This is more blues-based pop music that straight up blues, but who can argue with sales? And if you like listening to it, who cares what ya call it? I do like it and can appreciate that with this album, Cray tried to put the blues back in the rhythm & blues genre, but the critics loved it. Rolling Stone magazine featured him 3 or 4 times in late '86-early '87 and called him a "pioneer." Even cranky Robert Christgau gave the album one of his ultra-rare A plus grades. Despite that kind of love from the critics and a strong media push, this album didn't lead to long-term crossover success for Cray and that's too bad. This isn't hard-hitting blues by any means (although Cray is perfectly capable of that, too), but this thing is so easy to listen to that it's a perfect gateway album for those people who want to add a little blues to their life (musically, not emotionally). After 28 years, it still sounds clean and fantastic, especially when you crank it up on some decent speakers (apologies to my neighbors this morning - you had to get up for work anyways, right?).
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #13
- Billboard Pop CD: #7
- Billboard R&B: #21
- CashBox CD: #6
- Rolling Stone: #9
Tracks: the album opens with Cray's only Top 40 hit, Smoking Gun, which certainly states his case for what this album is all about and it's followed with the wonderfully Stax-infused I Guess I Showed Her. A great way to start an album. Other favorites include Nothin' But A Woman, More That I Can Stand, and Fantasized. No skippers here.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
Shoulda Been Home (2001)
I was turned onto the guitar stylings of Cray by my borther-in-law when he dropped Cray's Bad Influence in my lap. (Read that story here.)
ReplyDeleteBought Strong Persuader the first time I saw it, without hearing any of the songs and was blown away by the opening salvo of three songs. Have more than a dozen Robert Cray albums in the collection now.