Take Your Shoes Off

Robert Cray | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 27, 1999)
• Original Release Date: April 27, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B00000IN4K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,125 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Electric Blues Guitar
  • #13 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues

Track Listings

1. Love Gone To Waste

2. That Wasn't Me

3. All The Way

4. There's Nothing Wrong

5. 24-7 Man

6. Pardon

7. Let Me Know

8. It's All Gone

9. Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)

10. Living Proof

11. What About Me

12. Tollin' Bells

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Robert Cray's spent the '90s evolving from West Coast bluesman to Memphis soul belter. So Cray's restrained guitar playing on his first CD for Rykodisc--after his unhappy departure from his longtime label Mercury--comes as no surprise. What's shocking is the utter perfection of his emulation of the signature sounds of the classic Stax and Hi Records singles of the '60s and early '70s. Cray's voice exhibits the delirious growl-to-falsetto flights of a young Al Green on numbers like "What About Me," "Love Gone to Waste," and the prisoner-of-love weeper "Pardon." But his arrangements--heavy on kick drum, fatback horn grooves, and organ flourishes--retain a grit that Hi in particular lost over time. And when he launches into a guitar solo like the probing corker that climaxes his take on Willie Dixon's "Toll the Bells," Cray rekindles the influence of his late mentor Albert Collins and reasserts himself as a torchbearer of stinging blues. --Ted Drozdowski

Vibe

The album is animated, airy, and decidedly soulful.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Soul Journey, June 21, 1999

By 

M. Phillips (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Take Your Shoes Off (Audio CD)

Robert Cray continues his journey into soul that he began in earnest with Sweet Potato Pie (a virtual tribute to the late great Otis Redding). Ending an unhappy relationship with his long time label, Mercury Records, Cray has taken his considerable talents to Rykodisc, a label well-known for their hands-off approach, and Cray has used that advantage to create a wonderful album that manages to evoke the sweet soul sound of the 60s Stax/Volt records. Over the years, Cray has honed his voice into a near perfect copy of the soul singers of the 60s, sounding like a cross between Redding and a young Al Green, and on "24-7 Man" his Redding imitation is perfection. Cray has never been so restrained in his guitar skills and so focused on his voice. Gone are the usual blistering blues riffs, and the music, which is heavy on backbeat and bass, uses the guitar to lightly accent the songs rather than to grab the listeners attention. For an attention grabber, he uses his voice. For these reasons, some longtime fans may be disappointed. They shouldn't be. This sweet soul journey is a real treat.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take it from a pro. Cray's the real deal., April 28, 2005

By 

Kevin L. Junemann "Working Pro Bass Player" (Midwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Take Your Shoes Off (Audio CD)

Being a working professional musician I am always looking for music that is true and inspiring. Regardless of if you are a blues fan or not, Robert Cray is one of the best performers out there in any genre. His recent work (Midnight Stroll and newer) leans more towards soul than traditional blues. The subject matter is your typical "she done me wrong" blues cannon but he sells it like it should be sold. It's completely genuine. He's an incomparable vocalist who sings like a bird. His guitar playing, while on the surface seeming simple, portrays exactly the proper "feeling" for the arrangement and song. His playing is a statement; emotionally mature and marked by brevity. It does what music is supposed to do, express feelings that words cannot. It doesn't suffer from the continuous, spaceless, blues-chops-heavy solos that most post-SRV blues players suffer from. This isn't music for chops-meisters. I've seen his live show and it's better live. Great guitar tone, super solid band, it's one of the best shows you'll see. If you're a fan of the groove and soul music check it out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Had to follow the instructions, January 13, 2003

By 

"bluesmanjed" (Norwich, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Take Your Shoes Off (Audio CD)

At first listen, I wasn't really into this CD. I was questioning where did the great guitar work get off to. But then I did what the title said and took my shoes off, kicked back and relaxed. Wow, amazing. The more I listened, the more it reached out to me. Much praise to 'Young Bob' for sharing this mellow, soulful work.