R.L. Burnside was already father to 12 boogie chillen when he put out Bad Luck City in 1992, and that’s exactly what they do here.
From sons Dwayne on guitar and Joseph on bass to son-in-law Calvin Johnson on drums, everything is cozy and cool. That vibe is carried throughout this riffy batch of originals and well-chosen covers.
Yes, you’ll hear this Holly Springs, Miss., native’s rowdy rendition of the legendary blues workout “Boogie Chillen” on his Fat Possum debut. We discover another take on “Killing Floor.” But also the first flowerings of a new signature sound in north Mississippi blues on cuts like “Talkin’ About the Ghetto” and “My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble.”
And they don’t stop. There are precious few moments during the whole of Bad Luck City when these guys cool off. There aren’t even run-out grooves to speak of between tracks.
It makes for a roughly hewn, you-are-there feel – one that underlines this brood’s unique gift for groovy improvisation. You’ll find a smidge of electric-period Muddy Waters mixed liberally with the acoustic alchemy of Son House, and something new entirely.
With Bad Luck City, R.L. Burnside arrived almost fully formed.
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