Customer Reviews

Sweet Tea

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"Sweet Tea" is fast being heralded as Buddy's best CD ever. For example, the liner notes proclaim that Buddy "may have made the album of his life".

There is no doubt that Buddy pours his heart and soul into this recording. However, no musician, with the possible exception of Linda Ronstadt, wants to have a cover CD credited as "the album of his life".

Unlike Buddy's earlier CD's, "Damn Right, I've Got The Blues", "Feels Like Rain" and "Slippin' In", which all contain several Guy originals, "Sweet Tea" is a tribute CD to several of the North Mississippi Hills musicians such as, the late Junior Kimbrough, Lowell Fulsom & T-Model Ford who record(ed) for Fat Possum records. In fact, all but two of the songs are covers of these men.

The dark, brooding, often hauting and hypnotic beat of the original tunes is left intact on this CD. However, what Buddy brings to the mix is his exceptional guitar solos that are otherwise absent on the originals. Make no mistake about it, Guy's playing on the CD is exceptional and is the best he has played in a long time. If you want to hear something a little different from Buddy Guy, this is your CD.

On the other hand, I think the impoverished and often over looked Mississippi Hills musicians should be given their due as well. So, if you like this CD I would urge you to strongly consider RL Burnside's "Wish I Were In Heaven", Junior Kimbrough's "All Night Long", T-Model Ford's "She Ain't None of Your'n, Jessie Mae Hemphill's "Feelin Good" or Robert Belfour's "What's Wrong With You" all are excellent, recent CD's worth a listen.

After reading all of the reviews for this disc, I would like to add my two cents. If you are one of those types that believes that Eric Clapton is the father of the blues and that blues is supposed to sound like Sha Na Na, Bill Haley, or the Tonight Show Band, then this disc is probably not for you. If, however, you appreciate raw and unpolished integrity, then this disc is for you. This disc is blistering with the sweat and mood of a jukejoint on a hot, humid, summer evening. There is none of this teaming up with Bruce Springsteen or Elton John for a duet type of pollutional nonsense here. You can here some talking between songs and it sounds like they did all the recording live in the studio, which adds some good rawness to the songs. Buddy covers some JR Kimbrough songs on here and does an absolutley outstanding job. I love this disc because it is so heavy. I mean it's heavier than some of my heavy metal discs. When Buddy screams "Baby, please don't leave me," he's not just going through the motions, he means it. Personally, I think this is Buddy's best by far and I sincerely hope he continues to make more discs in this same style. Folks, this is the real deal here.

Usually I find the phrase "contemporary blues" synonymous with "Stevie Ray clone shredding over same old twelve bar". Or even more to the point, "[stinks]". The few rare gems that come along and are truly worthy of the name "Blues" usually have the name "Fat Possum" associated with it. While this doesn't bear the Fat Possum logo, it does contain songs written by some of the labels finest artists, including Junior Kimbrough, Cedell Davis, Robert Cage, and T-Model Ford. It was recorded in North Mississippi and it seems the time away from Chicago proved invaluable. Recent releases by Buddy have ranged from "just OK" to lackluster. With his location change he seems to be revitalized, playing and singing with a passion he hasn't displayed as well since his early Chess work. He seems completely at home singing these songs, almost as if he never even left the south. Fans of his guitar work won't be disappointed either. The vintage equipment used on this album lends his already impressive tone a rawer and warmer sound that compliments the trance-inducing drone of these hill country songs perfectly. A track by track analysis would be pointless. The simple fact is this album is phenomenal. Any fan of true blues will sit in amazement as this disc plays. It's hard to imagine that an album like this could be made in the year 2001. Sweet Tea is a blues umbilical cord, reaching back decades to bring us all a reminder of what the blues is, and should be, about.

I've only recently been exploring the world of straight up blues. I'm from the background of metal, doom, and what have you. Someone referred this album to me.

Christ, this is HEAVY!

The bass rumbles, the guitar screams, and man Buddy Guy's voice on this rivals some of the best rocker/metal guys. This is intense.

I love it.

The fact that this album gets such mixed reviews proves that Mr. Guy effectively pre-eulogized a style of blues (Northern Mississipi) that is sadly dying with the rural culture and raw lifestyle from which it was born. Sex, food and alcohol relieved oppression and hard labour in that area in those times and music to dance to at juke-joints was the embodiment and freedom of that life. To see the likes of T-Model Ford in his 80's getting lascivious embraces from young female audience members at recent shows proves the essense of the music and the feelings which create it. Buddy Guy is still vigorous for his age and starting the album with the "old man" song; then breaking into some of his heaviest playing ever over a militia drum-beat proves his point. This work is a masterful homage to the true roots of blues music and should be seen for what it really is... burning sexual blues from a very human, non-corporate era, when people enjoyed (or did not) each other; not things.

