Customer Reviews

House of Blue Lights

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

 

 

This reissue of the 1969 classic is, for the most part, a modest soul-blues gem, with all of the rough edges intact and some strong originals by Covay (especially the 7-minute title track) to go along with a handful of solid cover versions. Unfortunately, the producer allowed someone to play something that sounds like a misguided attempt at blues flute on a few of the cuts. But at least now I know who Mick Jagger has been trying to imitate all these years.

Rather than a minor soul/blues classic the Don Covay album also
embraces a rock ethos.
The reissue provides a good remastering of the sound that comes from a group which is not only grounded in blues but soul and rock.The are many highlights to this cd and it great to see it reissued.
Have a listen! You'll be surprised.

JohnPaul

A missing link between white-boy and black-man blues. This album has all the feel, grit and class of down home blues, but is produced like a lost classic rock album - in the best sense of the word "classic". The presence, dynamics and clarity of the vocals and the instruments are nothing short of beatific. Kudos all around.

This 1969 release from R&B/funk/soul/country superstar Don Covay does perfectly what Taj was trying to do with the Rising Sons and his first 2 or 3 solo releases (here instead of Taj's guest axe-man Ry Cooder, you get John Hammond,Jr.). For me there is an authenticity in this Covay release suggesting that the blues are at the heart of his music, that he was raised with/around the blues, and that if you stripped away the James Brown-esqe soul/R&B of his more familiar work this is what you'd have left. The vocals here soulful and the guitar-work top-notch. If you like Taj Mahal, John Hammond, Jr., or even 'Better Days'-era Paul Butterfield BB, you'll like this CD. Definitly a worthwile purchase for folk/blues rock fans.