this music is trance blues. check out junior and r.l. you won't be disappointed.
At 8:17 PM, Anonymous said…
The first time I heard this album I thought...this is what Hendrix would sound like if he were still alive...it's sick...just ridiculously sick.
At 9:32 AM, buy kamagra said…
I was thinking exactly what the last comment speak about, it sounds like Hendrix, great album, one of the best from my collection.
At 9:54 AM, florida cpa said…
yes i have hear this kind of music, my mom and dad used to scare my brothers, poor kids ha ha! its nice because give and scary sound to my house because is so big ha ha! is so fun to scare my brothers
At 1:34 AM, Unknown said…
20151020 junda W
michael kors uk
cheap ugg boots
Louis Vuitton Luxury Official Website
michael kors bags
Buy Kobe Shoes Online Discount
ugg outlet store
canada goose jackets
abercrombie
Abercrombie T-Shirts
Coach Outlet Store Online Handbags Clearance
burberry outlet
Cheap Jordans For Sale Wholesale
michale kors outlet
canada goose jackets
New Louis Vuitton Handbags Outlet
michael kors outlet
coach factory outlet online
Oakley Vault Outlet Store Online
ugg australia
michael kors outlet sale
michael kors handbag
Abercrombie And Fitch Kids Online
fit flops
hollister clothing store
Hollister Clothes for Girls Website
Michael Kors Online Outlet Shop
Coach Factory Outlet Private Sale
Coach Factory Outlet Private Sale
Canada Goose,Canada Goose Outlet,Canada Goose Jackets,Canada Goose Sale
ray ban sunglasses
At 12:50 AM, jeje said…
lacoste online shop
michael jordan shoes
air jordan shoes
real jordans
yeezy boost 350
michael kors purses
skechers outlet
air max
kobe bryant shoes
nike air force 1 high
At 6:24 PM, raybanoutlet001 said…
dolphins jerseys
toms shoes
coach outlet
ralph lauren outlet
cheap uggs
hugo boss
coach handbags
michael kors handbags sale
ralph lauren
cheap nike shoes
2017.6.7
Post a Comment
<< Home