Bronx in Blue

DION | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000ENC75O
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,393 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Walkin' Blues

2. You're The One

3. I Let My Baby Do That

4. Who Do You Love

5. Built For Comfort

6. Crossroads

7. Travelin' Riverside Blues

8. You Better Watch Yourself

9. How Many More Years

10. Terraplane Blues

11. Honky Tonk Blues

12. Baby What You Want Me To Do

13. Statesboro Blues

14. If You Wanna Rock & Roll

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As the voice behind such frothy oldies as "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," and "Ruby Baby," Dion doesn't spring to mind when one thinks of great blues interpreters. But this stripped-down session--the singer accompanies himself on acoustic guitar with just a hint of percussion--shows the former teen idol to be a convincing and affecting folk-bluesman. While nobody will confuse Bronx in Blue with Son House, Dion is in exceptional form, as he interprets about a dozen classics and contributes a newly written song. Even attempting to cover such crusty, trusty warhorses as "Crossroads" (one of four Robert Johnson tracks here), Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years?," and Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" is a daring move, but Dion succeeds due to his sense of integrity, obvious love for the genre, and an enthusiasm that leaps from the speakers.

His voice is clear and emotional, his guitar playing frisky yet surprisingly accomplished--and the sheer joy Dion conveys on tracks like Hank Williams Sr.'s "Honky Tonk Blues" is contagious. The exceptional recording quality brings an immediacy and intensity to the performance, making Bronx in Blue a revelation for both oldies lovers and roots blues fans. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

Bronx In Blue is an all-acoustic blues outing highlighting the music that first inspired Dion as a child growing up in the Bronx. With songs by Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jimmy Reed, the collection is a soulful tour de force for Dion, not only in his familiar role as a magnificently interpretive vocalist but, also, as a brilliantly innovative guitarist.

Dion notes, "When I was a kid, there was no Rock & Roll. In the early 50’s – late at night, I’d tune into Wheeling, West Virginia (WWVA), listening to the Blues – Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘How Many More Years,’ Jimmy Reed’s ‘Bright Lights, Big City.’ After school, I’d run home to catch the last half hour of the ‘Don Larkin Country Show’ coming out of Newark. I was a Hank Williams junkie; for me, putting country and blues together – that’s what I call Rock & Roll."

Previewing the album in MOJO, Paul Déchamé writes, "Recalling the back-to-basics approach of Cash’s American recordings – muted drums, acoustic guitars – it’s a little like having Dion in your front room strumming his favourite blues songs." Don McCleese, in No Depression, sums up Bronx In Blue thusly: "It all sounds like Dion. It all sounds great."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's what ya do with this record..., January 19, 2006

By 

S. Kurtz (Almost Asbury Park) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bronx In Blue (Audio CD)

...invite some friends over (preferably friends who appreciate good music) and just have this playing in the background. Not that it's "background" music, far from it, but just have it playing at a volume that doesn't intrude, but can't be ignored.

Right around WHO DO YOU LOVE someone will, invariably, ask you "who is this...this is really cool" and what you wanna do here is simply say "listen a little longer. It may or may not come to you".

Of course, no one (except the most savvy) will figure out who it is, and when you hand them the cover, it's then that the surprise will truly register!

"Get out"..."you're kidding me"..."no way"..."I had no idea"..."when did Dion start singing the blues?"..."Dion?"..."I thought he was dead"...and so on and so forth as you stand there with this huge grin on your face and proudly shake your head as you revel in the joy of turning your friends on to a truly incredible piece of music.

This disc validates any collection...it's that special.

Dion gave us a preview of this record on his LIVE dvd and in no way, shape, or form does it disappoint. Not one bit. He takes these songs, twelve covers (as well as two wonderful originals), and (pardon the cliche) makes them his own.

Perfect listening...anytime, anywhere.

Thank you Dion...thank you so much. After all you've given us down through the years, you reach back and come up with perhaps the most special gift of all...this collection of the blues, done with just that right amount of Bronx attitude, but mostly with the mood and the feel that the original bluesmen would approve of.

And...if there was a gathering of the spirits of the great bluesmen and you showed up with just your guitar and your love of this genre...well, they'd find an empty chair, dust it off, and invite you to sit in and play along.

No doubt.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blues Sapphire, June 9, 2006

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bronx in Blue (Audio CD)

Dion's "Bronx in Blue" is like a blues sapphire, a strong acoustic blues CD. He does a good job in mixing up the toe tappers from the slide guitar weepers. Rory Block & Eric Clapton have both recorded "Terraplane Blues"; and Dion's version stands shoulder high with those great versions. Dion's guitar on this famous Robert Johnson song coaxes the emotions out of the melody like an oil pump in the Texas panhandle. Dion sasses his way through Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues." Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was a classic that spun on my turntable regularly. The "You got me running, you got me hiding, you got me run hide hide run," line has been sung by Dion & the Belmonts, Everly Brothers, the Astronauts, Fontella Bass, Doyle Bramhall's tasty version, Albert Collins, Etta James, Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers & John Mayall. On Dion's "Bronx in Blue," it rolls delightfully. My favorite cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" is still by Chris Smither, but Dion gets a nice groove on with it. My 3 favorites on this VERY strong set include the opener "Walkin' Blues" that liner notes credit to Son House, "Been mistreated, don't mind dyin'." Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" is set on fire by Dion's wild rhythm guitar. Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" has a burning tension that Cream tapped and Dion also nails here. "Bronx in Blue" is a delightful acoustic blues set. Dion's in as good a voice as he was on his classic recordings. The liner notes are like a blues history lesson. Bravo!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dion Swings the Blues.... move over Eric Clapton, May 12, 2006

By 

rash67 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bronx in Blue (Audio CD)

Dion! Dion Dimucci, lead singer of the fifties doowop group Dion and the Belmonts. Singer of teen love song full of angst and later the classics "The Wanderer", "Ruby Baby" and "Runaround Sue" and later "Abraham, Martin and John".

What a great album this is! Dion and drums only. But doing (mostly) black pre-fifties blues?

He has a great voice and this is a great recording! The originals of these Blues Classics by the original singers ('20's thru 50's) are a wonder in themselves, but were invariably muddy, murky and poorly recorded, because of the time when they were waxed. And if he doesn't sound like Son House, or Robert Johnson, well, he does sound like Dion and he performs them well!

There is energy here. He plays all with infectious, rolling, swinging tempos (like he used in "Ruby Baby" or "The Wanderer"). It was done in 2 days so it DOESN'T sounds stale and canned like last years over-hyped, but disappointing, boring "Me and Mr Johnson" by blues legend Eric Clapton. (An album similar in general concept, which left me cold).

As someone else said, you put this on when you have a party and you will have astounded listeners saying, "Wow, who is that??, that's REALLY good!" and they will be even more astounded when you tell them.

Minimalist - Dion, singing vocals, accompanying hisself with his old ringing acoustic Martin 000c guitar and his old 021 (from the sixties). Sounds like he has been playing these songs for a long time, just for fun.

The songs are amazingly consistant high quality, not a bad cut on the album, each track is better than the one before! If you like Eric Clapton, or if you like old Blues, you will love this album.

who'd a thunk it?

Highly recommended, best album of the year! Dion really deserves 5 stars on in my ultra tough grading system!

(2007 - Of all the albums I've bought over the last few years, this is the one I keep coming back to most.)

Very well recorded.

(why is this CD listed twice?)