Search - Chris Thomas King :: Me My Guitar and the Blues

VERY modern blues!

CLARENCE J BUCARO | Columbus, Ohio United States | 05/23/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Thomas King is a very talented musician who has put out some very good albums in the past. His latest "Me, My Guitar and the Blues," is not strictly blues, and blues purists would not be happy. The absence of authentic drums and a player really takes away from what this album could have been. King has put many different modern elements in this album that take the raw feeling out of this album. Infact, during "Born Under a Bad Sign," King raps a verse and on "Cain" he raps nearly the entire song. The songs are good, very catchy. The drum kit could have been left behind I think though. There is a very modern day R&B feel to this album. I could swear I have heard the title track on MTV's jams before, it is a beautiful song none-the-less."

Take a listen to Chris Thomas King

booknblueslady | Woodland, CA United States | 02/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I immediately bought Me, My Guitar and the Blues because Chris Thomas King's previous cd Red Mud was so good. I was expecting great things from the son of blues man Tabby Thomas. King switched labels with this albums and appears to be experimenting with sounds and styles with this cd. Chris Thomas King starts with a haunting minor key blues song called Why Blues. In this song he uses some scratching techniques. He includes a couple of soul inspired songs - Stay Just as You are and You are My Heaven. These are not to my taste. He also has a rap styled song called Cain. His straight up blues are excellent. Like Father, like Son, Gambling woman, Bourban Street Blues and Stones in My Passway are excellent.I applaud King for experimenting with sounds and hope he finds a groove that is comfortable for both himself and blues fans."

New Avenues in Modern Blues Recording

Kevin L. Nenstiel | Kearney, Nebraska | 04/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite the cover photograph, this is not a traditional blues album in the style the artist played as Tommy Johnson in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" If that's what you want, get a copy of the Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson and go dig "Terraplane Blues." This album is firmly grounded in the blues, but it uses that erstwhile genre as a jumping-off point to build on. Even the two classic covers on this album, Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" and Robert Johnson's "Stones in My Passway," are tricked out in King's signature style that combines pretty much every form of music favored by African Americans today.Some songs, like the title track and "Why Blues," are very traditional, with only a little instrumentation breaking that up. Others, like "Cain" and "Gambling Woman," bring in influences from hip-hop, rock, Afro-Caribbean stylings, and even zydeco, if you know what to listen for. Not everyone will like this hybrid music. Some people will even distinctly dislike it. For those willing to experiment with musical pairings, however, and those with an eclectic musical taste, this album will be a distinctly rewarding listen.Highly recommended: the jewel of my blues collection."