Customer Reviews

Uncovered

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is absolutely one of the greatest blues and swamp CDs ever. If your recollection of TJW is the novelty tune "Polk Salad Annie," then you are in for an awakening. His baritone rumbles through these humidity soaked Louisianna blues with such authority that you'll find yourself hit by something like a stungun musically. He sings lower than most electric basses can reach and from deep in that well comes pain and compassion in heaping bucketfulls. On top of that he wonderfully reprises "Rainy Night in Georgia" to such tremendous effect that you'll have a hard time recalling the marvellous Brook Benton rendition.
He is joined to incredible effect by some stellar friends, who have the good taste to support White instead of upstage him. Clapton, most significantly, is brilliant with White. It's in the blues that Clapton really shines. He should stick with this material instead of trying to write cloying pop sentimentalities. White would have none of that, and he and Clapton positively cook with all the jets up. So too with Mark Knopfler. And all this time I thought it was Chet Atkins who influenced MK the most! There is a wonderful pairing with Waylon Jennings that steers well clear of the camp that dots Jennings career. Michael McDonald even manages to rise (or given the baritone rumblings of this disk) sink to the occasion. You haven't heard McDonald this good since he backed Steely Dan.
All in all this will give your subwoofer the ride of its life, and your trunk will thump you all the way home.
This has been a helluva September with the release of this one, Dylan and Los Lobos. I'm on to Chris Smither next! You could count yourself lucky to have 3 like this in a year, let alone 10 days.
Pick this up - it's a perfect CD.

Starting in 1998 with "One Hot July," and continuing through "The Beginning," "Snakey" & "The Heroines," Tony Joe White has put out a series of brilliant low-key sets. "Undercover" continues this streak. The opener "Run for Cover" cooks like Louisiana lightning, "Our body heat could start a global warming." Reviewer Thom Jurek wrote that "Not One Bad Thought" began with White & Mark Knopfler sitting at a campfire with some food & beer before they headed into the studio for the recording of this searing guitar laden thunder-rocker. Eric Clapton recorded his part for "Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You" from London and was digitally added into the mix with his bluesy guitar weeping soulfully. White's voice is so deep and reflects strength, lust, betrayal and gentleness almost at the same time on "Louvelda," "I know you got a man. Does he treat you right? You know I lie awake and think about it late at night." "Rebellion" is a great song that seethes with anger about how commercial music business dictates packaging over the artistic choices of the music. My favorite track is "Shakin' the Blues" with one of Waylon Jennings' last vocals. Waylon sings, "They got an unmutual disrespect, so dissatisfied," and White blends in "You got an unnatural hold on me, but the truth is I don't mind." This track smokes & sears with Tony Joe's burning guitar. Michael McDonald joins white for "Baby, Don't Look Down" which is a satisfying mellow blues as McDonald sings, "You must be careful baby because the air gets real thin while you're up there on the tightrope somewhere between me & him." The set concludes with "Keeper of the Fire" a seething track with White's guitar like a licking flame. "Undercover" is another great CD that continues Tony Joe White's music as some of the boldest, most uncompromising on disc. Bravo!

Like "Mama" above said, Tony Joe is the very essence of cool. And with pals like Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, the already-conspicious-by-his-absence, Waylon Jennings, and even Michael McDonald of "Doobie" bros fame - Tony Joe's THE MAN. I particularly LOVE the track "Rebellion," because it deals with commercialization trying to make TJW more..."palpable" to the unwashed masses, i.e, "They told me that I had to get commercialized if I was going to fit in with the show - NO!" The track, "Baby Don't Look Down," with McDonald just about lets you forgive him, his "Doobie" past. He CAN sing da bluz when he wants to. And the final track, "Keeper Of The Fire," is one of the finest, most honest, no-frills "love songs" to date, "She's an intellectual Woman - I'm a low maintenance man" My only problem - and this is maybe indicitive of the fact that I need to get an "equalizer" or something for my system -is that, this being Swamp Music, TJW "forte" if you will, is a little heavy on the bass. Well...I can live with it. Tony Joe, it's good to have you back. When are you coming to Dayton?

