Them Update Blues is an album by the American musician Lowell Fulson, released in 1995.[1][2] It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.[3] Them Update Blues was Fulson's second album for Bullseye Blues as well as his final studio album.[4][5]
| Them Update Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Blues, West Coast blues | |||
| Length | 42:31 | |||
| Label | Bullseye Blues | |||
| Producer | Ron Levy | |||
| Lowell Fulson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThem Update Blues was produced by Ron Levy.[6] Fulson wrote or cowrote the album's eleven songs.[7] He was backed by the South Central Rhythm section.[8] The Memphis Horns contributed to some of the tracks.[9]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide |  [12] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [13] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [14] |
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that "these are picture-perfect West Coast blues—like fine brandy—smooth and sensuous with just the right edge."[14] Stereo Review said that Fulson's "electric-guitar playing, juke-joint raw, wastes no notes, and his simultaneously gruff and mellow vocals get the job done with economy."[15] The Retford, Gainsborough and Worksop Times noted that Fulson maintains "very high musical standards with gritty commitment."[16]
The Age praised Fulson's "unhurried voice and flowing guitar" on "Sun Going Down".[9] The Lake Geneva Regional News labeled the music "seductive and spiky."[17] Metro Silicon Valley opined that "Sun Going Down" "ranks up there with the best of the West Coast blues pioneer's midnight-hour grinders, while the title track percolates with the down-home soul of Memphis-cooked stew."[8]
AllMusic noted Fulson's "customary biting guitar and insinuating vocals."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What's the Matter Baby" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Think About It" | 4:56 |
| 3. | "Don't Lie" | 3:45 |
| 4. | "My Secret Love" | 3:15 |
| 5. | "Sun Going Down" | 5:18 |
| 6. | "Get On Down (Them Update Blues)" | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Lonely Man" | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Forty-Four" | 4:00 |
| 9. | "Too Soon to Tell" | 3:55 |
| 10. | "Not a Dime" | 3:15 |
| 11. | "L & L Special" | 3:42 |
| Total length: | 42:31 | |
References
edit- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (August 22, 1995). "Hot spell persists on music scene". Florida/Metro. The Tampa Tribune. Knight Ridder. p. 4.
- ^ Obrecht, Jas, ed. (2000). Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists. Miller Freeman Books. p. 47.
- ^ "Grammy Nominations". Dayton Daily News. AP. January 5, 1996. p. 13A.
- ^ "Lowell Fulson Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Russell, Tony (March 12, 1999). "Lowell Fulson: Always the blues". Obituaries. The Guardian. p. 18.
- ^ Komara, Edward, ed. (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Routledge. p. 850.
- ^ Point, Michael (December 1995). "Licks galore — Them Update Blues by Lowell Fulson". DownBeat. Vol. 62, no. 12. p. 71.
- ^ a b Baxter, Nicky (May 16, 1996). "Fountain of Blues". Music. Metro Silicon Valley.
- ^ a b Reilly, Terry (November 17, 1995). "Red, Hot & Blue". The Age. p. EG8.
- ^ a b "Them Update Blues Review by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 134.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 210.
- ^ a b White, Jim (November 23, 1995). "Recording Review". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C11.
- ^ Nash, Alanna (December 1995). "Popular music — Them Update Blues by Lowell Fulson". Stereo Review. Vol. 60, no. 12. p. 106.
- ^ Bryan, Kevin (November 2, 1995). "Spirit of 60s". Retford, Gainsborough & Worksop Times. p. 8.
- ^ Burke, Jack (March 28, 1996). "The Wax Works". Lake Geneva Regional News. p. 90.