For this album Buddy Guy traveled to Mississippi, whoever suggested that Guy record there is a genius. The blues of North Mississippi is not the 12-bar blues structure of "Chicago style" but more of a modal drone, where the artist will `change' to the IV or V chord when he feels like it. This, I felt, freed Guy's delta spirit and at age 65 has made one his best albums ever.

Four of the nine songs here where written by the late Junior Kimbrough. Kimbrough was a vocalist and guitarist, his tone, enhanced by a ton of reverb and emotional singing is a great example of North Mississippi hill blues. Guy emulated Kimbrough style, while still playing Buddy Guy. The reverb soaked tone of Guy's guitar may turn-off some listeners but I found it exciting. Last but not least, play this album LOUD, this ain't your daddy's blues.

Buy two copies! And give one to someone who thinks they don't like the blues. I am not a Buddy Guy fan in general, but this album truly is astounding! It is some extraordinary music which has been criminally underappreciated since its release 4 years ago. It's funny that, with this album, Buddy Guy has put out a masterpiece by using similar methods he criticized Muddy Waters for utilizing with "Electric Mud". It doesn't matter whether you think you like "the blues" or not. This is not just a blues record; it is not just a rock n' roll record; this is an essential album for the collection of anyone who enjoys good music.

Although he should be commended for recognizing the danger and power of these songs, he seems to be trying to learn new tricks. The production is suitably dark and forboding, there's a real live sense of blues living here, but I don't really feel that Guy's guitar playing is suited to this style. A good introduction, but much better representations of this repetoire are available (check Junior Kimbrough's All Night Long, or Sad Days, Lonely Nights; or Robert Belfour's What's Wrong With You).

I am not a fan of Buddy Guys recent playing style. It seems that he has become a caricature of himself, much like Clapton and BB.
Having said that, this disc is an experience that should not be missed! Certainly one of the most distinct recordings I've ever heard. It's not a natural sound - I doubt it could ever be replicated live. It reminds me of the visual effect in the movie U-Turn; compressed and burnished, burnt and overexposed. For a completely stylized blues experience, I recommend this disc.

I loved this CD. If it were vinyl, I think I'd have worn a groove in it by now. I was pretty clueless to the whole Mississippi Hill country artists and FatPossum scene, so I thought this was an incredible burst of creativity by Buddy Guy. Well, its not exactly. He is covering several of the Fat Possum artists that both together and individually breathe a new life into the blues. Since I bought this CD, I have started to explore these artists and love them too. But I can still go back to this CD without feeling like it is some ripoff. Buddy is covering a lot of Junior Kimbrough tunes on this CD, but he really puts his own stamp on it. He lets the rythym of Junior's original material be the launchpad for some great moaning and soulful guitar work. I read another review on here that complained that this album wasn't "Delta blues" and that Buddy wasn't such a great guitar player. Well, I honestly don't know what belongs in the "Delta Blues" pantheon, nor am I qualified to critique his fingering technique. But I know he takes some songs that were great by the original artist and plays them true to their essence, while adding his own moody style. It sounds awesome and I don't care about what else it is or isn't.

If you haven't heard the Fat Possum artists, I think there is a sort of desperation in a lot of the lyrics and nonsensical rythym. At least Junior Kimbrough's music feels that way. Buddy seems to be pleading with a woman in "I gotta try you Girl". It sounds like an intimate relationship, but when he gets to her response, she calls him "Mr. Guy". What is that about? It leaves you wondering if the whole song is about some unsavory relationship where they aren't even on a first name basis. But there is no doubting their passion for one another either. It is the kind of thing that seems to slide in under the radar with this style of blues and make it more interesting. The same song ends in some wild guitar work. It includes a sound effect like a clap of thunder, which another reviewer apparently didn't like. It seemed appropriate to me after that solo.

Tramp, which is my favorite song on the album has some incredible guitar riffs. They are slow and moody, moaning on. The original Junior Kimbrough version, sounds like Junior is three sheets to the wind, kind of mumbling, so its nice to actually hear the lyrics on Buddy's version. Although, Junior does a great slashing slide guitar solo on his version, Buddy's version feels truer to the mood of the song. One song starts out like the band is just warming up and picks up a groove. Someone else calls out, "Keep it going. Keep it going."

Yeah. Keep it going, Buddy. I for one, wouldn't complain a bit if you returned to the Fat Possum well of original blues material, again and again.