Customer Reviews

Reservation Blues

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

 

 

Eddy Clearwater's "Reservation Blues" is a high-water mark for blues in the year 2000, and a clear career highlight as well. More focused, bluer and more committed than his previous disc, the average "Cool Blues Walk", this honey is typically varied, but it's a consistent assortment, if that makes any sense. The usual pair of Chuck Berry-esque rockers are here, but for the most part the rest of the album, while far from samey, mines the same vein of deep, unhurried, heartfelt blues. Here, he means it. "Winds of Change", "Reservation Blues", "Walls of Hate": a variety of textures but the same serious, slow groove. This blows away almost every other blues disc released this year. In addition to a Chuck Berry cover ("Sweet Little Rock and Roller", about a minute too long), there's a Clearwater-penned Berry facsimile ("I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down", recorded again, for some reason -- it's also on his "Blues Hang Out" album), there is a nice instrumental, some other obscure covers and an absolutely sensational -- I kid you not -- cover of "Susie Q" (yes, that one!). Kudos to Clearwater and co-producer Duke Robillard for this gem. I don't throw around a lot of five-star reviews for blues discs, but this is a hot one. Get it.

I own two other of Eddie's CD's, and found this one a pleasant surprise! Much more rockin' than the last two! You'll hear shades of Chuck Berrie here, plus some very touching ballads. The best cut is 'Lay down'. I've met Eddie, and seen him in concert numerous times, he puts on a great show. This CD captures some of the fun of his live stuff, and is a great toe-tapper CD from a truly gracious man. Pick it up!

Fans of electric Chicago blues will like Reservation Blues. There's a lot of high energy boogie fueled by Eddy on lead guitar, backed by a tight band that includes producer Duke Robillard and special guest, harp legend Carey Bell. My favorites include "Winds of Change" and the Chuck Berry standard, "Sweet Little Rock and Roller." Check The Chief Out.

I like sufficiently EDDY "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER instead of touch of soul in some of his songs, however this one, RESERVATION BLUES, is a memorable record wiht a high level about composition ,vocal and guitar interpretation. There are magnificent songs like a rock'n'roll number "Lay my guitar down" gets a terrific revival, the title track absolutely superb, the blues song "Find Yourself" with a Carey Bell's tremendous harp, "Walls of Hate" and so on.. only I find one fault with the Magic Sam's cover "Easy is my stile" that prevent me to grant five stars.Very good blues stuff and absolutely recommended.

I haven't really paid any attention to blues since Stevie Ray and Albert King, ok I'm dating myself but lets face it these guys knew how to blow the roof off a sweaty southern bar! Imagine my surprise when I heard this album which is such a no-nonsence blues album that it reminds me of my old favorites. Clearwater's sound seems like a frieght train going full speed, it is imposible to avoid the inevitable air-guitar. This is simply a great album by an artist who has earned his rank among the masters of blues.