Black Tornado is an album by the American musician Magic Slim, released in 1998.[1][2] He was backed by his band, the Teardrops.[3] Magic Slim supported the album with a North American tour.[4] The album title is a reference to his nickname.[5] Black Tornado won a AFIM Indie Award for electric blues album of the year.[6]
| Black Tornado | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Magic Slim & the Teardrops | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Studio | Hot Ham & Cheese | |||
| Genre | Blues, Chicago blues | |||
| Label | Blind Pig | |||
| Producer | Dick Shurman | |||
| Magic Slim & the Teardrops chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded at Hot Ham & Cheese, in Chicago, the album was produced by Dick Shurman.[7][8] Shurman urged Magic Slim to choose songs that he had not before recorded.[9] "Still a Fool" is a cover of the Muddy Waters song.[10] Magic Slim's son Shawn Holt made his recording debut on "Young Man's Blues", contributing guitar and vocals.[11] The title track is an instrumental.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Dayton Daily News | B[14] |
| Los Angeles Times | A[15] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [9] |
| The Tampa Tribune |  [12] |
The St. Petersburg Times called the tracks "studies in wrenching guitar jams."[16] The Dayton Daily News labeled the album "elegant in its simplicity... No one instrument dominates on any track."[14] The Chicago Tribune wrote that "Magic Boogie" "treads the line separating John Lee Hooker and ZZ Top."[10] The Los Angeles Times deemed Black Tornado "sweaty, rockin', roadhouse blues by a master of the craft."[15] The San Diego Union-Tribune praised the "passionate, full-force style of Chicago blues that doesn't concern itself with dressing up."[17] The Boston Herald included Black Tornado on its list of the best albums of 1998.[18]
AllMusic noted that "the original material is up to the 50-percent mark, making this their most adventuresome outing to date."[13]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jealous Man" | |
| 2. | "Wake Me Up Early" | |
| 3. | "Still a Fool" | |
| 4. | "Black Tornado" | |
| 5. | "Playin' with My Mind" | |
| 6. | "I Can't Trust My Woman" | |
| 7. | "Magic Boogie" | |
| 8. | "You've Got Bad Intentions" | |
| 9. | "Crazy Woman" | |
| 10. | "Young Man's Blues" | |
| 11. | "It's Alright" | |
| 12. | "Love Like I Wanna" |
References
edit- ^ The Rough Guide to the Blues. Rough Guides. 2007. p. 263.
- ^ Hadley, Frank-John (Sep 1998). "Black Tornado". DownBeat. Vol. 65, no. 9. p. 55.
- ^ Siegel, Ralph (Jul 2, 1998). "Blues". Weekend. The Burlington Free Press. AP. p. 8.
- ^ "Over the Weekend". The Buffalo News. 23 Nov 1998. p. C9.
- ^ Dupont, David (Sep 9, 1999). "Arts festival has a double case of the blues". Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green. p. 1.
- ^ Morris, Chris (Jun 12, 1999). "Palm Pictures/Rykodisc leads winners at AFIM Indie Awards". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 24. p. 44.
- ^ Johnson, Kenneth (Aug 28, 1998). "Magic Slim". The Charlotte Observer. p. 14E.
- ^ Russell, Tony (14 Mar 2013). "Obituary: Magic Slim: Chicago blues singer and guitarist with a reassuring touch". Obituaries. The Guardian. p. 36.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 1998. p. 421.
- ^ a b Knopper, Steve (9 Aug 1998). "Black Tornado". Chicagoland. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
- ^ Chapman, Geoff (5 Sep 1998). "Black Tornado". Entertainment. Toronto Star. p. 1.
- ^ a b Dunn, Michael (Jun 19, 1998). "Music". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 19.
- ^ a b "Black Tornado Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ a b Farr, Sara (31 July 1998). "Recordings in Brief". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.
- ^ a b Locey, Bill (17 Sep 1998). "Magic Slim & the Teardrops, 'Black Tornado'". Los Angeles Times. p. F54.
- ^ Blank, Christopher (19 June 1998). "Magic Slim & the Teardrops: Black Tornado". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
- ^ Kinsman, Michael (2 July 1998). "Blues". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 15.
- ^ "Best CDs of 1998". Boston Herald. 25 Dec 1998. p. S27.