Customer Reviews

51 Phantom

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The bad news here is that this is not as good as their first album, which I consider a blues classic. The good news is there's no sophomore jinx here either. This is still a very nice album that I would knock half my cd's off the shelf to make room for. The Allstars had the privilege on their first album of working with all cover songs by blues legends such as R.L. Burnside and Mississippi Fred Mcdowell and making them their own. Those guys are nowhere to be found on this new one. It's all original material except for 2 very respectable covers of Junior Kimbrough's "Lord Have Mercy", and Pops Staples "Freedom Highway". The first half of this cd is more rock oriented. I like the opener " 51 Phantom" with it's hard charging slide guitar. And the outrageous "Sugartown". This is a good one. The rhythm section here sounds like a runaway freight train, with a slide guitar in the background imitating a train whistle. There's great production work here too, by their dad, legendary rock producer and session musician Jim Dickinson, who has produced such bands in the past as The Replacements and Big Star. Besides the slick production, there is also some very nice guitar work, courtesy of Luther Dickinson. Especially on the song "Lord Have Mercy", which has a nice Allman Brother like quality to it. Listening to 51 Phantom is almost like listening to 2 different albums though. The second half of this has a more gospely, delta blues sound to it. My favorites being the very gospel and upbeat "Ship". And the backporch sounding country blues of "Up Over Yonder". But they get back on the rock track on the final song here with "Mud", which is kind of a blues rap song if you can imagine. It's got a lot of distortion and kind of an infectious beat to it, but it's so different that I can't really decide if I like this one or not. At least you can't blame these guys for being stuck in the same old blues rock rut. They like to mix it up. And for the most part, they pulled it off nicely here.

The North Mississippi Allstars are the most exciting young blues band around these days, as their great debut Shake Hands With Shorty attested. Combining the frenetic energy of Jon Spencer with influences like R.L. Burnside, the emphasis was more on energy than plain old technique. On 51 Phantom, the Allstars continue right where Shorty left off, with a few tweaks for the better.

51 Phantom consists of ten original songs, and one cover (Junior Kimbrough's 'Lord Have Mercy'), and the original tunes hold up very well. The production is also better, thanks to Jim Dickinson, father of guitarist Luther and drummer Cody. Compared to 51 Phantom's heavier, meatier, more distorted sound, Shake Hands With Shorty comes off as sounding rather stale. And gone are the extended solos that sounded as boring as anything Phish has done; here, there's more restraint, and Luther's playing sounds all the better for it, opting for soul over wankery like Johnny Lang. Cody Dickinson's percussion is at times brilliant, and he takes centre stage during the churning climax of 'Sugartown' with his amazing electric washboard playing. Bassist Chris Chew holds the fort perfectly, keeping the band tight, and piping in with vocals every so often.
Cane fife legend Otha Turner even makes an appearance on 'Circle In The Sky'.

Standouts? Nothing as attention grabbing as 'Shake 'Em On Down' was on their debut, but all the songs are very good, with no dull moments. The title track, 'Snakes In My Bushes', 'Sugartown', and 'Mud' showcase their new distorted sound, and sound terrific. More spiritual fare like 'Storm', 'Freedom Highway', and 'Leavin'' show there's soul underneath the grit, but never stoop to cheesy sentimentality. Simply stated, you can't go wrong with 51 Phantom, one of the most enjoyable albums of 2001.

I'll start off by stating that "51 Phantom" is not as strong as the North Mississppi All Stars' superb debut "Shake Hands With Shorty." And yet, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The debut featured all songs by classic blues artists, albiet most of them with the rock energy turned way up. On "51 Phantom" the band themselves wrote most of the songs, which is a necessary progression for any artist that hopes to be around over the long haul. They may not quite have the touch of there elders (yet!), but what they've produced here blows away any of their wimpy Matchbox 20 peers.

The best song is probably "Storm," a first rate southern rock number worthy of The Allman Brothers. "Snakes in My Bushes" shows that NMAS has a good sense of humor. "Freedom Highway" gets political without going over the top, and "Mud" is a scorching rock song that sounds like Metallica meets Molly Hatchett. Overall, "51 Phantom" is not as successful as NMAS's debut, but that doesn't mean its a failure either.

The good ole boys of North Mississippi jump in the mud a second time to come up with a follow up to their much acclaimed debut cd Shake Hands With Shorty. They have followed up with 51 Phantom, a worthy effort, which remains true to the spirit of the blues and maintains the garage band vitality of the band.

The North Mississippi Allstars are a threesome of young musicians consisting of the Dickinson brothers Luther, on guitars and vocals and Cody, doing mostly drums and vocals and their bud, Chris Chew on bass and vocals. These young men are able to produce music while remaining true to delta blues roots, presents it to the modern ear and has the joy and exuberance of a youthful garage band. I just want to join in the fun and start dancing.

51 Phantom differs from Shake Hands in that 9 of the eleven songs are originals written by the band. These songs are resplendent in images of the south complete with snakes hanging from trees to Mississippi mud to the Southern Gospel meeting. Included on the cd is a Junior Kimbrough song "Lord Have Mercy" and "Freedom Highway" a song from the civil rights era, by Pops Staples.

