Tales from the Austin Motel is an album by the American musician Debbie Davies, released in 1999.[1][2] Davies supported the album with a North American tour.[3]
| Tales from the Austin Motel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Recorded | January 1999 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Shanachie | |||
| Debbie Davies chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was recorded in Austin, Texas, over the course of two weeks in January 1999; its title refers to the motel where Davies stayed.[4] Davies was backed by the Double Trouble musicians Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon.[5] She was inspired by the Austin bluesman W. C. Clark.[6] Davies wrote or cowrote seven of the songs.[7] "I Just Want to Make Love to You" is a cover of the Willie Dixon song.[8] "Atras de Tus Ojos (Behind Your Eyes)" is an instrumental.[9]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [11] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [12] |
| The Press of Atlantic City | [7] |
The Chicago Tribune concluded that "neither her deep, strong voice nor her barrage of slide solos distinguishes Davies from dozens of similar blues singer-guitarists.[13] CMJ New Music Report called Tales from the Austin Motel a "landmark of an album [that] is certainly one of the best blues records of 1999."[14] The Independent said that the "mostly enjoyable set of shuffles evokes the Texas tradition."[15] The Telegram & Gazette wrote that "a fine balance is struck between the bawdy and the mournful."[16] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that "her economical guitar solos have plenty of bite."[12]
AllMusic noted that "some may quibble that the recording is a little too crystal clear to really capture the nasty Austin sound they strive to achieve, but the trio does have a dynamic interplay."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Stepped in the Blues" | |
| 2. | "I Want to Be Loved" | |
| 3. | "Bald Headed Baby" | |
| 4. | "Watch Out What You Do" | |
| 5. | "I Just Want to Make Love to You" | |
| 6. | "As the Years Go Passing By" | |
| 7. | "I'm a Woman" | |
| 8. | "Half Caf-Decaf" | |
| 9. | "Atras de Tus Ojos (Behind Your Eyes)" | |
| 10. | "When You Were Gone" | |
| 11. | "Percolatin'" | |
| 12. | "Walking By Myself" |
References
edit- ^ "Music". Dayton Daily News. 15 July 1999. p. 2C.
- ^ Novak, Ralph (Aug 16, 1999). "Tales from the Austin Motel". People. Vol. 52, no. 6. p. 44.
- ^ Guarino, Mark (23 July 1999). "Debbie Davies". Time Out. Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. p. 4.
- ^ McGuinness, Jim (8 Oct 1999). "A 4-in-1 Shot at Success". Lifestyle/Previews. The Record. Bergen County. p. 15.
- ^ Komara, Edward, ed. (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 251.
- ^ Wallace, Bob (July 15, 2000). "Blues". The Morning Call. p. A42.
- ^ a b Fine, Eric (Aug 27, 1999). "'Tales from the Austin Motel', Debbie Davies". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. pp. 26, 28.
- ^ Johnson, Jeff (23 July 1999). "Slick guitarist has paid her dues to play the blues". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 6.
- ^ Danton, Eric (26 Aug 1999). "Tales from the Austin Motel". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Tales from the Austin Motel Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 152.
- ^ a b Cristiano, Nick (Sep 12, 1999). "Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F15.
- ^ Knopper, Steve (15 Aug 1999). "Recordings". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune. p. 9.
- ^ Lien, James (Jul 26, 1999). "Debbie Davies Tales from the Austin Motel". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 59, no. 628. p. 28.
- ^ Trapp, Roger (25 Sep 1999). "Jazz & Blues". Features. The Independent. p. 39.
- ^ McLennan, Scott (30 Sep 1999). "An A student: Debbie Davies has done her blues homework". Telegram & Gazette. p. C1.