February 99 Southwest Blues Magazine Blues Review
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Chris Thomas King's debut CD for Black Top Records is a great example of understatement and undercurrent. Mainly an acoustic album, the currents of King's heritage in Louisiana come to the surface of his music in a forceful and evocative manner. Red Mud is a combination of nine King originals and five well chosen covers that blend to create a fabric with a pattern of old and new, dark and light. The CD opens with the title song, "Red Mud". Written by King, it tells of love and uncertainty, where lovers kill lovers and are found "face down in red mud". |
| "Red Mud" is a haunting
and memorable tune. King shows his acoustic chops on "Soon This Morning Blues",
a good boogie number and "I'm On Fire". King also does fine work on the National
steel guitar on "Dark Cloud", and "If It Ain't One Thang, It's Two".
Both are Chris Thomas King originals and evoke sounds from the Delta.
"Alive" is a surprise in the middle of the CD. Easily the darkest song of the
set, "Alive" is a mellow sing/speak/rap story of life, danger and apathy in the
city. With light string arrangements, this could be a nod to future stylings for Chris
Thomas King. "Wanna Die With A Smile On My Face" is also a slight departure. A
celebration of love, it is an upbeat catchy tune. "Raining Angels" is a
beautiful acoustic spiritual to end the CD. In addition to the fine originals, two Robert
Johnson songs, "Come On in My Kitchen" and "Ramblin' on My Mind" are
covered well. He also includes an emotional version of Son House's "Death Letter
Blues" where he really cuts his voice loose. King includes two songs of his father's,
Louisiana bluesman Tabby Thomas. With Tabby Thomas on vocals, "Hoodoo Party"
gets a fresh take and sounds great. On "Bus Station Blues", father and son get
down and jam the blues together. Hammond Scott and Chris Thomas King produced this CD with
a low key acoustic sound. Some songs sound like he's right in the room with you. Darryl
White provides very tasteful and restrained drums and percussion. King plays all of the
other instruments. Most of the songs are very understated with minimal arrangements. But
this only allows King to show his emotional singing and playing. Chris Thomas King comes
from a deep blues heritage in Louisiana that comes through strong on this CD. This is an
artist who has created a solid work with an eye to the past and a foot in the future. Red
Mud is a work of quiet force. --Pete Barbeck February 99 Southwest Blues Magazine Blues Review |
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