Music CD - Tony Joe White: Uncovered

	Music CD: Uncovered Artist: Tony Joe White List Price: $17.98 Our Price: $10.13 Your Save: $ 7.85 ( 44% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Manufacturer: Swamp Records
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Tracks: 1. Run For Cover 2. Not One Bad Thought (w/ Mark Knopfler) 3. Did Somebody Make A Fool Out of You (w/ Eric Clapton) 4. Louvelda (w/ JJ Cale) 5. Rebellion 6. Shakin’ The Blues (w/ Waylon Jennings) 7. Rainy Night In Georgia 8. Baby, Don’t Look Down (w/ Michael McDonald) 9. Taking the Midnight Train 10. Keeper of the Fire
Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0758877072438 Label: Swamp Records Manufacturer: Swamp Records Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Swamp Records Release Date: 2006-09-05 Studio: Swamp Records
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: MIXED FEELINGS ON THIS ONE: Comment: I've got mixed feelings about this album. On the one hand, it's got Tony Joe White...and even in '06, The Boy is cooking. And, as another plus, the drum mixes are as crisp as a whip. On the downside, he elected to have outsiders sing and play on some of his cuts...and the only reason I can think of that he did so was to show that, by comparison, he's the Real Deal and they are just wimps. Don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Mark Knopfler's and, even though it has become fashionable to bash Clapton in certain hobbyist guitar forums, I appreciate the greatness he has added to guitar history. Now, J.J. Cale is not someone I have ever warmed up to...and Michael McDonald? Gawd! I can't stand to listen to that whiny, fake, constipated-sounding voice. He sounds like he can't quite decide whether he's an opera-singer or a wannabe "Blue-Eyed Soul" singer. And, sadly, he's neither! But, the scariest part is that he, probably, thinks that he's actually adding something to Tony Joe's track!!! The only song that works pretty well is the one he shares with Waylon Jennings. On this one, they sound like a couple of Horny Old Men having a good time. Cool! "Not One Bad Thought" with Knopfler isn't bad...but I was disappointed by Knopfler's contributions. On his own, his vox are very Soulful...but they sound weak in comparison to White's. And: I'm used to hearing Knopfler cook on guitar...which, like me, he plays bare-fingered. But here? It sounds like they used a lot of obnoxious stomp-boxes that buried the distinctive Knopfler sound. And "Did Somebody Make A Fool Out Of You" with Clapton was obnoxious compared to Tony Joe's original version. The mix wasn't very good because there was a lot of self-indulgent "busy-work" between the (too-many) guitar tracks. Clapton certainly plays flawlessly...and his vox are decent. But, when heard in comparison to Tony Joe's, he sounds exactly like what he is: a weak British copy of The Real Deal. I won't even comment on the Cale track ("Louvelda") except for one word: boring. "Baby, Don't Look Down" is a really cool tune (as is the first cut...done without outside "help"..."Run For Cover"!) but the worst parts are whenever Michael McDonald "graces" us with his vox. Man, that guy's voice is nothing but irritating and he should probably stick to hanging out in L.A. and not trying to sound Southern...or Soulful. Listen to the difference between Tony Joe's solo vocals and McDonald's: I rest my case! Plus the fact that it didn't sound like they'd rehearsed their parts up very well. When they sing harmonies, their phrasing is downright sloppy...and shameful! The general arrangements are good...especially the horn-charts...and the back-up vox work very well within the context. I already mentioned that the drum mixes are crisp. Tony Joe's vox could have been brought up a little in the mixes...but, over all...except for the bad choice in collaborations...it was a decent album. But here's a personal message to Tony Joe: Hey, man: PLEASE make the rest of your albums without collaborating. You're simply better than that...and you don't need the "famous" names screwing up your good work! With ALL respect, Ian Bruce-Douglas Customer Rating: Summary: Interesting Comment: Interesting disc for Tony Joe White fans. His earlier discs are better - such as On The Path Of A Decent Groove, Lake Placid Blues, Closer To The Truth and One Hot July. Easy to listen to but some of the tracks are badly recorded. Customer Rating: Summary: Very good CD Comment: Tony brings friends into these bluesy songs and turns out a better than average (for Tony) collection. I'm a big fan, having 3 albums and 6 CDs by him and this one has become one of my favorites. Customer Rating: Summary: Tony Joe better as a loner. Comment: A good CD, but not his best work. Tony Joe has such a unique style, and that sometimes makes his music difficult to blend with other artist. "Did somebody make a fool out of you" is one of my favorite Tony Joe songs, and is very well covered on this CD. Certainly good listening; a master stylist. Customer Rating: Summary: Tony Joe is in his groove,like a comfortable pair of used boots Comment: Let me preface this review by saying that Tony Joe IS the MAN. He is a great influence on me and my own personal songwriting. That being said it is my opinion that Uncovered is good-not great. This should BY NO MEANS dissuade one from buying and listening to this collection. The guest appearances do little to make the compositions stand out. Most of the vocals from the guests are not very distinguishable from Tony Joe's approach. While I'm certain it was cool for these greats to get together and cut tracks, I'm not hearing too much that stands out. My personal pick is the vintage T.J.W."REBELLION". Louvella is a bit long and repetetive. It is tough to make out the vocals by JJ Cale. Probably the best guest vocal- or at least the one that stands out tonally- is Michael McDonald's. "Not ONE BAD THOUGHT" is a great song. Wonderful sentiment. Tony Joe could burp into a pail and make it great on some level. Hey, the cat is responsible for some of the best lyrics and atmospheric songcraft out there...I do question why the remake of Rainy Night in Ga and Midnight Train.I suppose that was a marketing decision. In The end that's TJW's decision and no one elses.I can respect that. More Reviews
Editorial Reviews: Tony Joe White says he always saw the friends he invited to play on his new album--Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, J.J. Cale, Michael McDonald, and the late Waylon Jennings--as "keepers of the fire." They're also premier custodians of loneliness and despair, the two emotions that lie at the heart of this hypnotic submersion into country/swamp blues. From the kickoff track, "Run for Cover," with Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns, these meditations on mourning--lost lovers, spiritual struggles, anxiety that knows no name and no bottom--grab the listener fast and pull him down into swirling dark waters. For that reason, there's a numbing sameness--on occasion, two songs back-to-back seem to simply be extensions of each other. But while Jennings's effort is more a portrait of the artist testing his chops after suffering a stroke, other collaborations stick in the mind. The dour Knopfler shows up on the most optimistic song, "Not One Bad Thought," but his vocals still sound like the barely uttered words of a depressive on a bad down. Clapton's voice remains characteristically modest on "Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You," yet his guitar work--measured and full of emotion--proves what you don't play is as important as what you do. Still, the best pairing is that with Michael McDonald on "Baby, Don't Look Down." When White's smoky rumble meets McDonald's bruised, angelic tenor, you'll know why God made music. --Alanna Nash