Customer Reviews

What You Got

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

 

 

Kenny Neal's second album for Telarc records, and his seventh record in 13 years, is a really solid collection of blues and soul.
The horn section which some people have cited as a reason for not liking Kenny's brand of blues is gone, although saxist Marshall DeMott does pop up once or twice, and the tight four-man combo lay down a series of supple grooves anchored by drummer Kennard Johnson and Kenny's brother Noel Neal on bass.

Kenny Neal himself handles all guitars and vocals, and plays sizzling harmonica on two of the album's best songs, "Love On Borrowed Time" and the wonderful, swinging R&B of "Dèja Vu".
And he has written or co-written nine of these twelve songs, including the title track, a wonderful slow soul number which grows on me every time I listen to it. I'm not usually big on organs, but organist/pianist Anthony Geraci's instrument has a wonderful smooth tone which fits the overall mood of the album like a glove.

The best of Neal's Alligator albums, like "Walking On Fire" and "Hoodoo Man", had a bit more variation in mood and tempo, and that is pretty much the only complaint I have against this album...there is a bit too much laid-back soul blues here, and a few more up-tempo numbers would have been nice.
But this is still really good soul-blues. "What You Got" is stronger and more original than Neal's first record for Telarc, "Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain", and Neal's rendition of "Little Brother" is terrific, a showcase for his rough but subtly nuanced voice. The originals "I Smell Smoke" and "You've Been Spying On Me" are no less great...you can't go wrong with any of Kenny Neal's albums, really, and this one is certainly no exception.

WHAT YOU GOT IS A MIX A BLUES,BALLARDS AND SOME ROCKIN BLUES. CD STARTS WITH A FINE NUMBER CALLED I SMELL SMOKE W/ SOME FINE GUITAR PLAYING TO THE BLUES ARE NOTHING BUT A GOOD MAN FEELING BAD. IF YOU ENJOY DIFFERENT TYPES ARE BLUES ON ONE CD THIUS IS THE CD FOR YOU

This is some tasty stuff. Young Louisiana bluesman Kenny Neal sings and plays (guitars and harmonica) like a real veteran, and he and his band really deliver the goods with their blend of blues, R&B, and soul. Every cut sounds fresh, not warmed over, and there is a nice variety of styles, so the band never wears out its welcome. A special highlight is the cut "Little Brother (Make a Way)," which is one of those cuts you will want to play over and over again because it just sounds so real and refreshing. Although I've not been overly impressed with most of the stuff I have heard from the Telarc Blues label, I must say they have really nailed it with this release, and I will look forward to future releases from Kenny Neal. He's got it!