Last Fair Deal

Rory Block

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2003)
• Original Release Date: September 23, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B0000C8AS6
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,910 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A veteran blueswoman, Rory Block proves herself both a traditionalist and an explorer through this selection of blues classics, spiritual standards, and original material with a kindred spirit. She pays homage to her musical roots with impeccable renditions of songs associated with her late mentor Son House ("County Farm Blues") and his prize pupil Robert Johnson ("Last Fair Deal Gone Down," "Traveling Riverside Blues"). Yet she takes considerable liberties with the album's instrumental centerpiece, an all but unrecognizable version of the familiar "Amazing Grace," which here recalls Leo Kottke's aural adventurousness rather than the hymnal. The original "Declare" (inspired by the Bible's Book of Job) and the traditional "Hallelu, Hallelu" both find Block multi-tracking her vocals into the call-and-response of a full gospel choir, while "Cry Out Loud" and "Mama's Stray Baby" reflect the folkier strains of her artistry. An acoustic guitarist with a stinging slide and an understated virtuosity, she's more concerned with deep grooves than hot licks. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rory, doing what she does best, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

Rory Block is one of today's artists out at the forefront of keeping acoustic blues alive. This CD has a lot of Rory doing what she does best: gritty blues and acoustic slide guitar.

The best songs are the one Son House and two Robert Johnson covers, Sookie Sookie, Look What The Lord Has Done. A couple of the songs are a little sappy, the one about the stray dog, for example.

A little restrained; Rory can really cut loose when she wants to. But excellent singing and playing throughout.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine, mellow set by this talented blues picker, October 14, 2003

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

An airy, loose acoustic blues set, with plenty of gentle slide guitar, and a hefty dose of straightforward preachin' gospel blues.  Some surprises, like an ethereal instrumental version of "Amazing Grace," and her spacy, stream-of-conscousness delivery throughout.  At times Block sounds a bit mannered and stuffy, in a folkie kinda way, yet the mix of relaxed, informal presentation and an overall evocative, spine-tingly feel make this record worth checking out.... Her fans will certainly dig it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, overlooked and underrated, May 4, 2007

By	Derek Fuller "Albuquerque Bluesman" (All beef Jerky, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Rory's for 20 years or so. This collection of artistry is the only example of something that makes me laugh and cry at the same time. Her love of music, her love of the guitar, her love of singing has never been more pronounced than in this work. Although an outspoken champion of women's rights, I think when it comes to her guitar, Rory would agree that "she love slappin'that bitch silly, and da bitch like it". Hell, I like it. After years of string bending, she finally puts on the silver finger and gives it all she's got. Way to go, Rory.