I believe they will be a force in helping to renew young peoples interest in the blues and i hope that this will be just one more of many cd's from them. So sink your feet into the Mississippi Mud with the Allstars and enjoy their interpretation of the delta blues, garage band with licks of Allman Brothers thrown in.

Listening to the North Mississippi Allstars in a smokey bars in Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Tupelo, Mississippi has sent me over the edge into NMAS-fanclub territory. These guys blow the roof off of any venue they pack out. They're all awesome musicians, and they have the ability to rock the hell out of everybody in the room. It's a shame that "51 phantom" and "shake hands" don't adequately capture that live magic, but what album ever does? I think I kind of like the Allstars better that way --- GOOD albums --- AWESOME live band. So I will continue to buy their albums. But I tell you this --- BUY their albums. But do yourself a favor and SEE THEM LIVE BEFORE THEY GET TOO BIG!

The second cd from this band shows them branching out musically while still keeping true to their blues-rock roots. There are bits of gospel, soul, and even some hints of reggea on some of these songs. This is better produced than their first album and even though the songs are shorter and more compact the musicianship still comes through loud and clear. This new outing shows the band is growing.

From the opening rumble of the bottom-heavy blues boogie of the title cut through swamp rock, rocked-up gospel, one achingly beautiful ballad and some cutting edge blues/psychedelic fusion, this is a remarkable recording. "Phantom 51" is the kind of record the young Rolling Stones wish they could have made(had they not mistaken Chuck Berry for a significant contributor to the ongoing transformation of blues and R&B into modern rock 'n' roll, maybe they would have). The All-Stars come from Memphis and their obvious influences are treated with great respect. Unlike their debut disc, "Shake Hands With Shorty", upon which they took classic blues by their favorite artists and imploded them and reinvented them with remarkable vision and skill, this collection consists primarily of original songs. Some purists will insist that the debut was superior, I beg to differ. Each is equally excellent in its own right. The title track thumps and kicks and bumps along, talking ominously about "white lightning flashin' 'cross the Mississippi sky" as a tale of a bootlegger hurtling along Highway 51 from Memphis to New Orleans unfolds. Another cut, "Storm", is a metaphorical lament that eases into a hard-folk groove with great lyrics and terrific, restrained guitar lines. Two covers, Junior Kimbrough's "Lord Have Mercy" and the Staples' "Freedom Highway" offer an interesting contraposition of how this band sees itself and where it is going. That is, by taking another traditional blues number and pumping it up and then veering off into gospel-tinged 1960s-style socially conscious soul/funk, the All-Stars are serving notice that they are not just great musicians, but intelligent artists with staggering potential. The afore-mentioned ballad, "Leavin'", with it's Allmanesque guitar hook and soulful vocals, lends yet another clue as to how this band will grow and change. Intellectual versatility and faith in their inestimable musicianship indicate that this band will become very, very important. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned their pedigree. Guitarist/vocalist Luther Dickinson and his dummer/vocalist/brother Cody (superb bassist/vocalist Chris Chew completes the trio)are the progeny of Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson, who produced this disc and is seen in a photograph in the liner notes above the printed phrase "World Boogie is Coming." He may be right. This band could get real big real soon.

Upon my first listen to this CD I have to admit that I was somewhat dissapointed. But I gave 51 Phantom a few more chances and it really grew on me. The album starts out with some driving rock songs - the title track and "Snakes in My Bushes" -and then moves into some great blues tinged numbers with "Sugartown" and "Lord Have Mercy". This album gets better as it goes on, and their is no letdown from start to finish. My personal favorite song on this album - "Storm" - has a very relaxing melody and features some beautiful fretwork on what I think is a guitar modified to sound like a sitar. Whatever it is it is absolutely phenomenal. "Freedom Highway" is best described as fun blues with a message. The next 4 tracks from "Circle" to "Up Over Yonder" can be best described as closer to gospel based blues than the rest of the album.

My only problem with this otherwise fine album by NMA is the inclusion of the last track "Mud". Granted it is different and I know the band is probably just trying to experiment, but this grungy/rap song is horribly out of place anywhere on this album. The fact that it is last left me on a downer after an enjoyable musical trip.

With their 2nd album, The North Mississippi Allstars proved that their first album wasn't a fluke. They move effortlessly from rock to blues to gospel and have all the makings of a great band. I can't wait for the next one!

The Dickinson brothers and bassist Chris Chew dredge up tons of earth from the riverbank with powerhouse crunching rhythms as they build up a legacy to old blues masters and their roots. Staying more closely in line with traditional blues, the All-Stars sound more like early ZZ Top in the distortion-fractured "Sugartown," but stay at home in the heat of the Delta ("Lord Have Mercy" and "Leavin'"). Like Huck Finn's pappy, someone must have had a frightful case of alcohol-induced nightmares to see "Snakes in my Bushes." The message of "Freedom Highway" stands out for its clarity of purpose and focus, and since these guys are marching for the cause, you'd better check out www.nmallstars.com and www.tonecool.com to see where to catch the bus. Get onboard, y'all, and ride the 51 Highway!

51 Phantom is a competent followup to Shake Hands. While they won't win any songwriting awards, they write songs that play to their strengths and sound honest and fresh. The raw youthful energy of the first album has given way to a more mature sound with better guitar work that makes this a very satisfying album. I would think that any fan of their first album would be happy with this one.