Strike Like Lightning is an album by the American musician Lonnie Mack, released in 1985.[1][2] The working title was Return of the Flying V, after Mack's 1958 Gibson Flying V.[3] Regarded as a comeback album, Strike Like Lightning was a commercial success.[4][5][6]
| Strike Like Lightning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lonnie Mack | |||
| Lonnie Mack chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded in Austin, Texas, the album was coproduced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, who also played guitar on some of the songs.[7][8][9] The recording sessions were delayed while Mack recovered from health issues.[10] Tim Drummond played bass on the album; Stan Szelest played keyboards.[7][11] "Double Whammy" is a takeoff on Mack's first hit, "Wham!"[12] Vaughan played a National steel guitar on "Oreo Cookie Blues"[13] and sang on "If You Have to Know". "Stop" is a reworked version of Mack's "Why".[14]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Robert Christgau | B+[15] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [16] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
The Globe and Mail called the album "raw and raunchy" and "a solid reminder of why Mack is regarded as a pioneer of the electric blues-guitar style that dominated rock in the late sixties."[17] The Kingston Whig-Standard wrote that "Mack has a whipsaw-raspy country-blues voice that any of today's rockers would kill for."[18] The Daily Oklahoman stated that the songs "are distinguished by Mack's trademark—stinging, low-register, twangy guitar—and his raspy, born-for-the-blues vocals."[19]
The Omaha World-Herald deemed the album "rolling rhythm and blues that avoids the cliches and pitfalls of usual guitar albums."[20] The Dallas Morning News praised the "great playing, inventive blues songwriting, and some of the best blues vocals in a long, long time."[21] New Orleans music magazine Wavelength wrote that Mack's guitar soloing and singing were great, but criticized Vaughan's production for "shoddy arrangements, [...] plodding drumbeats", and poor sound quality.[22]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hound Dog Man" | |
| 2. | "Satisfy Susie" | |
| 3. | "Stop" | |
| 4. | "Long Way from Memphis" | |
| 5. | "Double Whammy" | |
| 6. | "Strike Like Lightning" | |
| 7. | "Falling Back in Love with You" | |
| 8. | "If You Have to Know" | |
| 9. | "You Ain't Got Me" | |
| 10. | "Oreo Cookie Blues" |
References
edit- ^ Van Matre, Lynn (2 May 1985). "Lonnie Mack Back in the Swing of Things". Chicago Tribune. p. 9E.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (14 July 1985). "Rock 'n' Roll Lonnie Mack". The New York Times. p. A44.
- ^ Tunis, Walter (May 22, 1985). "Musician Found a New Start in Texas". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. D2.
- ^ McCormick, Moira (Jun 8, 1985). "'Guitar Heroes' Boost Alligator's Sales". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 23. p. 82.
- ^ Hawkins, Robert J. (October 11, 1985). "Mack refuses to string along his fans with hybrid sounds". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C4.
- ^ Iglauer, Bruce; Roberts, Patrick A. (2018). Bitten by the Blues: The Alligator Records Story. University of Chicago Press. p. 184.
- ^ a b Robins, Wayne (6 Dec 1985). "Green and Womack Bare Their Souls". Weekend. Newsday. p. 29.
- ^ Morse, Steve (21 Mar 1985). "Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Turbo on Guitar". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 11.
- ^ Snyder, Michael (August 4, 1985). "Lonnie Mack: Getting in Licks With the Same Guitar". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 55.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (July 9, 195). "Lonnie Mack, Making His Mark on Music". The Washington Post.
- ^ Carson, Phil (2001). Roy Buchanan: American Axe. Backbeat Books. p. 225.
- ^ Stanley, Jean (August 24, 1985). "Rock". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L26.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 441.
- ^ Denberg, Jody (May 1985). "Resident Rockers". Texas Monthly. Vol. 13, no. 5. p. 182.
- ^ "Lonnie Mack". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 411.
- ^ Lacey, Liam (3 May 1985). "Stevie Ray helps pal Lonnie launch a big Mack attack". The Globe and Mail. p. E7.
- ^ Burliuk, Greg (6 July 1985). "Strike Like Lightning Lonnie Mack". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ Triplett, Gene (April 26, 1985). "Mack Finds Way Back from 'Memphis'". The Daily Oklahoman.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (May 12, 1985). "Ever since his hit 1963 instrumental version...". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald.
- ^ Ferman, Dave (November 14, 1986). "Preview". Guide. The Dallas Morning News. p. 31.
- ^ Bingham, Mark (August 1985). Connie Atkinson (ed.). "Lonnie Mack: Strike Like Lightning". Wavelength. No. 58. New Orleans: Nauman S. Scott. p. 19.