Customer Reviews

Watch Your Back

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Born David William Kearney in 1939, Texan Guitar Shorty first recorded in 1957, yet this is only the 6th album for Jimi Hendrix's former brother-in-law (well, he married Hendrix's stepsister).

Kearney's career has had its shares of highs and lows (and sometimes the lows were very low, too), but since he was picked up by JSP in 1990 he has delivered a handful of albums which rank from good to great, and this is one of the best ones.
"Watch Your Back" is a really tough record...Shorty's fiery, fat-toned guitar playing is not unlike Stevie Ray Vaughan's, and he delivers these ten songs with utter conviction. There is nothing here as instantly memorable as the best work of Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf, sure, but that's pretty much a given, I suppose, and there are a lot of really good songs here even without an obvious replacement for "Hoochie Coochie Man".

Opening with one of the best ones, the gruff, muscular "Old School", "Watch Your Back" is excellently produced by Shorty's pianist Jesse Harms (formerly of REO Speedwagon). No frills, no gloss and glitter, just forty minutes of rowdy, smouldering blues, and Shorty rips into each blazing song, slow grind or up-tempo boogie, with equal enthusiasm.
Highlights include "I'm Gonna Leave You", an intense slow blues, the gritty swagger of "It Ain't The Fall That Kills You", the funky "What She Don't Know", a tough-as-nails rendition of "A Little Less Conversation", the driving "Let's Get Busy", and "Let My Guitar Do The Talking", a powerful mid-tempo number with a charging Bo Diddley beat.
Fans of so-called "modern electric blues" will want a listen, and those new to David William Kearney can start here.

If you love hard electric blues, this album will blow you away. I'm a guitar player, and listening to "Watch Your Back" is like hearing a living encyclopedia of great blues licks. Guitar Shorty could play circles around guys half his age...get this album!

"Let My Guitar Do the Talking" is a great Guitar Shorty theme; his guitar smokes, chats, laughs a whole lot, and tells a great story of the history of rock & blues. Another great CD by this living legend. His vocals are hit and miss, but you'll buy this one for the guitar and never regret it. I recommend, however, that you skip the combo-sale with Johnny Winter above. It's JW's weakest work; he is sadly fading away. Be sure to check other Winter albums though--in fact, they're all good hard-rocking blues besides this newest one (he never could really sing well, but this one has no energy). If this is your first time to hear about Johnny Winter because you just came here for the Guitar Shorty (can't go wrong with Shorty), then check out Johnny Winter And. That's Rocking.

This is a great album. Guitar Shorty's playing style is rock solid, and his vocals are perfectly suited for his style of play. I had never heard of this man, but am I glad I "discovered" him. I play this album a couple times a week from cover to cover. It's absolutely amazing (and sad) that this man is not recognized as the great musician/guitarist that his is. Guitar Shorty had a trememdous influence on Jimi Hendrix as a young man and also was his brother-in-law. If you like blues, this man's guitar playing will have you smiling and patting yourself on the back for buying it. Just do it!

Guitar Shorty is fabulous. His music exudes a BB King style of Blues that rips you apart. This man never got his due. The BLUES is Guitar Shorty. I dare anyone to dispute that. If you buy one Blues Album this year make sure it is this one. (...)YOU'LL BE SORRY IF YOU DON'T.

Absolutely Shorty's best work to date. Great guitar grooves. a must buy for blues and rock fans.

This guy can play. I like this CD a lot...but his new one, WE THE PEOPLE, is even better.

Think modern blues rock without getting to far from the source. Think influential to Jimi Hendrix. Think about going to see him live. Although I enjoy this and the other Shorty albums that I own, I've got to say that seeing him live is a joy. It's really fun to see him play his licks and know that you're seeing the source of where Jimi got some of his licks. Thanks to Shorty for still going on and allowing a new generation to see how it's done!

You should see Guitar Shorty live, he blows away any of the CD's of his that I have heard.

I've been a Guitar Shorty fan for more than 10 years, having seen him at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ several times. I own all of his previous CDs and this one is definitely a cut above. Shorty has become at least partially "big time" and that's a double-edged sword for me: fewer and fewer appearances at the Rhythm Room, but the best-produced discs he's ever done. I'm happy to know he's made it, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.