After falling in love with the California soul/funk of Otis' Inspiration Information CD, I picked this up foolishly expecting more of the same. Not even close. This compilation is strictly blues (which I should have expected based on the title of the disc. Duh). Otis was a remarkable guitar prodigy to be sure - dude's got chops. That he chose to initially emulate his father Johnny Otis is no surprise (his style reminds more of Freddie King than Johnny Otis, though). The fact that I prefer the later Inspiration Information album is not a knock on the quality of this album, just a tell about my genre preferences. If you like electric blues with lots of guitar pyrotechnics, this is recommended.
There's one previously unreleased track on the CD (track 9, Cold Shot). The rest are taken from the following previously released albums:
- Kooper Session - Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis (1969)
- Here Comes Shuggie Otis (1970)
- Freedom Flight (1971)
- The Johnny Otis Show - Cuttin' Up (1970)
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Considering Shuggie was born in 1953, all these tracks were recorded when he was just a teenager. Impressive.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: My favorites are Shuggie's Boogie, Sweet Thang, and Shuggie's Old Time Slide Boogie. But if you're in the mood for the blues, you'll want the full meal deal.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
Inspiration Information (2001)
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