Delta Hardware

10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD) This "back-to-the-roots" road-trip documentary CD/DVD from blues-rocking guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd can be viewed in two ways--it's either the culmination of a long-held desire to promote and play with some unheralded blues veterans before they pass away (as six had already d...	Deluxe Edition Musselwhite recorded three critically acclaimed albums for Alligator Records during the 1990s. DELUXE EDITION is a collection of highlights from those releases, which are among the strongest of his entire career. Included on the new CD is a previously unreleased track from 1994 a...	Sanctuary Harmonica giant Charlie Musselwhite has evolved from stone traditionalist to blues experimentalist in recent years, with excursions into Tejano, country, and jazz. Now, with the help of Blind Boys of Alabama producer John Chelew, the 60-year-old has made a masterpiece that balanc...	Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band	Harmonica According to Charlie
The Road to Escondido J.J. Cale penned two of Eric Clapton's career-defining solo hits, "Cocaine" and "After Midnight." And since Clapton has often fashioned his persona in a WWJD manner (what would J.J. do?), this collaboration is long overdue. But despite the rather slick production and long list of...	Skin Deep It’s erroneous to characterize this 2008 Buddy Guy release, his first in three years, as a comeback, since he’s never been gone. But between a spotlight stealing performance in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert flick Shine a Light in the same year an...	In the Palace of the King The 56th album by the 73-year-old godfather of British blues is a tribute to one of his major influences, the late Texas-born guitarist Freddie King. It's also a nod to current Bluesbreakers picker Buddy Whittington, an underrated pyrotechnician who follows a long line of disting...	Breakin' It Up & Breakin' It Down Muddy Waters had his second coming 30 years ago, when longtime friend and disciple Johnny Winter and his Blue Sky label returned him--after a series of listless recordings aimed at the rock audience--to the raw, powerful authenticity of his timeless Chess material with a series o...	Watermelon Slim and the Workers Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans sings like a baying basset, drawing the tongue-in-cheek misery of tunes like "Hard Times" and "Check Writing Woman" out in long, dry-mouthed syllables. But it's the slide guitar on this, his third album, that really howls, whether he's playing smoot...

Doesn't Quite Fulfill Promise
I had high hopes for Delta Hardware after reading enthusiastic reviews in a number of domestic and foreign music magazines so I bought it about the time it was released. The first song, Church Is Out, seemed to confirm my optimism but then something happened. Charlie Musselwhite plays a mean harmonica, has an aptly gritty blues voice, and has an excellent band but the songwriting became uneven. That's not to say the CD is not good, it is, but it could have been better. To me the best songs are the jumping Church Is Out, Sundown, the very strong Just A Feeling, Gone Too Long, and Blues For Yesterday. So even though Delta Hardware doesn't quite fulfill its promise, you can see there is a lot to like. The CD is accompanied by an attractive booklet containing selected Mississippi photos and pertinent album information. If the blues are your thing, you can't go wrong with Charlie Musselwhite. I've been a Musselwhite fan since junior high school, so you can be assured that I am waiting for his next recording. Maybe that will be the one that fully measures up to expectations.

Doesn't grab
I saw Charlie Musselwhite live years ago and he was superb - the joint was really jumpin'. However I find he's just not the same on CD and perhaps he's even getting worse. There's a couple of good standard blues tracks here, and some energetic playing, but even so it sounds tired and old hat. The electricity isn't there. And of course you can't put the best tracks on to a personal compilation because ratty EMI is into Copy Control big time. Their loss, maybe they'll eventually realise it's working to their detriment. There are many TELARC Blues CDs that are more exciting than this.

Charlie climbing upward with age
I've owned this CD for about six months and really dig it. I'll add a little disclaimer: This is really only for true blues enthusiasts, but then again, I don't know who else would be looking at reviews of a Charlie Musselwhite CD. I just saw this band at The San Jose Jazz Festival two nights ago, 8/11/07, and they authenticated live everything that you hear on this CD, and much, much more. Charlie to be honest doesn't have much of a voice, but it's actually perfect for the genre of blues in which he dwells; call it the "Blues Storyteller Voice", if you will. And man, can he make that harmonica scream. I've heard more technically proficient harp players, but I don't think anyone plays it with more feeling than Charlie. But possibly the best thing Charlie has going for him right now is his new guitarist, Kid Anderson. The guy was getting rave applause after every single solo the other night, and he often took over the song. But that's exactly what Charlie needed, a very strong instrumentalist to keep things interesting during a 90 minute set, and when Charlie takes off on the harp after an Anderson solo, it makes it that much more exciting. If you're a blues lover, catch Charlie if he comes through your town. But the Amazon review was right on, every word of it. Don't wait to see the band live; if you love the blues, especially blues harmonica, pick this one up. Charlie is the real deal.

A bit disappointing
I bought this based on the enthusiastic Amazon reviews and the fact that I like blues rock. This is my first Charlie Musselwhite and I was a bit disappointed. His vocals are laconic and the guitar is rarely gripping. The opening song has a good hook, but the rest is pretty forgettable. If you like blues harp, I'd recommend Kim Wilson's solo efforts over this. Still, it's a solid listenable album, and they may be more vivid in concert.

Awesome!
This is one for Blues Harp lovers! Great old school blues mixed with some modern style. I've heard Musselwhite play on a Blind Boys of Alabama CD and absolutely loved his style. This collection is different and yet equally as awesome... moreso if you consider the sheer volume of great harpin'. C.M. is a virtuoso of the harp. Buy this for the pure enjoyment of hearing what amazing sounds can be blown through a simple harmonica.