This healthy serving of steak is pretty meaty. Bo Diddley’s rock and roll, dirge-like blues (and I mean that in a good way), acoustic country blues, jump blues, and blues-based rock mix to make an excellent album.
Guy plays all the slide, and there’s some great work – a rockin’ cover of Muddy’s “Louisiana Blues” features an extended jam that lets Guy show off those licks. The Tom Waits-esque “Mad” has great distorted, primitive guitar that propels the song beautifully. The lazy shuffle of “Cadillac” features a great solo that matches the very funny lyric. And, just to prove his versatility, the country rave-up “Lovin’ Dangerously” twangs along with excellent axe work.
Guy’s vocals and harp work are also stellar. “Makin’ Money” is as fun as it gets when you’re playing the blues.
This is a fine album. If you can’t find it, check out guyforsyth.com.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Aug. ’01 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.