Label: Provogue/Music Theories 2015
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
Everybody Wants A Piece of Blues Hall Of Fame inductee, Joe Louis Walker? Yes indeed. It's proper roadhouse and barroom boogie from the 66 years young guitarist (Tower of Power, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Ike Turner, etc). It's the back to basic, back to the roots kind of album. Walker pays tribute to the past as he plays average blues tunes that brims over with tongue-in-cheek attitude and simplicity. Simply check out the boogie-woogie of 'Buzz On You' for proof to the fact that sometimes you don't have to change a winning concept even though it's been played to death for the past 60 years or more.
The powerful ballad, 'Black & Blue', timeless stuff and something that could have been the work by any one from Buddy Guy to Fine Young Cannibals (weird, but true!). The attempt at being something more than an blues artist is obvious at 'Witchcraft' since it's blues, funk and soul, all rolled in one. The tone is warm and welcoming and the spiritual side shines through in several compositions. 'One Sunny Day' have an fine understanding on how to make a blues work and the instrumental 'Gospel Blues' takes down the tempo like a sledgehammer to the head.
Hardly everything on here is great, fresh or new. It's still a decent effort from the Walker.
It's a shame. I really wanted to like this album, but - not for lack of trying - couldn't get into it.
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