Frank In His Prime
David Booker | Denver Co | 05/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After producing some nice product for Sun in the late 50's /early 60's .. Frank was produced on this set by Scotty Moore .. yes , Elvis' guitarist .Frank had always kind of sounded like he was recorded by Jay Miller ,he always had that 'Swamp' sound reminiscent of Lightnin Slim , and Lazy Lester's Crowley Louisiana recordings ... On this set he really funks it up and gives all he's got on probably the same material that he would be performing in the clubs at that time. The band and studio sounds are tight, funky and rockin'. Scotty Moore's production is 'bang on the money' .. On several cuts Frank puts his harp through what sounds like a Leslie speaker giving an astonishingly funky effect ..I recall Jerry McCain doing the same thing on his recordings round about this time too .If you like funky classic soul blues with a touch of a Swamp groove .. this is your best bet .. Frank Frost in his prime ;baby!"
SOME OF FRANK FROST'S BEST FROM 1966
Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 02/20/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One disc 37 minutes long approximately. The sound is crisp and immediate sounding,with the instruments clearly defined. The booklet is informative,with an overview of Frost's life both in and out of music. There are track listings with author and date listings. There are also several reproductions of Jewel 45 rpm labels which add some interest.
These recordings,from 1966,feature Frost on vocals,harmonica,and guitar. The rest of the band is Arthur Williams-harmonica (who takes most of the harp solos,in the same vein as Frost),Chip Young-bass,and Frost's old friend and musical partner (from the JELLY ROLL KINGS),Sam Carr-drums. These tracks were produced by the great Scotty Moore,of Sun Records fame. All these sides are short and to the point. There's no room for long solos or grandstanding of any kind. The music starts and away we go for three minutes or less. Carr's drumming is the foundation here-his no-frills,straight ahead style keeps the music moving along,no matter if it's a shuffle or slow blues. As usual with Frost's albums,there are several instrumentals,which give this set some added depth. Usually heard on harmonica,Frost plays a pretty fair guitar (listen to the great Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years"),a slow blues with great atmosphere. Equally great,though in a shuffle mode,is "Ride With Your Daddy Tonight",a track I still remember hearing many years ago on vinyl.
This set is for blues listeners who like down-home,straight-forward blues. This is honest,unpretentious music where each track says everything it has to say in a few short minutes. The warm vocals,the simple back-beat of the drums,the judicious use of guitar,and the sound of the harp interjecting in between,subtly grabs hold of you,and draws you into a world long ago. If you haven't heard these tracks,do yourself a favor and listen-you,too,just might find yourself thinking you're sitting in some juke joint down South,many years ago."
Pure Delta!
Bertrando Goio | Italy | 10/01/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well, I love Frank Frost. His Delta sound drive me nuts! The first recordings are perhaps the best ones, but Harpin' On It is great too. Pretty Baby and Pocket Full Of Money are some of my favourite numbers, and I love that lazy, swampy version of Got My mojo Working, far away from Muddy Waters' hard Chicago sound. Frank Frost has something magic that takes you to the hot summer nights of the Delta, in smoky, hot juke joints. His sound is covered with rust and mud; the blues seems to go out of his voice and harp like his breath. It looks like something he was born with, not something he picked up.
I love Frank!
"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1