CD Review
Floyd Lee
Full Moon Lightinin’
(Amogla AR003 )
by Tim Holek
Review date: June 2005
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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His two previous CDs have received rave reviews and he was recently featured in a Living Blues magazine special feature. This, along with strong references from fellow blues writers, set my expectations high for Full Moon Lightnin’. With the exception of one song, this 47-minute CD fails to meet expectations. The album was recorded live in Jimbo Mathus’ studio in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Lee and his acoustic/electric guitar are in good company with Sam Carr (drums), Brad Vickers (bass) and Joel Poluck (electric guitar and slide). Too many covers were selected for the material. Most of us will already have numerous versions of these songs in our collections.
Floyd Lee’s voice is well past its prime. It creaks like a rickety old staircase. The title track has a Fat Possum feel to it. Picture Robert Belfour without the droning vocals. The tune contains everything about the blues that originated in Mississippi. It also has a crisper and cleaner production than the other cuts on the album. The remainder of tunes do not contain exquisite production because they aren’t supposed to. Lee’s vocals are distorted as he growls like a bear on "Lights Out." When he sings, "crawl into your window" on "Crawlin’ Kingsnake", it is sung uninvitingly. So, you might lock your window with fright, or throw caution to the wind, and strut yourself in front of it. Three numbers simply feature Lee performing solo with his practically impeccable acoustic guitar. As rustic and un-contemporary as this disc is, it contains a bonus song accompanied by a video which can be viewed on a computer. This eight-minute final track is the best, as it captures the essence of what the blues is all about. The song makes you feel necessary, and, therefore, elevates your being.
This disc has a vintage feel, but it comes across as living in the past. This is raw, rough, lowdown blues which is mean. The sound of the blues, prior to its 1950s Chicago heyday, has been captured. This creates nostalgia but it doesn’t advance the blues or Lee’s career. Tasmanian-devil-like lyrics cloud the music. Next time, relegate Lee to guitar and get a guest vocalist.
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