Watermelon Slim and the Workers

Watermelon Slim & The Workers, Watermelon Slim

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
• Original Release Date: February 14, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Northern Blues
• ASIN: B000E0LMBC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,380 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans sings like a baying basset, drawing the tongue-in-cheek misery of tunes like "Hard Times" and "Check Writing Woman" out in long, dry-mouthed syllables. But it's the slide guitar on this, his third album, that really howls, whether he's playing smooth and shimmery on his original take on the Robert Johnson myth "Devil's Cadillac" or drawing on the ghost of Elmore James on "Hard Labor." That blend of humor--always delivered from a skewed autobiographical perspective--and raw-boned backwoods virtuosity makes this one of the year's more colorful blues albums and should elevate Slim from the genre's underground. And while his backing trio, the Workers, are a crack outfit whose spare accompaniment beautifully frames Slim's laconic musings, the solo "Folding Money Blues"--just Slim moaning along with his acoustic guitar--is a high point, with Slim telling his complaints to all the "dead presidents." He deserves our ears, too. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh-sounding take on the blues, June 20, 2006

By	loce_the_wizard "loce_the_wizard" (Lilburn, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans sings about misery and treachery, but instead of just going to the well and reroasting the same blues chestnuts he gives the genre a good, swift kick in the rear. "Watermelon Slim and the Workers" is the kind of CD that one should play to a group of friends assembled for a game or cards or dice on the porch. Nobody will know what is playing, but everybody will like this fresh-sounding take on the blues.

Mr. Homans penned most of the tracks here, and he delivers his musical tales in a howl that might raise the hackles on more than a few dogs. His slide and harp playing are on the money, and the Workers, the excellent trio who accompany him, lend plenty of feisty energy to this blues-laden outing. Instead of over-the-top guitar or gutbucket baying, Watermelon Slim and the Workers features crisp arrangements paired with laconic insights instilling new life into a sometimes tired genre.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, May 28, 2006

By	M. Bernocchi "mbernocchi" (Old Windsor, Berkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I never heard about Watermelon Slim & the Workers and I bought this CD just for curiosity and for the positive reviews posted below. Thanks guys! One of the best purchase so far in 2006. From start to finish this is an excellent blues album played with feeling and a great respect for the masters of the past. You could define this album as a traditional blues one with a modern twist. To me sometimes it sounds like the great Muddy Waters was back again playing his music. Very solid and tight band, excellent slide guitar playing however it is Mr. Slim singing that deserves a particular mention. His voice is just perfect for the gender and his performance is constantly strong. Really recommended to all the blues lovers.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ... and don't forget to Boogie., March 29, 2006

By	Ridgerunner (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This would be a really solid, dependable, workin' man's blues album, except for 3 cuts: #1 Hard Times, #12 Juke Joint Woman, and #14 Eau De Boue. These 3 cuts elevate this collection towards legendary.
Merciful God has given you a chance to own this CD. Do so.