Living in a New World

Willie King (Artist), Liberators (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 11, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rooster Blues
• ASIN: B000066RLK
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,093 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Living In A New World

2. Crawlin' Blues

3. The Stomper

4. America

5. You So Evil

6. All Tied Up

7. You Got To Have Love

8. Ain't Gonna Work

9. Is It My Imagination

10. Terrorized

11. The Blues Life (monologue)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

You wouldn't expect songs about social injustice and the struggle for racial unity to boom out of an Alabama juke joint, but singer-guitarist Willie King is as much activist as bluesman, with a history of community work dating back to the '60s. He's also a warm-voiced singer with the soulful phrasing of a country preacher and a knack for plucking raw tones and economical tunes from the heart of his six string. His new album combines beauty and intellect without sacrificing joy. Even while King begs "Will you please hear my call/America, let's come together" in "America," the groove slinks around the dance floor and gets goosed by a sweet-toned solo that fades into a symbolic coupling with a funky sax. "You So Evil," King's growlin' tribute to Howlin' Wolf, and "The Stomper," an ode to a lead-footed dancer in an Arkansas juke joint King frequents, are pure shots of roughhouse blues.

But King's best when he's speaking his mind. And he's never clearer than on the riveting "Terrorized," which weds a one-chord, John Lee Hooker riff--King elaborating on it with little flurries of sliding melodies and fills that beckon to Mother Africa--to the lines "Talk about terror/Peoples, I been terrorized all my days ... You took my name and you left me in chains/Wouldn't let me go to school/And you know I didn't know how to read or write." King's last disc, 2000's Freedom Creek, suffered from shaky musicianship and a lack of energy, but this time, his group and arrangements are as ironclad as his convictions. And that makes this one of the year's best blues CDs. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living In A New World - Wow., July 2, 2002

By A Customer

I had heard through a friend that Willie King was a very good blues artist. My friend had said since I liked RL Burnside that I would much enjoy his new album. I love RL Burnside, so that was a bold statement.
This album blows my mind. He definitely rings a bell when it comes to comparing him to RL, but I hate to say this...HE IS BETTER THAN RL BURNSIDE. His soulful voice and lyrics along with his back up vocalist brings a Curtis Mayfield meets Howlin Wolf sound.
My favorite track is definitely The Stomper. It has that dirty blues feel that makes you want to go down south to the nearest Juke Joint and get down. The artwork for this album is also superb.
Definitely a must get for any blues/soul fan!

Brian

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Live the King, November 2, 2002

By	lbcguy (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

A lot of reviews I've seen for "Living In a New World" focus on the politics of the lyrics, and while that's all well and good, one must give Willie King his props: he and his band kick blues butt on this CD. The music just moves, driven on by King's low growl of a voice and merciless guitar attack.

If you're looking for other artists to compare him to, among contempraries, I'd say take a look at the Holmes Brothers (this CD is stronger and more consistent than anything they've done, though.) Among the older blues-men, Lightnin' Hopkins may be the closest in sound.