Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Band Collection

Robert Cray | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1999)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B00003001Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,072 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #82 in Music > Blues > Modern Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Few blues artists have achieved as much crossover success as Robert Cray. Though it's not infrequent for blues purists to proclaim a dislike for his work, his skillful blend of blues, R&B, and soul has undeniable appeal. Heavy Picks is the first retrospective of Cray's recording career, tracing the route from his early, semi-independent recordings through his final dates for Mercury Records. The collection includes some of Cray's best material, including "Smoking Gun," "Playin' in the Dirt," and "Bad Influence," which testify to his strengths as a songwriter. One of the few blues musicians to have videos on MTV, Cray's style has a consistency that's helped ensure his longevity in the pop and blues arenas. At 14 tracks, Heavy Picks is also a nonintimidating introduction for newer fans. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No complaints...Just needs more!, December 14, 1999

By 

Dezmond "Dezmond" (DezArts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Band Collection (Audio CD)

I have been a Robert Cray fan since 1986 when the amazing happened: MTV actually played a blues video in heavy rotation (SMOKING GUN). Cray, along with Stevie Ray Vaughan, opened my young ears to blues. From those guys I was able to spring back to the masters like Howlin' Wolf and Lightnin' Hopkins. Anyway, about this collection. It is an excellent sampler of Cray's material thus far. It is heavy on the material from -Strong Persuader- and -Midnight Stroll- (and rightly so, his two best albums), but it also gives a taste from all phases of his career up to 1997. As a fan, I definitely feel that important tunes were left off (BOUNCIN' BACK, THE ROAD DOWN), but everything on this disc is excellent. Highlights here include: the down and dirty FORECAST (CALLS FOR PAIN), the hit SMOKING GUN, the crisp guitar work on PHONE BOOTH, and my favorite Cray song: RIGHT NEXT DOOR (which has a great story to it as well as a catchy chorus, bluesy yet also some great pop elements). Also, I think Cray's finest guitar work is represented here at the very end, the extended solo at the end of the last song I WAS WARNED is Cray's finest moment on the axe. Cray is awesome because he is both a great bluesman and a great soul singer. Also, his sound is modern. I am a blues fan, but even I get tired of the generic sounds that sometimes prevail, but Cray doesn't do that. He doesn't just rehash what has already been done. His sound reflects the greatness of the past, but is also firmly modern and reflects his own visions. I prefer his work when he was working with producer Dennis Walker over his more recent stuff. But, this CD captures the Cray / Walker collaboration beautifully. Highly reccommended. I don't give it five stars only because they could have fit about 3 or 4 more great tracks on here.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's Not To Like?, March 5, 2000

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Band Collection (Audio CD)

This is a superb collection from the most soulful urban bluesman recording today. Since his 1980 debut (represented by "Too Many Cooks"), Cray has built a solid reputation as one of the music world's great singer/songwriter/guitarists.

As he approaches 50--he was born in 1953--he is poised to carry the blues/soul tradition well into the next century. His albums have always been of the highest quality and all are represented here from his Atlantic debut "Who's Been Talkin'" (now available as "Too Many Cooks") through 1997's "Sweet Potato Pie"--the only exception is 1995's excellent "Some Rainy Morning."

My only complaint is that this collection could easily accomodate another four to five songs and still remain a single disc. [Though who would complain if this had been made a more exhaustive two-disc set?] As it is, only three albums are represented by more than one song. Obviously 1986's "Strong Persuader" is the most represented with three tracks: "Smoking Gun" (which earned him some MTV exposure), "Right Next Door (Because of Me)" and "I Guess I Showed Her." "Strong Persuader" is the album that made Cray a star--and rightfully so. More than any other artist he proved that the blues could be a viable commercial force while at the same time remain faithful to the blues as an art form. Equally impressive was his Hightone debut from 1983, "Bad Influence." In addition to the title track, this collection also includes another of Cray's originals, "Phone Booth."

Whether Cray returns to his blues roots as this set clearly exhibits or he continues to pursue the Memphis-style soul of his 1999 Ryko debut "Take Your Shoes Off," his fans will simply have to wait and see. In the meantime, this is a wonderful collection from an amazing body of work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth...., June 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Band Collection (Audio CD)

I was first introduced to Robert Cray when I picked up the Showdown album with Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland. I liked what I heard so I decided to give Cray's music a try. On my first listen of Heavy Picks, I didn't quite get into it. I thought Cray's music sounded too much like R&B/soul and not enough like blues for my tastes. But the second time I listened to it, I really started to dig it. Robert Cray does have a good bit of soul mixed into his music, but it's a delicious blend which blues fans and R&B fans alike can get into. Not only does Cray have a wonderful voice and mean fretpicking fingers, but he writes much of his own material. Many of the selected tunes on Heavy Picks are Cray's own compositions. His guitar style is smooth, but intense. It can be funky and soulful at times and ferocious and explosive at others. He knows his way around a six-stringer very well. He's not exactly Albert Collins or Buddy Guy though, so don't expect that sort of incendiary intensity. Heavy Picks is a good CD to get if you're new to Robert Cray's music like me. The sound quality is good and the liner notes are very good too. It also has the musicians listed for every song. Highly Recommended.