Robert Cray's spent the '90s evolving from West Coast bluesman to Memphis soul belter. So Cray's restrained guitar playing on his first CD for Rykodisc--after his unhappy departure from his longtime label Mercury--comes as... more » no surprise. What's shocking is the utter perfection of his emulation of the signature sounds of the classic Stax and Hi Records singles of the '60s and early '70s. Cray's voice exhibits the delirious growl-to-falsetto flights of a young Al Green on numbers like "What About Me," "Love Gone to Waste," and the prisoner-of-love weeper "Pardon." But his arrangements--heavy on kick drum, fatback horn grooves, and organ flourishes--retain a grit that Hi in particular lost over time. And when he launches into a guitar solo like the probing corker that climaxes his take on Willie Dixon's "Toll the Bells," Cray rekindles the influence of his late mentor Albert Collins and reasserts himself as a torchbearer of stinging blues. --Ted Drozdowski« less
Robert Cray's spent the '90s evolving from West Coast bluesman to Memphis soul belter. So Cray's restrained guitar playing on his first CD for Rykodisc--after his unhappy departure from his longtime label Mercury--comes as no surprise. What's shocking is the utter perfection of his emulation of the signature sounds of the classic Stax and Hi Records singles of the '60s and early '70s. Cray's voice exhibits the delirious growl-to-falsetto flights of a young Al Green on numbers like "What About Me," "Love Gone to Waste," and the prisoner-of-love weeper "Pardon." But his arrangements--heavy on kick drum, fatback horn grooves, and organ flourishes--retain a grit that Hi in particular lost over time. And when he launches into a guitar solo like the probing corker that climaxes his take on Willie Dixon's "Toll the Bells," Cray rekindles the influence of his late mentor Albert Collins and reasserts himself as a torchbearer of stinging blues. --Ted Drozdowski
Thomas K. from HORNELL, NY Reviewed on 6/18/2010...
Another great album from Robert Cray. He continues to put out excellent blues.
CD Reviews
A Sweet Soul Journey
M. Phillips | Asheville, NC | 06/21/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Robert Cray continues his journey into soul that he began in earnest with Sweet Potato Pie (a virtual tribute to the late great Otis Redding). Ending an unhappy relationship with his long time label, Mercury Records, Cray has taken his considerable talents to Rykodisc, a label well-known for their hands-off approach, and Cray has used that advantage to create a wonderful album that manages to evoke the sweet soul sound of the 60s Stax/Volt records. Over the years, Cray has honed his voice into a near perfect copy of the soul singers of the 60s, sounding like a cross between Redding and a young Al Green, and on "24-7 Man" his Redding imitation is perfection. Cray has never been so restrained in his guitar skills and so focused on his voice. Gone are the usual blistering blues riffs, and the music, which is heavy on backbeat and bass, uses the guitar to lightly accent the songs rather than to grab the listeners attention. For an attention grabber, he uses his voice. For these reasons, some longtime fans may be disappointed. They shouldn't be. This sweet soul journey is a real treat."
Had to follow the instructions
bluesmanjed | Norwich, NY United States | 01/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At first listen, I wasn't really into this CD. I was questioning where did the great guitar work get off to. But then I did what the title said and took my shoes off, kicked back and relaxed. Wow, amazing. The more I listened, the more it reached out to me. Much praise to 'Young Bob' for sharing this mellow, soulful work."
Modern Soul Classic [Take Your Shoes Off, R. Cray]
jqr | Brooklyn | 04/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was playing this in the office today and my coworker asked, "Is that Al Green?" And it hit me: this record, which I had been sniffing at for the last nine months for being "soft," was actually an amazing recreation of those great '60s soul records that many of us have grown up loving. But these are all new, mostly original, and all tight.
Frankly, I admire Robert Cray for having made this record. It must have taken guts to step away from the electric-blues style that he came up with, but is woodshedding with Albert Collins really all there is to being a successful bluesman in the late 1990s? "Take Your Shoes Off" is a record that you can listen to over and over again and keep appreciating.
If you love that '60s sound, and want something made today with the same vibe, "Take Your Shoes Off" is for you."
Someone could take your heart to school someday...
rballjones | Des Moines, IA USA | 08/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the middle of a trio of great CDs I have from Robert Cray (the others: Sweet Potato Pie and Shoulda Been Home). Cray's songs, voice, guitar, and the band are full of soul. The songs are about relationships--some happy, mostly sad--written from a man's perspective. They're honest songs, touching real emotions. This CD is full of tight, sparse playing and arrangements. The tempo is generally laid back, hence, perhaps, the title. But it's not slow. The standout songs are "(I'll be your) 24-7 Man" which swings
like mad; "(Grant him a) Pardon" about a guy who's never quite recovered from a lost love; and "Let Me Know (Love, was it that bad?)," with its awesome 'crying to the sky' guitar solo.If you like the Memphis sound and the Stax records that came out in the 60s, Cray is the one artist I know carrying on that tradition. And he does it in a contemporary fashion without losing any of the feeling."