Customer Reviews

False Accusations

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

 

 

Blues music has become more streamlined in recent years, thanks largely in part to the amazing career of Stevie Ray Vaughan, who took Texas swing blues to millions of new listeners. His life was cut tragically short, with Clapton bearing the torch for white man blues, although this reviewer considers Clapton overrated, boring and unimaginative.
Robert Cray has been on the blues scene for decades now, but has yet to break out with a mega-hit. It certainly isn't for lack of talent- it's just that Cray plays with a sophistication and maturity that doesn't lend itself to overwrought blues wailing.
"False Accusations", the second album from the Robert Cray Band, smolders and wafts out of the speakers like a layer of smoke in a small jazz club. His crisp blues playing is soulful and subtle, but the real charm is the healthy addition of soul from the great Stax/Volt days of the late sixties. Cray's voice recalls the greats - Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and the keyboards, usually a Hammond organ background lift the music to ethereal dreamy levels seldom heard in blues music.
"Porch Light" sets the mood and pace - love and no love, sometimes in the best and worst situations, all with soloes that reflect the tone of the songs beautifully.
Stand out tracks include "She's Gone", the gritty "Playing In The Dirt", and a beautiful ballad "The Last Time I Get Burned Like This."
If you long for the days of the Hammond B-3 organ and other cool keyboards, incredible vocals and the touch of cool jazz in your blues, this is the premier place to get it.

Robert Cray and his band produced some of the best soulful blues around. This cd is in my top 5 favorites.

This album -- more than its predecessor, _Bad Influence_ -- highlights the Cray that was to come to the fore in _Strong Persuader_ and _Midnight Stroll_. Songs like "Porch Light" (probably my favorite Cray tune ever), "Playing in the Dirt" are playful, but with an edge -- "She's Gone" and "I've Slipped Her Mind" are about as sad a pair as you'll find. Cray's singing and guitar playing are extremely strong. The only slip up is in song selection: "Same Old Funky Thing" is just goofy, and "Sonny" is well-meaning but dull. But if you want to see why the blues is still around today, this is an important album to own.

This release caught Robert Cray in a between mode. Not as raw as Bad Influence and not as polished as Strong Persuader. Still, it's a strong performance with plenty of Cray's trademark stacatto guitar and smooth vocals.