Bayou Blood

Kenny Neal

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B000000A0B
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,514 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #73 in	Music > Indie Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues
  #87 in	Music > Indie Music > Blues > Electric Blues Guitar

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The multitalented Kenny Neal offers up a real treat with Bayou Blood, which features mostly original songs seasoned with a very few covers. Neal's guitar work is excellent and his smoky voice is a pleasure, but it's his harp playing that really shines, especially on "Howling at the Moon" and "Big City Ways." There's plenty of variety, from the fast-paced shuffle of "Right Train, Wrong Track" to the slower, attitudinal "Gonna Put You out of My Misery" to the smooth "Smoke Signals." "That Knife Don't Cut No More," "Do I Have to Go That Far?" and the title track are especially memorable, and a tasty cover of "You Ain't Foolin' Me" closes this album with style. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some chooglin' good stuff!, April 7, 2001

By	Dr.D.Treharne (Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent example of Kenny Neal's downhome blues. Recorded in Florida with his road band at the time, which included the much under-rated Lucky Peterson on keyboards, Ken Johnson on drums and either Noel or Darnell Neal on bass ( best to keep it in the family!) it displays the width of Neal's many styles.Favourites are "That knife don't cut no more" in which he gets to stretch out and "Do I have to go that far?" Apart from some second guitar from Pat Rush on "Going to the Country" the album sounds pretty much like the band on the road did at the time. Finally, special mention for two excellent cover versions which to my mind transcend the originals, namely "I can read between the lines" and Chris Youlden's "You aint foolin me". Close your eyes and the band are there playing for you!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Kenny, July 30, 2005

By	Docendo Discimus (Vita scholae) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Kenny Neal's fourth album was his best so far. The first half is particularly solid, tough, sturdy swamp blues and gritty R&B, and some excellent harp and guitar playing by Kenny Neal himself.
Neal has been one of the greatest American blues and rock singers for 15 years, and his powerful baritone voice is at once soulful and rough.

Some may regret that the horn section which backed Kenny Neal on his previous records is largely gone, while some may relish the fact. Me, I like it either way, and Neal's harmonica playing on this album is particularly excellent.
The swaggering "Gonna Put You Out Of My Misery" and the slow grind of "That Knife Don't Cut No More" are among his best songs, and other highlights include "Howling At The Moon", "Right Train, Wrong Track", and the excellent harp-laden "Do I Have To Go That Far".
The first eight songs are uniformly strong, actually, but the album loses a bit of steam towards the end with a few too many similarly sounding and not particularly memorable numbers. They're not bad, far from it, actually, but coming right on the heels of "Do I Have To Go That Far" even good songs like "I Can Read Between The Lies" and "Big City Ways" sound a little bit stale.

But still...second-rate Kenny Neal is better than many artists' best efforts, and while a ten-track "Bayou Blood" would have been a sure five-star album, this 14-track incarnation is pretty great as well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope Kenny is well., October 22, 2006

By	P.J. Le Faucheur (Canada (ex- U.K. resident)) - See all my reviews

This has some standout tracks on it." Right train, wrong track" really rolls along with some fine guitar. The slow blues "That knife don't cut no more" has to be one of the finest Blues songs ever written. Strong lyrics all round. Neal has to be one of the greatest blues guitarists on this planet today..his feel is just as good as SRV. *Listen to the instrumental "Neal & Prey" and hear what he does with his battered Fender Telecaster.
Kenny Neal has it all, film star looks and personality, a fine stage presentation, great timing and exemplorary multi-instrumental talent.
I've heard he has been seriously ill and had to take the year off from touring. This is to wish him a speedy recovery.