Label: Mascot 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
Here's Albert!!! Not to be confused with Whitney Cummings or any other comedian for that matter (Whitney'd be glad all over if people thought she was Albert tho'). To start up your brand new album with the rather tiresome old blues of "Hold On" (Sam and Dave) may not please this particular reviewer. Especially since we've heard this blues story way too many times in the past. "Do What Mama Says" strolls down the same old lane as previous track and it's so been there, done that. Don't get me wrong. Albert's no schmuck and guitar work and vocals are spot on. The song material on the other hand will have you constantly day dreaming about smokey bar rooms and 7 drunken geezers around the tables throwing various strange items at the poor entertainer.
"Red Rooster", oh dear, it's not getting any better and by the time "Queen Mean" blast through the speakers, I'm afraid that you've already lost this listener and overall music fanatic. No. Wait, wait. The Van Morrison cover of "Crazy Love" saves the moment as the ballad goes straight to the heart, before it's right back to where we started from with "Get Out Of Here".
It's just too safe, middle of the road, predictable, and not at all exciting blues material that's been done to death. Sure. It's easy accesible and geezer friendly and "Me and My Guitar" shows Albert's best side (guitar-wise), but ultimately it's all a little disappointing. Sort of if 'Best Buy' would release a blues record. Nicely recorded in Muscle Shoals, with the legendary Jim Gaines in the producer's chair, I do however not "Believe" in the songmaterial...
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