I Am the Blues

by

Willie Dixon

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The person who wrote that editorial review above should be dragged out an' shot (well, maybe not SHOT, but ya'know ridiculed and have his feelings hurt) for callin' Willie "nothing special". From a composition standpoint alone he deserves to rank with the greats. In fact, this album here is worth it for jus' ONE song: 'I Can't Quit You, Baby'. That joint got me OPEN. Jus' listen to that wail he lets loose at the start 'fore the music's even kicked in an' tell me his voice didn't have every bit the power that the more well-known Delta and Chicago blues artists had. I mean this stuff is raw, down-and-dirty BLOOD music; hard-drivin' blues, soft blues, barroom brawl blues, ya jus' can't lose. This the only album'a his that I own, but is' enough for me to tell y'all without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that Willie Dixon was the MAN plain an' simple. C'mon now. Don't even get me started on 'Spoonful' or 'Back Door Man'. The latter in particular will pump more testosterone through your speakers an' out into your body n' soul than all the gangsta rappers out there could COMBINED. Overall, I'm gonna say no other less-than-10 song blues album possesses the consistancy that this one does. This stuff is timeless.

Probably more interesting for who he is, rather than the music itself. There isn't a song on this recording that isn't done better elsewhere - but Willie wrote 'em and adds his own style and emphasis to each one. The backing is by un-named session players who deliver stock riffs, for the most part. I agree with another reviewer that the harp playing is really good, though I disagree on the piano playing, which comes off as tinkly and pedestrian. Willie is best on "Back Door Man", on which he really rips and which fits his voice to a "T". It's worth the price for that tune alone. The best-balanced song might be "Seventh Son", with a really nice shuffle/swing to it. I was particularly disappointed in "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Little Red Rooster", but given recordings of the original artists (the tunes given to them BY Willie), the bar was pretty high.