SOL~FED~JOE
CD REVIEWS
Otis Rush
Any Place I'm Going
House Of Blues Music - 1998
West Side Chicago Blues great Otis Rush offered this release in 1998 for House Of Blues Music. It is his first studio effort since his acclaimed 1994 outing, AINT ENOUGH COMIN' IN . Enlisting Memphis studio mainstays like bassist Leroy Hodges, keyboard player Lester Snell, and the production talents of the legendary Willie Mitchell, Otis has delivered a Memphis influenced assortment of sizzling blues and groovin' r&b.
Otis's vibrato laden guitar tone comes in instantly as the opening cut, You FIred Yourself, begins. The song, written in part by Willie Mitchell, grooves with that Memphis flavor Mitchell is famous for. The next two, Keep On Lovin' Me Baby and Part Time Love are long time staples of Otis' repertoire. The former is a remake of Otis' great 1958 Cobra Records tune. The latter is a slow, driven blues that allows Otis to wield his axe in the singing - crying - wailing style many other legendary players worship him for. Lookin' Back, another Otis Rush classic, reminds us that his voice sounds as sweet and packs as much of a punch as his guitar attack.
Many of the other songs here are actually material new to Otis; something we fans would have loved to hear over the years as he sporadically released live albums of similar, if not the same, material. Included are Marvin Gaye's Pride and Joy, Sam Cooke's sad story of heartbreak, Laughin' and Clownin' (dang - Otis' voice on this track just about made me cry, yet made me feel so good at the same time), Nappy Brown's The Right Time, and my personal favorite - Lloyd Price's Have You Ever Had The Blues. Each one sounds fresh for Otis and allows him to use his voice and guitar in ways that send tingles down the listener's back.
For fans, this CD is another great in a relatively short list of studio recordings by this Chicago legend. For those new to Otis Rush, it is a fine example of why he has been cited as an influence by such other legendary artists as Stevie Ray Vaughan (he named his band after the Otis classic, Double Trouble), Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and SOL~FED~JOE.
All told, Otis Rush is still one of the greatest soulful blues singers you'll ever hear. Ditto for his guitar playing as well. He has been and continues to be one of the world's best blues artists of all time!!
Other Otis Rush recommendations:
Cobra Recordings - 1956-1958
Door To Door - 1960
Chicago - The Blues Today - 1968
Mourning In The Morning (with Duane Allman) - 1969
Cold Day In Hell - 1975
Right Place, Wrong Time (recorded 1971) - 1976
Live In Europe (recorded 1977)
So Many Roads - 1978
Tops - 1998
Lost In The Blues - (recorded 1977) - 1991
Ain't Enough Comin' In - 1994
Screamin' And Cryin' (recorded 1974) - Only recommended for
fans who are familiar with Otis Rush. Very harsh sounding.
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