R. L. BURNSIDE
Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Fat Possum)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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I first heard R. L. Burnside when he recorded the theme song to the cable-TV show, The Sopranos. My gut reaction was to turn the TV off, but after several listens to his blues for the new millennium, I look forward to what he has to say. Contrary to hardcore blues purists, R.L. Burnside hasn't gone totally techno, despite forays into sampling and echoes heard on great party records like A Ass Pocket of Whiskey. He's toned down the scratching and looping on his Fat Possum follow-up to Come On In and the country blues of "See What My Buddy Done" is just fine by me. While Muddy Waters' version of "My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble" is souped-up Chicago blues, R.L. goes back to the country on his take on this classic. A former sharecropper, Burnside has been making music for 50+ years. When R.L. and the late Junior Kimbrough played in their Mississippi juke joints, their shows were often the center of the blues universe. "R.L's Story" and "Hard Time Killin' Floor" tell uniquely Chicago blues stories, and while he might offend some with a few guitar loops here and there, he's breaking new ground for blues artists. This CD is a sampler and includes bonus tracks from labelmates Kenny Brown, Robert Belfour and Paul Jones.

Track List:

Hard Time Killing Floor Blues * Got Messed Up * Miss Maybelle * Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down * Too Many Ups * Nothin' Man * See What My Buddy Done * My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble * Bad Luck City * Chain of Fools * R. L.'s Story * Bonus Tracks: Black Mattie (Robert Belfour) * Pucker Up Buttercup (Paul Jones) * Laugh To Keep From Cryin' (Kenny Brown)

© 2000 - Eric Steiner