The Well

Charlie Musselwhite | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B003TYOABO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,751 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Charlie Musselwhite returns with The Well. With musical flavors from Mississippi to Memphis to Chicago, The Well is steeped in the music of Charlie's youth -- country and city blues as well as rockabilly and gospel -- the music that inspired his signature sound. The fresh, new songs speak from his decades of experience, hard living, and his triumph over adversity.

The Well is the first full-band recording in Musselwhite's long career for which he wrote or co-wrote every track on the album, and it is the most personal and the emotionally deepest cycle of songs he has ever created. The revealing, autobiographical songs recall specific events and places in Musselwhite's amazingly colorful life. His conversational vocals and masterful harmonica work are perfectly matched with the stories he tells and the near-telepathic musicianship behind him. Simply put, The Well is Charlie Musselwhite at his very best.

Central to the album are stories looking back at hard times and personal healing. "Dig The Pain" recalls his drinking days, while "The Well" tells of his recovery. In "Cook County Blues," he wryly remembers his short stint behind bars. The most poignant song on the album, "Sad And Beautiful World" -- a duet with Charlie's close friend, legendary vocalist Mavis Staples -- is his response to the tragic murder of his 93-year-old mother in her own home (and the house Charlie grew up in) during a burglary. Each track on The Well is a chapter from Charlie's life, and in the liner notes to the CD he offers some very personal insights into the meaning behind the songs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning effort, August 25, 2010

By 

Kil Roi (Ashburn, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Well (Audio CD)

Two things you'll always get from Charlie Musselwhite: A shimmering blues harp and sincerity.

On The Well, Charlie delivers both, in what is perhaps his best album to date. The Well, aptly named because Charlie went deep for these numbers, features 13 fresh bourbon-drenched blues tunes, including two instrumentals: "Sonny Payne Special" and "Clarksdale Getaway."

What you won't find are threadbare blues calisthenics. Each song is well-written and executed by a tight band in sync with Charlie's soul. At age 66, his voice is as fresh as ever and his song-writing is heart-felt and honest.

If you're new to Charlie Musselwhite, this is a great place to start. But you'll want to work your way back and get Delta Hardware and One Night in America.

For Musselwhite fans and those with a penchant for blues harp, this is it.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOT BLOWOUT BLUES!, October 4, 2010

By 

M. SMITH "blues chick" (KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Well (Audio CD)

If you wondering whether to get this cd or not--I have a tip: TYPE FAST AND BUY IT! You will be glad you did.
You have fast blues, slow blues, haunting harp blues...all of it on one cd. This cd is jam packed with ear candy..from the lyrics, the vocals, the instrumental harp digging deep in your soul and believe me your soul will be filled!!! I just saw Charlie in person and he was phenomenal! He is true dirt and grit blues and so is this cd.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A deep well of treasured music, September 8, 2010

By 

Tim Holek - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Well (Audio CD)

Come experience the blues dripping off reeds. Charlie Musselwhite's return to Alligator Records -- where he recorded three successful albums in the early 1990s -- is his first recording where he wrote every track on the album. In addition to re-establishing himself on Alligator, the harmonica master, vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist also re-constructs himself as a traditional blues artist on The Well. The music here is quite different from the contemporary sounds he produced on his two previous discs on RealWorld Records.

Yes those trademark spoken-like vocals of Musselwhite's abound on this 48-minute disc. You will also hear his Deep South influences (especially in his traditional acoustic guitar), probing and jazz-influenced harmonica, and overall laid-back sensibility. The band was brought together by producer Chris Goldsmith. The Well was recorded in Los Angeles with guitarist Dave Gonzales (Paladins, Hacienda Brothers), bassist John Bazz (The Blasters), and drummer Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, Mavis Staples).

"Rambler's Blues" kick things off. Melodically it sounds like Muddy Waters' "You Need Love". However, the exclusive lyrics reveal Musselwhite's passion to roam and ramble. The title track sounds like it could have come from the Delta Hardware recording sessions, but the song evolved naturally during the sessions for The Well. It's a rockin' number with a sound that is a throwback to the '50s. The song reveals the inspiration which provided Musselwhite the courage to be brave and face his alcohol addiction. In December 2005, Musselwhite's mother was murdered in her Memphis home. "Sad and Beautiful World" comes from the things he wanted to say after that tragic event. The highly-emotional song mixes a very sweet melody with tragic lyrics. The harp shares the anguish of the lyrics. With special guest and longtime friend, Mavis Staples, Charlie sings the tragic yet uplifting words, "Blues heal what's been torn apart/Let the river heal my heart". Hoodoo Queen sounds mysterious and spooky. It reveals the harp blower's fascination with Marie Laveau, the Hoodoo Queen. Like a good novel, this song takes some time, three minutes in particular, to develop. "Cook County Blues" features southern country-styled fast finger guitar picking, which is ironic given the song, is about being arrested in the northern city of Chicago.

With a full and big sounding guitar, rich harp, and thumping upright bass, "Dig The Pain" demonstrates the sound of West Coast jump/swing music. You also hear that sound, which combines '50s Chicago blues with post-War Texas blues on the instrumental "Sonny Payne Special". "Just You, Just Blues" contains one of those ultra-catchy grooves that naturally gets imbedded in your memory. Musselwhite has created such grooves time again throughout his almost 50-year career, most recently on "Church Is Out" from Delta Hardware. This song isn't as rocking as Church but the potent rhythm, masterful guitar, and soaring harp are the best the CD has to offer.

Throughout, the harp skitters with emotion. Musselwhite plays his sensational mouth organ like a freewheeling piano man barreling up and down the 88s, and he possesses the innate ability to use his wistful Mississippi saxophone to carry your troubles away like a brisk wind. As a bonus, Musselwhite performs guitar on a couple tracks which sound like they came straight from the front porch of a Mississippi tin shack.

With 30 solo albums to his credit, Musselwhite has also appeared on numerous recordings as a featured player with Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Blind Boys Of Alabama, INXS, and most recently, Cyndi Lauper. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010, has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won 23 Blues Music Awards.

Most of the thirteen songs on The Well are simple and basic blues tunes. What stand out the most are the southern themes and southern rhythms. All the songs are autobiographical and reflect plenty of Musselwhite's remarkable past. In reflecting on the past, it sets the stage for what may lay ahead for Musselwhite which is a deep well of treasured music. The system won't let me rate this as 3.5 so I am rounding up to 4.

Tim Holek