Customer Reviews

Bronx In Blue

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...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.

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!

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?)

Dion is the first artist I've managed to see perform in all of the last 5 decades; he's never let me down.
This absolutely wonderful musical excursion should come as no surprise to Di's "deep" fans, his love and affinity for these styles were evident by the early '60s. Those,however,who think of Di as only an aging street corner singer are in for a major treat hear.
Taste,simplicity,feeling and heart shines through the interpretations he offers and it's not a stretch to say that the old DiMucci surely carries strands of the same "greatness" DNA that ran through musical titans such as Ray Charles and Johnny Cash.
And he can still doo-wop like he was 15 (but not here)!

With 2006 barely settling in, we have already been blessed with what very well might end up being the sleeper album of the New Year - Dion's "Bronx In Blue." Diehard fans already know that the country and blues sounds that Dion grew up listening to as a teenager have long been an integral part of the fabric of his sound. Evident in many of his earliest hit rock `n' roll records of the late 1950's and early 60's, these very influences helped formed the basis of what would be a half-century musical journey - one that's still going strong!

For a brief history lesson: Dion recorded a number of traditional blues and electric blues-rock recordings in the mid-60's during his tenure with Columbia (many remaining unreleased until the excellent "The Road I'm On" 2-CD compilation), and would eventually experiment with a tasteful blend of coffee house folk and blues with a series of incredible but criminally underrated albums for Warner Bros. in the early 1970's. Yet, it's hard to believe that it's taken Dion over 40 years to release an entire album of mostly traditional acoustic blues and country blues recordings. The bottom line though is that it was well worth the wait. "Bronx In Blue" delivers the goods in spades!

Recorded in just two days, this "unplugged" album is somewhat reminiscent of the formula used on his "Sit Down, Old Friend" album of 1970, an album that helped originate the back-to-basics genre in the context of an established artist. Just Dion's amazing voice, his fluid acoustic guitar work (w/ the occasional lead guitar overdub as also played by him), and in this particular case a drummer as well. Though, while that album was a gentle mix of coffee house folk and blues tunes (many self-penned), this record is firmly entrenched in a more traditional sound - equally as unique and strong as that LP was, yet completely fresh at the same time. Highlights include a terrific, almost-hypnotic version of Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, the Robert Johnson track Walkin' Blues with its foot-tapped beat, the sly Built For Comfort and Dion's own If You Wanna Rock And Roll (a new interpretation of a song first done on his "Deja Nu" album). The biggest news here, for those who might only be familiar with his classic singles of days gone by, is that Dion is quite the skilled guitar player! He was even honored with his own signature guitar in the Martin line a few years ago. It's an adept blend of thumb-finger picking and percussive, rhythmic hammering - perfectly in tune with the grooves within. As far as his singing goes -- what else needs to be said -- he's one of the all-time greats and in particularly good form on this album. His voice being the perfect blend of rich textures and colors.

As Dion once said in reference to his style: "It's not white, it's not black...it's Bronx." This has never been more evident then it is here on "Bronx In Blue." It's as intimate and heartfelt a CD as you're likely to ever hear. Check it out...your ears will thank you! Five stars.

The Blues has always been an important influence on Dion's singing. If you've followed his career over the years, you already know that Dion recorded versions of "Spoonful" and "Seventh Son" way back in 1965 {available on Columbia's "Dion - Bronx Blues: The Columbia Recordings (1962-1965)}. So, the concept of Dion offering his interpretations of various Blues classics is not a new one. However, Dion's feeling for the Blues has never been as fully showcased as it is on this superb recording. One caveat: don't pick up this recording if you are expecting the Dion of "Teenager in Love" or "Donna, the Prima Donna." "Bronx in Blue" is more like the Dion of "Drip Drop" and "Ruby Baby." One quality that distinguishes this album is Dion's avoiding the common trap of attempting to directly mimic the styles of the original performers. So, we don't get the usual diet of jacked up guitar riffs "borrowed" from Albert King or Robert Johnson. Instead, Dion reinterprets each number in his own way invoking the spirit and feeling of the blues. The result is a beautifully recorded collection of tunes featuring Dion's voice (powerful as ever), his guitar (with some overdubbing of solos), and a bit of percussion. Among the highlights on this album is Dion's take on Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love." I challenge anyone to resist tapping your foot when you hear this version. Dion's own "I Let My Baby Do That" conjures up the vision of an traveling entertainer in a small town in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s. Dion offers a driving, contemporary treatment of "Crossroads" that owes more to the original by Robert Johnson than the rendition by Cream that most of us know. "Bronx in Blue" is accompanied by excellent album notes, which furnish detailed information on each song as well as the original performer. This recording is the real thing: Dion is back and this recording proves that he still has what it takes!

Wow, what an album. It is hard to determine what is the best thing about it. The vocals, Dion's guitar playing or the great clear production. Just great performances by Dion on some familiar songs, but he makes them new. Certainly one of the best blues albums I have heard in a while. Great fun!!

This album popped up on my AOL Music Now, and as a Dion fan I figured I'd listen to a song or 2. I ended up listening to the entire album straight through -- awesome. Stripped down sound, just Dion on the acoustic guitar with a little beat behind him. But that's all he needs, and what makes it unique. All great, classic blues songs, and Dion makes them his own -- these aren't cover versions, they're 100% Dion. His voice and guitar playing are in great form. If you like blues, you'll love this album.

LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I BOUGHT THIS CD BECAUSE IM A BIG DION FAN;BUT I
WAS NOT EXPECTING MUCH.BOY WAS I SURPRISED!!!.THIS MAY VERY WELL BE THE BEST ACOUSTIC BLUES ALBUM EVER BY A WHITE ARTIST.I WAS STUNNED
AS I LISTENED TO ONE GREAT TRACK AFTER ANOTHER.THE ALBUM JUST SEEMED TO BUILD;CLIMAXING WITH THE BEST VERSION OF THE JIMMY REED
CLASSIC"BABY,WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO"SINCE THE ORIGINAL.BUY THIS CD!!!DION WAS NEVER BETTER.

I really liked this album a lot. Great guitar and singing. He has a nice vibe going here and there is nothing to complain about. This is the best or one of the best acoustic blues albums that I have heard. All the tunes are done well. For comparison, I like Jerry Ricks, John Jackson, Precious Bryant and Etta Baker and similar performers. I like this album as well or better than any of theirs. Hope that Dion does some more in this vein as I am not a fan of his other music, inventive and orginal as it may be. Very good blues.