Search - Chris Whitley :: Reiter in

Chris' raw and moving farewell

John Alapick | Wilkes-Barre, PA United States | 12/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Whitey's posthumous release, Reiter In, finds the criminally underrated songwriter/guitarist still challenging himself even while he was fighting to survive. Rather than go in the atmospheric direction of Soft Dangerous Shores, this is live in the studio release with a "just plug in and let it rip" feel to it. Chris was near his demise at this point and the performances here echo the wide range of emotions one goes through before their passing. The opening tracks are a furious take on the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and a joyous version of the blues classic "Bring It On Home" that features great call and response between Chris' guitar and Tim Beattie's harmonica playing. After these tracks, the album is a very moody affair as the tracks "Inn" and "Cut the Cards" are very melancholy while the closing instrumental "Come Home" and the version of the Flaming Lips' "Mountain Side" are very upbeat and give a sense of hope. The version of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric?" is actually a little bit funky until Chris' passionate soloing kicks in. While all of these tracks are very good, it's Chris' original songs, all of which have a very hypnotic feel, that work best. "All Beauty Taken..." is a rollicking blues with a loose vibe while the title track is a spoken word piece told over a repetitive yet beautiful guitar line. Finally, the plodding "I Go Evil" is absolutely killer, possessing a wicked groove never heard in his previous work. All told, while this isn't one of Chris' best albums (his albums of all original material give a better description of his vast talents), Reiter In is another strong album from a true artist that played and wrote what he felt rather than give in to commercial gain."