Rattleshake

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B000FQJPGE
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,784 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Although Alligator Records no longer exclusively traffics in "genuine houserockin' music," as long as the label continues releasing albums from Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials it won't have to change slogans anytime soon. The sixth release from the veteran foursome is another rollicking, electrified romp through old-school Chicago boogie blues. Lil' Ed Williams is the nephew of, and was schooled by, slide guitar legend J.B. Hutto, so it's no surprise that the Blues Imperials' sound is driven by the high-octane, raw, bottleneck attack popularized by Hutto and the great Elmore James. Both are covered here, and even though Williams's originals adhere to the standard blues format, the energy generated by this live-in-the-studio recording could power a small city. You can practically see the sweat dripping down Ed's fez-covered head as he charges through the humorous yet driving "Icicles in My Meatloaf" and the fast shuffle of "Broken Promises." Slow blues such as "You Just Weren't There" and "Nobody's Fault But My Own" maintain a tough edge while providing a change of pace to the party-hearty rave-ups that dominate the album. The no-frills production is crisp and crackling. It captures the excitement of the opening version of Holland/Dozier's rocking soul shouter "Leaving Here" as well as the heartfelt emotions in the country-influenced cover of Billy Joe Shaver's "Tramp on Your Street," the disc's most surprising track. The blurred shot of the band in action on the cover perfectly represents the music inside--which, as the album's title accurately suggests, rattles, shakes, and rolls. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

On their new Alligator album, Rattleshake, Lil' Ed's romping, sizzling guitar and his rough-hewn vocals, his half-brother James "Pookie" Young's thumping bass, Mike Garrett's feral rhythm guitar and Kelly Littleton's unpredictable yet bone-crunching drumming produce a modern blues firestorm steeped in tradition. Produced by Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and Williams, Rattleshake features 13 houserocking songs, and captures all of Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials' legendary live energy on disc. The variety on the CD, from stomping, houserocking slide workouts, to deep, slow blues, to blues-ified country, makes this the most rewarding and soul-satisfying album the band has ever recorded.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alligator Records Does it Again, July 1, 2006

By 

stan25 (Riverton Wyoming) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rattleshake (Audio CD)

I received my copy of Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Rattleshake. Man it blows me out of my seat. I have so far played it through three times. It keeps on getting better and better. The play list is superb; a mixture of jump, some slow classic delta, Hank Williams style country, a little bit of Texas Gulf Coast and Chicago style blues.

The seventh track "Tramp on Your Street" is one of those slow mellow, lay in front of a roaring fireplace on cold winter's evening, sipping wine with your significant other, A song that come out every once in awhile. This track along with the second track "Tired of Crying" are two of the best.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better all the time!, October 24, 2006

By 

Daniel Gunter (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rattleshake (Audio CD)

I've been listening to Lil' Ed for more than 20 years. I have his work from vinyl up through this latest release. I first saw him live--amazingly live!--in 1987, at a Blues, Brews, and Barbecue show on a boat moored in the Mississippi River in St. Louis. I saw him again in the mid-1990s in Eugene, Oregon, when he blew the doors off the Good Times. This new CD shows him still driving harder than anyone around (with the possible exception of Magic Slim). His voice is excellent, the songs are strong, and his guitar work has never sounded more energetic. The torch carried by Elmore James, Hound Dog Taylor, and J. B. Hutto is in excellent hands!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rattleshake contains jovial melodies and tough blues, June 1, 2008

By 

Tim Holek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rattleshake (Audio CD)

Blues is full of misconceptions and stereotypes. Those predetermined perspectives become altered once you get to know the sincerity of the music and its artists. Chicago's wicked slide guitar master Lil' Ed Williams is one artist who puzzles his audience. Under the guise of a careless fool, there is a complex man musically, spiritually, and personally. Ed's tight-knit band have been playing together for so long, they know their every move. Listen as the rhythm section - Kelly Littleton (drums) and James "Pookie" Young (bass) - locks tightly into each groove while Mike Garrett (guitar) rocks. Their romping sound is augmented by Johnny Iguana's animated piano/organ on six numbers.

The majority of these 13 in-your-face songs were written by Ed or his wife Pam. Half brother Pookie contributes additional originals, and there is the customary cover/tribute to Uncle J.B. Hutto. The subject matter of the songs - overcoming defeat, resisting temptation, having respect, loyalty, and responsibility - reveal Ed's strongest values.

Just like their five previous Alligator releases, Rattleshake was recorded live off the floor. On it, Williams embodies Alligator's Genuine Houserockin' Music. Ed possesses the uncanny ability to chip his guitar straight into your very being. Experience this firsthand on Maybe Another Time. With youthful rebellion, Leaving Here contains rollicking energy. It is boundless on Golden Rule where Ed's guitar is a fireball. Unlike shooting stars, his positive energy does not fade quickly. Combined with a punk beat and Elmore James and J.B. Hutto inspirations, Ed's slide guitar enthusiastically shouts and shrieks on Icicles In My Meatloaf. Williams' gifted guitar talent receives exposure on ballads such as You Just Weren't There. The diminutive dynamo takes the usual ("My baby's gone") lyric a step further on Nobody's Fault But My Own. Here, he ain't just singing the blues; he is asking for forgiveness and making a life transformation. You can feel it in his brazen guitar solo. That's The Truth contains Littleton's masterful shuffles and playful beats. The most surprising track is Billy Joe Shaver's country and western Tramp On Your Street.

In an age where musical styles have been blurred and misnamed, this 51-year-old remains an authentic American bluesman. For over 20 years, he has brought great joy to blues fans with his singing slide guitar and friendly, honest voice. Yes, his songs do become repetitious, and each album tends to blend into the next. Not all of these new songs contain deep poetry. Some have been created simply to have fun. However, don't be fooled into thinking this is a raucous, wild party without purpose. On Rattleshake, Lil' Ed is in touch with his inner self and it is expressed via jovial melodies and tough blues.