Customer Reviews

Ain't I a Woman

5 star:		(3)
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If you're not familiar with Rory Block, you should be. She's a fantastic interpreter of traditional blues -- witness her version of "Come on in My Kitchen" on this CD -- but she also has a great talent for original work: check out "Faithless World" and "Silver Wings". If you are interested in blues but want something with a contemporary sound -- check out Rory Block. She's great!

Rory has been playing the blues at such a high level of excellence for so long she deserves to be much better known. This collection highlights her stregnths the old tradtional tunes like "Come On In My Kitchen" or "Maggie Campbell Blues" and contemporary tunes like "Silver Wings" and "Faithless World". As much as I Like Bonnie, I still think Rory has deeper roots in the blues, and this excellent collection shows how deep those roots go. The songs are well chosen, the production is clean and Rory performs strongly. A good addition to your collection.

Apparently I am to have a love/hate "relationship' in reviewing the CDs of Ms. Rory Block. I have thus far expressed my gratitude for her fine work in her "Gone Woman's Blues" album (as well as `saving' me, see that review in this space for the details). The same for "I've Got A Rock In My Sock". I, however, had to pan her 1994 effort, "Angel Of Mercy", as it did not "speak" to me. In that review I made the following point:

"... Rory, I believe, has always had two speeds. The natural blues one and the contemporary folk stylist one. That latter style is on display here and not to her benefit. Probably, and here I may get back into "hot water" politically, the main problem is that the lyrics of these songs do not "speak" to me. It could be age, it could be gender, it could be the wayward subjects but they just do not resonant with me. Not to worry though there are other Rory CDs that do "speak" to me and will get more a more positive review like the one given to "Gone Woman Blues"."

Well, with this CD we are back on the positive side that I mentioned in that review. Partially it is due to the point above about letting her natural bluesy side show, as exemplified here by her own title track song" Ain't I A Woman", the legendary blues man Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen" and the little known (but should be) Lottie Kimbrough's "Rolling Log". That tips it to the positive side, no matter what else is here. However, even her folk stylist persona is ratcheted up a notch on this one. "Faithless World" like "Love and Whiskey" from the CD "I've Got A Rock In My Sock" is evocative and rings true as coming from someone having taken a few blows from life's sometimes mysterious doings. A couple of Tommy Johnson songs round this one out. Kudos, again.