Search - Lonnie Brooks :: Bayou Lightning

One of the all-time blues legends

DJ | Los Angeles, CA USA | 05/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the immense pleasure of seeing Lonnie Brooks in concert a number of years ago, and it still rings as one of the 2 or 3 most incredible concert experiences of my life. (And I was also lucky enough to get a chance to speak with him after the show, at which time he mentioned that he had been nursing a really sore throat all night ... which totally surprised me, since I didn't hear an inkling of that during the concert. Just the sign of a true professional, giving 150% even when under the weather.) This was the first album I ever heard of his work, and it's still my favorite. I think I originally bought it because I thought the album cover looked cool, with the lightning coming off of Lonnie's guitar, but I soon found that Bayou Lightning was far more substance than flash. If you're a fan of the blues, and for some reason aren't familiar with Brooks' work, pick up this album and give it a spin. Then try to get out to see him live, where he's often joined by his son Ronnie Baker Brooks, who's also quite a talented axe man. Before you know it, you'll feel the blues growin' inside your body like a fever ... a fever that Lonnie Brooks has no doubt had inside him since the day he was born. Lightning, indeed."

Dirty Swampy Treat.

Tom | Palatine, IL USA | 02/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only shame here is you can't see Lonnie live.Lonnie is a national treasure that the local Chicago bar circuit would be remiss to lose.Lonnie's set these days doesn't seem to include much from this classic gem, but you still get a sense of what a modern bluesman should sound like, and where Lonnie came from.Song one, Voodoo Daddy, is so earthy and determined that the listener is hooked from the word go. Lonnie yells a little more than he sings, and he milks his guitar for sounds most players had no clue a guitar could make."Wound Up Tight" might be a better album for the Lonnie novice, but this album tells a better story about how lucky Chicago is that Lonnie moved here from Texas.Lonne Brooks is truly a descendent of the blues greats, bridging the gap between John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters to the next generation."

Steller

Douglas A. Saunders | Arlington, VA United States | 04/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When the weather becomes nice and I am going on a road trip with the windows rolled down, this is my album of choice to turn up and let it all out. Some of the best guiter and and lyrics around. It's a feel good album."