Blue Soul (Joe Louis Walker album) explained

Blue Soul is an album by the American musician Joe Louis Walker, released in 1989.^{[2] [3]} Walker supported the album with a North American tour, backed by the Boss Talkers.^{[4] [5]} Blue Soul was nominated for a Bammie Award for "Outstanding Blues Album".^[6]

Production

The album was produced by Walker; he also wrote the horn arrangements.^[7] It incorporated hard blues, gospel, and folk blues sounds.^[8] "Personal Baby" is about the virtues of fidelity in a relationship. David Hidalgo played accordion on "Ain't Nothin' Goin' On".^[9] "I'll Get to Heaven on My Own" is performed with just Walker's voice and slide guitar. "Prove Your Love" is a soul song with overdubbed vocals.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau deemed the "unsoullike, unaccompanied" "I'll Get to Heaven on My Own" as the album's "standout" song. The New York Times wrote that Walker's voice "is weather-beaten but ready for more; his guitar solos are fast, wiry and incisive, often starting out with impetuous squiggles before moaning with bluesy despair."^[10] The Fayetteville Observer warned that "Walker nears Las Vegas-style schmaltz on a couple of early tracks."^[11]

The Province noted that Walker "applies his light-fingered, spare guitar style to a variety of blues-styling, including soul and gospel."^[12] The Chicago Tribune stated that Walker has "a contemporary style heavily influenced by B.B. King and the Stax sound, an impressive ability on guitar and an appealing vocal style marked a strangely velvety cragginess."

AllMusic praised the "vicious guitar from one of the hottest relatively young bluesmen on the circuit."

Notes and References

1. Book: Herzhaft, Gérard. Encyclopedia of the Blues-2nd (p). September 16, 1997. University of Arkansas Press.
2. Web site: Joe Louis Walker Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
3. News: Kelton . Jim . 'Blue Soul' Joe Louis Walker . The Fresno Bee . The Everett Herald . December 1, 1989 . F8.
4. News: Mackie . John . A breath of blues . Vancouver Sun . 14 June 1990 . F13.
5. News: Haeseker . Fred . Blues great waits for stardom . Calgary Herald . 22 June 1990 . E1.
6. News: Sumrall . Harry . Dead Lead Bammie Nominees . San Jose Mercury News . December 1, 1989 . 1F.
7. News: Toombs . Mikel . Joe Louis Walker 'blue' despite great album . The San Diego Union-Tribune . December 9, 1989 . E9.
8. Book: Dicaire, David. More Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Artists from the Later 20th Century. November 5, 2015. McFarland.
9. News: Kanzler . George . New Releases Confirm Status of 2 Bluesmen as Among Best . The Star-Ledger . November 19, 1989 . News.
10. News: Pareles . Jon . Blues Album of the Week . The New York Times . 22 Dec 1989 . C26.
11. News: Nelson . Chris . Joe Louis Walker 'Blue Soul' Is Worth the Search . The Fayetteville Observer . December 24, 1989 . Leisure.
12. News: Wyman . Max . One way to fight the mid-winter blues... . The Province . 12 Jan 1990 . P2.