R.L. Burnside

Lisnaholic · 08-02-2018, 08:24 AM

Psy-Fi is the only active member to mention R.L. Burnside afaik, but his various posts are scattered (not to say "lost"

) across different rec threads. With a recording career that spans five decades, I thought it was time that Robert Lee Burnside was given a thread of his own. As we might expect, he's explored a lot of blues styles across the years and although I've only scratched the surface so far, I'm particularly excited by these two great tracks:-

i) From a mid-career album with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, A Ass Pocket of Whiskey:-

ii) From his last album, A Bothered Mind, this track packs a remarkable punch from a guy who was 77 years old at the time:-

I'll be digging deeper into this discography over the next few days so any pointers or words of advice would be welcome:-

Spoiler for Wiki's R L B Discography:

~~MicShazam~~ · 08-02-2018, 08:36 AM

I listened to the top one of those tracks above. Rocks hard! I liked it.

Lisnaholic · 08-02-2018, 10:05 AM

Hey, I'm glad you like it! The youtube comments use words like swampy, dirty, bad-ass, and of course the harmonica reminds me of early Beefheart.

Psy-Fi · 08-02-2018, 10:06 AM

You really can't go wrong with any of his albums. A lot of his stuff features re-recordings of songs, sometimes with different musicians, but it's all good.

If you dig his music, you'll probably also dig Junior Kimbrough and Hound Dog Taylor (if you don't already.)

Lisnaholic · 08-02-2018, 10:22 AM

^ Thanks, Psy-Fi. I don't know either of those two guys, though the name Hound Dog Taylor rings a bell. It's the kind of name that sticks in the mind, so ten out of ten for PR, Hound Dog.

I'll check them out later, but next on my list is going to be The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. What's your verdict on them?

Psy-Fi · 08-02-2018, 03:12 PM

Despite their name, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are mostly far more of a garage rock/proto-punk sounding group than a blues band.

**Janszoon** · 08-02-2018, 03:27 PM

I have RL Burnside’s album Come On In but have never really been able to get into it.

Lisnaholic · 08-02-2018, 06:41 PM

^ As I'm just learning, that album is a curious mix of blues and techno: there are some interesting moments, like the rather surprising Shuck Dub, but some empty, repetitive bits too.

Turns out that the A Ass Pocket album was effectively a live album recorded in four hours, with a few great tracks but some weaker moments and talking blues material that I don't like so much. So far I'm leaning to Mr. Wizard as being his best album: it still has Jon Spencer on a couple of tracks but is more disciplined, with lots of chugging elec blues. As is often the case, the longest tracks are the best imo: Snake Drive and Highway#7 both have some fabulous raw guitar solos.

(And thanks for the heads up about the JS Blues Explosion Psy-Fi

)

SGR · 09-27-2018, 07:00 AM

I think his 1994 album Too Bad Jim was his best. Not a fan of his work with JSBX.

Kickass blues music.

With that said, his 2000 album Wish I Was In Heaving Sitting Down is probably his most interesting album - as he began infusing different elements into his music, including electronics/synths.

Psy-Fi · 09-28-2018, 01:00 PM

08-02-2018, 08:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	R.L. Burnside Psy-Fi is the only active member to mention R.L. Burnside afaik, but his various posts are scattered (not to say "lost" ) across different rec threads. With a recording career that spans five decades, I thought it was time that Robert Lee Burnside was given a thread of his own. As we might expect, he's explored a lot of blues styles across the years and although I've only scratched the surface so far, I'm particularly excited by these two great tracks:- i) From a mid-career album with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, A Ass Pocket of Whiskey:- ii) From his last album, A Bothered Mind, this track packs a remarkable punch from a guy who was 77 years old at the time:- I'll be digging deeper into this discography over the next few days so any pointers or words of advice would be welcome:- Spoiler for Wiki's R L B Discography: Studio albums Sound Machine Groove (Vogue, 1981) Plays and Sings the Mississippi Delta Blues (Swingmaster, 1981) Hill Country Blues (Swingmaster, 1987) Skinny Woman (Lollipop, 1989), re-released as Acoustic Stories (MC, 1997) Bad Luck City (Fat Possum, 1994) Too Bad Jim (Fat Possum, 1994), produced by Robert Palmer A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (Fat Possum, 1996), featuring the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Mr. Wizard (Fat Possum, 1997), including two tracks with Jon Spencer Acoustic Stories (M.C. Records, 1997) Come On In (Fat Possum, 1998), remixed recordings My Black Name a-Ringin' (Genes, 1999), recordings from 1969 Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down (Fat Possum, 2000) A Bothered Mind (Fat Possum, 2004), remixed recordings Live albums Mississippi Blues (Arion, 1984) Burnside on Burnside (Fat Possum, 2001), a critically acclaimed 2001 live album recorded at the Crystal Ballroom, on Burnside Street, in Portland, Oregon Compilation albums (Mostly first releases of previously recorded materials) Going Down South (Swingmaster, 1999), split album with Johnny Woods and Ranie Burnette, recordings from 1984–1986 Well, Well, Well (MC Records, 2001), songs and interviews from 1986 to 1993 Raw Electric (Inside Sounds, 2002), compilation of recordings from 1979 and 1980 No Monkeys on this Train (HighTone, 2003), compilation of songs from Sound Machine Groove, live material and stories First Recordings (Fat Possum, 2003), recorded in 1967 by George Mitchell Rollin' and Tumblin': the King of Hill Country Blues (Wolf, 2010), posthumous compilation of recordings from 1975, 1989, 1991 and 1991 __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

08-02-2018, 10:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	Hey, I'm glad you like it! The youtube comments use words like swampy, dirty, bad-ass, and of course the harmonica reminds me of early Beefheart. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

08-02-2018, 10:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	^ Thanks, Psy-Fi. I don't know either of those two guys, though the name Hound Dog Taylor rings a bell. It's the kind of name that sticks in the mind, so ten out of ten for PR, Hound Dog. I'll check them out later, but next on my list is going to be The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. What's your verdict on them? __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

08-02-2018, 03:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	I have RL Burnside’s album Come On In but have never really been able to get into it. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

08-02-2018, 06:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	^ As I'm just learning, that album is a curious mix of blues and techno: there are some interesting moments, like the rather surprising Shuck Dub, but some empty, repetitive bits too. Turns out that the A Ass Pocket album was effectively a live album recorded in four hours, with a few great tracks but some weaker moments and talking blues material that I don't like so much. So far I'm leaning to Mr. Wizard as being his best album: it still has Jon Spencer on a couple of tracks but is more disciplined, with lots of chugging elec blues. As is often the case, the longest tracks are the best imo: Snake Drive and Highway#7 both have some fabulous raw guitar solos. (And thanks for the heads up about the JS Blues Explosion Psy-Fi ) __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953 Last edited by Lisnaholic; 08-02-2018 at 06:46 PM.

08-02-2018, 08:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	I listened to the top one of those tracks above. Rocks hard! I liked it.

09-27-2018, 07:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,327	I think his 1994 album Too Bad Jim was his best. Not a fan of his work with JSBX. Kickass blues music. With that said, his 2000 album Wish I Was In Heaving Sitting Down is probably his most interesting album - as he began infusing different elements into his music, including electronics/synths.