ALBERT THE TEXAS SHREDDER LIKED TO DRINK AND LIKED TO GET DRUNK TOO
barrel of time, seeing she was in her prime in the early to mid 1930`s.
He might have had a very different style of guitar playing, his Texas style of blues with a heavy dose of brass accompaniment was nothing like the St. Louis style which Minnie conquered the city of Chicago with some three decades earlier.
Albert Collins is the man, an African American and one of the few blues guitarists who never used a pick, he was heavily inspired by many fellow Texas blues guitarists, notably the brothers Albert and Freddie King.
Stevie Ray Vaughan before his death played with Albert Collins and revered him as one of his heros. Albert Collins never quite
achieved the success which a couple of his superb 80`s albums should have got him.
Stevie Ray Vaughan before his death played with Albert Collins and revered him as one of his heros. Albert Collins never quite
achieved the success which a couple of his superb 80`s albums should have got him.
Admittingly he was a slow starter who began his recording career with a string of lacklustre muddled sounding albums at the end of the 60`s and the beginning of the 70`s, for most of the 70`s he gave up on music and went back to driving buses for a living, but at the end of the 70`s, he was offered a lifeline by little known blues label Alligator to record some music once again.
I don't want to give too much away, because one album alone is worth a complete review, one involving him and two other headlining blues guitarists (now I am letting the cat out of the bag).
Anyhow, sidestepping that album which will be the basis of another blog soon, Albert in 1989 recorded what is probably his best stand alone studio album, featuring him at his razor sharp best playing the famous telecaster.
Anyhow, sidestepping that album which will be the basis of another blog soon, Albert in 1989 recorded what is probably his best stand alone studio album, featuring him at his razor sharp best playing the famous telecaster.
The album is called COLD SNAP and the song to get things started on there, I AIN`T
DRUNK, I`M JUST DRINKIN`, is one of finest examples of Texas blues you will ever hear.
DRUNK, I`M JUST DRINKIN`, is one of finest examples of Texas blues you will ever hear.
His backing band, The Icebreakers, who inherited that name because of the nickname Iceman Collins got in the first place, are at the top of their game in stella form.
A perfect mixture of jazz drumming, honky
tonk piano, funkified bass and classic Texas shred, equally potent and controlled.
tonk piano, funkified bass and classic Texas shred, equally potent and controlled.
I AIN`T DRUNK tended to outshine the other songs on COLD SNAP, although one other song, BENDING LIKE A WILLOW TREE, does deserve a mention as being one of the great funk blues songs of all time.
Collins died from throat cancer in 1993, no doubt the result of his heavy smoking and being a passive smoker in clubs and pubs his whole life through while on tour.
More about Albert Collins another time, if I forget to write another blog about him then by all means send me an email or make a comment and get up me OK.
I AIN'T DRUNK is a good introduction to his music anyway so get a hold of it and wait for my next installment.
Comments
Post a Comment