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Personnel
Review written by Anonymous, February 3rd, 2007
I have an Italian issue of the record and it lists the personnel as:
Homesick James - guitar/vocals
Snooky Pryor - harmonica/vocals
Bob Hall - piano
Bob Brunning - bass guitar
John Hunt - drums
Homesick sings tracks 1,3, 5 (side 1) and tracks 1, 3, 5 (side 2).
Snooky sings tracks 2, 4, 6 (sdie 2) and tracks 2, 4 (side 2).
I like the album a lot. Although not up their with the greatest blues records ever, it is still a fine album, which is one reason why I gave it 5 stars. The other reason is the production sound and tones. Both are fantastic. A well produced album with pleasing tones does a lot for a record.
I also never tire of shuffles and songs with slide in them and this album has many. If your the same then this is a good album for you.
Who needs to spend weeks and weeks in the recording studio when you can record 10+ tracks in one day (3rd March 1973) and 1 or more tracks on another day (21.2.73). No doubt they recorded other tracks on those days which didn't make the album. So two days and one album. Fantastic.
I would love to know who John Hunt was. He was obviously from the UK. He certainly fits in well with the band as does Bob Brunning. Bob Hall is a fantastic piano player and he doesn't dissapoint on this album.
I am not sure if it's out on CD but if you ever see a copy, it is worth picking up.
Shuffles galore but works with individual song plays
Review written by John Fitzgerald, February 19th, 2005
Going by the running order it seems like James & Snooky may have been short on ideas as we get bombarded with shuffles towards the end of the record but I'd say this album is more listenable than your average "album only for individual song plays" as you get a good guitar & harmonica mix here like on Homesick's "Drivin' dog" (which, in a standard "Dust my broom" type tempo, also has a strong rhythm section backing, presumably of John Hunt on drums & Bob Brunning on bass) and his "The woman I love", a shuffle with real swing as does Snooky's "She knows how to love me". The other shuffles are well handled as well, there's the bright "Careless love" by Williamson and the bouncy "I feel alright" by Pryor. It's really not until the last track that you start to notice the reliance on shuffles with James' "Homesick blues again" as it sounds almost identical to "She knows how to love me" so this track perhaps should have been placed elsewhere but it does make for a fitting closer. Although there is also another track in the "Dust my broom" variety by Snooky called "Nothin' but trouble", it works due to SP's fiery vocals and harp parts. There's a few slow burners like Snooky's "After you there won't be nobody else" which is helped by the punching rhythm section and slow strolling "Cross town" (again by Pryor) is helped with a strong bass line (presumably again by Brunning as this album does not list who plays what on each song though it does say that Brunning does play bass on the album). There's also a peppy "train" like opener in Homesick's "Crossroads" (mainly on the harp part) and James again takes the lead on the authentic sounding harp/guitar/vocal only rendition of "Shake your money maker". So regardless of being hammered with shuffles late in the game, whether you prefer the Chicago or delta stylings, this album should have something for you.
Homesick James & Snooky Pryor (1973) - 