Customer Reviews

Lookin for Trouble

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very excited to see a new studio album by Kim, and I had high hopes that this one would be as strong as his others.

Sadly, I am a bit uninspired by this new set. The songs don't seem to be as strong as the ones off of "Tigerman" and "My Life". His new guitar player is OK, but he can't play swing or jump blues like Jr. Watson, Duke Robilard or Rusty Zinn (all players on Kim's previous albums). The sound quality of the disc seems a bit inferior when placed alongside "My Life" (there were moments on that disc where Kims voice sounded better than any blues singer has in 40 years.)

The disc is good, I would buy it again if I lost it, but if you are new to Kim Wilson's solo stuff, don't start here.

Mr. Kim Wilson is the world's greatest living blues harmonica player and one of the best singers too. On this, his first solo album in nearly 6 years, he rips through a long set of 15 tunes.He always had a fascination with Chicago style blues and here we get plenty of that. The stylistic changes are effortless and comes totally natural to an amazing musician, with complete confidence and sway. Backed by an essentially young and hungry band, he grips the listener with his powerhouse vocals in a variety of blues styles. Guitarist Troy Gonyea gets a fair share of airtime and the swinging rhythm section led by the fabulous drummer Richard Innes propels the grooves throughout. The Fabulous Thunderbirds' frontman is clearly in charge of this mix of originals and covers, with tremendous harp workouts such as "F Fat", "Tried to ruin me" and "Money". Worth of note are the 3 re-recorded songs "Tortured", "Hurt on me" and "Hand to mouth", earlier released on the "High Water" CD, here in complete reworked versions. These blues are sure to turn feet tapping, and should be played loud!

I had the pleasure of seeing Kim Wilson and the Fabulous Thunderbirds perform live on two occasions last summer. His singing is a soulful as any you'll ever here, and his harmonica playing will leave you begging for more. Unbelievable!

This is arguably Wilson's best solo effort yet. Each song shows beyond any doubt why he is one of the best blues harmonica players/singers ever. In terms of tone, phrasing, originality, and feeling, Wilson is a true master of his craft. "Lookin' For Trouble" is a must for any blues harp fan.

This is an excellent collection of varied blues/jump styles from Mr. Wilson. I suppose if you want strictly blues you might be disappointed, but I think the variety makes it much more interesting. "That's Life" was supposed to be his best effort, but I think this is far superior. Now I'd like to see him live.

It is unreal! Unlike any new blues release today! It is traditional and true...

Kim Wilson, leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and all-around harmonica player extraordinaire, gives us a first-rate goody bag of music in his 2003 effort, Lookin For Trouble. All of the traditional blues numbers really shine, in particular "Hand to Mouth," a six-minute, mid-tempo workout strongly reminiscent of Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful". Great singing! Also, there are not one but two different renditions of the title track, a full-throttle rocker to open the set and a T-Birdesque shuffle in the middle; the band really cooks on both numbers! Another band standout is Jr's Jump, featuring great guitar by Troy Gonyea and a fine Hammond B3 organ solo by Mark Stevens. Kim's harp work is at it's soulful best on the blues standard "Money, Marbles, and Chalk." It's wonderful, even if the harp is mixed up a little too far. Most listeners will indeed love this album, but blues purists may be put off by the fact that some numbers are not traditional blues but instead are performed in "West Coast House Party" style (a name taken from a solo album by former T-Birds bandmate Kid Ramos), a mixture of jump blues, New Orleans shuffle, and 40's pop. These numbers, including "Hurt on Me," "Love My Baby," and especially "Hook, Line and Sinker" are fine but may be a little too sugary-sweet for some tastes. Also, the sound quality is a little raw. Still, there are many juicy numbers on this lengthy CD to enjoy, so you might indeed want to purchase it. Because, if you're lookin' for trouble, you've come to the right place!

I feel that what some of the more negative reviewers are missing in their comments is the fact that this is a raw CD. It was cut on the fly. Kim seemed to put more effort in the feel and the soul of this record instead of focusing on the nerdy aspects of sound and perfecting his vocals. It's raw & real, it's down &dirty and more that, it is honest & sincere . He draws from the spirits of Howlin Wolf, Papa George Lightfoot, Little Walter andSnooky Pryor, non of whom were vocal virtuosos to the main steam public, however, they are geniuses to me! Kim lets us view him from the inside out. He forgets about pleasing the main stream joe public and focuses on pleasing himself, it comes through loud -n- clear and I love it. Lazy Lester never cared if you didn't like his singin' he just knew he loved singin'. Kim has shown us here that the pupil has become the teacher. I say Teach on! I don't care what it says in any past liner notes. This ablum shows us and tells us what he's really believing...and I 'm buyin' it!

"Lookin' for Trouble" represents the spirit and energy of a live Kim Wilson show. While Wilson may not have the level of vocal "chops" that he displays in his harp playing, he more than holds his own as a singer and interpreter of the blues. Having just seen a Wilson show at a local Boston area club, I enthusiastically recommend not only his excellent discs, of which "Lookin' for Trouble" is one, but also encourage listeners to see him live. He and his band have such commitment, technique, and passion that one is swept up in the joy of a uniquely American art form.

This is the real deal. Wilson proves he is the master of tone. If you love music that has a soul and a true sound of the 50's this is for you.

This album was one of the biggest disappointments I have ever listened to. I was so eager to hear this album after his last studio effort (My Blues) and the awesome show I caught in Maryland. The songs lacked everything, lyrically, technically, and instumentally, that "My Blues" offered. If somebody is just getting into blues harp, "My Blues" is all you need. This album would be best left on the rack at the store. I had a friend insist I take five bucks for "Lookin For Trouble."

It should also be noted that "Lookin For Trouble" lost the commitment to keeping the heritage of blues alive. Read the liner to "My Blues" and see what Kim writes about his Blue Collar music label. You will see that "Lookin For Trouble" does not fit any of these ideals.