Let me preface this review by saying that Tony Joe IS the MAN. He is a great influence on me and my own personal songwriting. That being said it is my opinion that Uncovered is good-not great. This should BY NO MEANS dissuade one from buying and listening to this collection. The guest appearances do little to make the compositions stand out. Most of the vocals from the guests are not very distinguishable from Tony Joe's approach. While I'm certain it was cool for these greats to get together and cut tracks, I'm not hearing too much that stands out. My personal pick is the vintage T.J.W."REBELLION". Louvella is a bit long and repetetive. It is tough to make out the vocals by JJ Cale. Probably the best guest vocal- or at least the one that stands out tonally- is Michael McDonald's. "Not ONE BAD THOUGHT" is a great song. Wonderful sentiment.
Tony Joe could burp into a pail and make it great on some level. Hey, the cat is responsible for some of the best lyrics and atmospheric songcraft out there...I do question why the remake of Rainy Night in Ga and Midnight Train.I suppose that was a marketing decision. In The end that's TJW's decision and no one elses.I can respect that.

A good CD, but not his best work. Tony Joe has such a unique style, and that sometimes makes his music difficult to blend with other artist. "Did somebody make a fool out of you" is one of my favorite Tony Joe songs, and is very well covered on this CD. Certainly good listening; a master stylist.

All Tony Joe White fans will love this cd. It is classic Tony Joe. You will not be disappointed.

I've got mixed feelings about this album. On the one hand, it's got Tony Joe White...and even in '06, The Boy is cooking. And, as another plus, the drum mixes are as crisp as a whip. On the downside, he elected to have outsiders sing and play on some of his cuts...and the only reason I can think of that he did so was to show that, by comparison, he's the Real Deal and they are just wimps.

Don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Mark Knopfler's and, even though it has become fashionable to bash Clapton in certain hobbyist guitar forums, I appreciate the greatness he has added to guitar history. Now, J.J. Cale is not someone I have ever warmed up to...and Michael McDonald? Gawd! I can't stand to listen to that whiny, fake, constipated-sounding voice. He sounds like he can't quite decide whether he's an opera-singer or a wannabe "Blue-Eyed Soul" singer. And, sadly, he's neither! But, the scariest part is that he, probably, thinks that he's actually adding something to Tony Joe's track!!! The only song that works pretty well is the one he shares with Waylon Jennings. On this one, they sound like a couple of Horny Old Men having a good time. Cool!

"Not One Bad Thought" with Knopfler isn't bad...but I was disappointed by Knopfler's contributions. On his own, his vox are very Soulful...but they sound weak in comparison to White's. And: I'm used to hearing Knopfler cook on guitar...which, like me, he plays bare-fingered. But here? It sounds like they used a lot of obnoxious stomp-boxes that buried the distinctive Knopfler sound.

And "Did Somebody Make A Fool Out Of You" with Clapton was obnoxious compared to Tony Joe's original version. The mix wasn't very good because there was a lot of self-indulgent "busy-work" between the (too-many) guitar tracks. Clapton certainly plays flawlessly...and his vox are decent. But, when heard in comparison to Tony Joe's, he sounds exactly like what he is: a weak British copy of The Real Deal.

I won't even comment on the Cale track ("Louvelda") except for one word: boring.

"Baby, Don't Look Down" is a really cool tune (as is the first cut...done without outside "help"..."Run For Cover"!) but the worst parts are whenever Michael McDonald "graces" us with his vox. Man, that guy's voice is nothing but irritating and he should probably stick to hanging out in L.A. and not trying to sound Southern...or Soulful. Listen to the difference between Tony Joe's solo vocals and McDonald's: I rest my case! Plus the fact that it didn't sound like they'd rehearsed their parts up very well. When they sing harmonies, their phrasing is downright sloppy...and shameful!

The general arrangements are good...especially the horn-charts...and the back-up vox work very well within the context. I already mentioned that the drum mixes are crisp. Tony Joe's vox could have been brought up a little in the mixes...but, over all...except for the bad choice in collaborations...it was a decent album.

But here's a personal message to Tony Joe:

Hey, man: PLEASE make the rest of your albums without collaborating. You're simply better than that...and you don't need the "famous" names screwing up your good work!

With ALL respect,

Ian Bruce-Douglas

Interesting disc for Tony Joe White fans. His earlier discs are better - such as On The Path Of A Decent Groove, Lake Placid Blues, Closer To The Truth and One Hot July. Easy to listen to but some of the tracks are badly recorded.

This is solid gold Tony Joe in real blues mood helped along by friends, some from across the water. Late night listening at it's deepest, full of feelings and deep
expressions. I hope that some of the duets might be extended into other albums. Keep up that Louisiana swamp sound Tony!!

Tony Joe White eats bubblegum pop artists for breakfast. If you're ready for your music collection to grow up, this is your guy and "Uncovered" is your cd. An often overlooked gem, Tony Joe White has returned with the most smokin' album of his career and he's brought along pals like Eric Clapton for this swampy, fantastic musical ride.