Woman Across the River

Woman Across the River is an album by the American blues musician Freddie King, released in 1973.[2] It was the last of three albums King made for Shelter Records.[3] King's three Shelter albums were re-released as a collection titled King of the Blues.[4]

Woman Across the River
Studio album by
Released1973 (1973)
Recorded1973
GenreBlues, Texas blues
Length39:04
LabelShelter[1]
ProducerLeon Russell
Freddie King chronology
Texas Cannonball
(1972)
Woman Across the River
(1973)
Burglar
(1974)

The album peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200.[5]

Production

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Like King's first two Shelter albums, Woman Across the River was produced by label head Leon Russell.[2] King was backed by many session musicians, including Carl Radle on bass and Jim Keltner on drums.[6] The album was mixed at Ardent Studios, in Memphis, Tennessee.[7] King covered two Willie Dixon songs, "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I'm Ready".[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [10]
The GazetteC+[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide     [12]

The Gazette called the album "painfully mechanical, with little or no personal involvement."[11]

Texas Monthly called the album "more than competent," but thought that it made "a few too many concessions to the rock sound."[13] AllMusic noted the "perhaps heavier rock elements," writing that "King's last Shelter album was his most elaborately produced, with occasional string arrangements and female backups vocals."[9] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings opined that it "reflects the awkward phase blues was going through in the early '70s."[14] The Commercial Appeal praised the "exquisite Russell ballad" "Help Me Through the Day".[7]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Woman Across the River"Bettye Crutcher, Allen Jones2:46
2."Hootchie Cootchie Man"Willie Dixon4:48
3."Danger Zone"Percy Mayfield4:32
4."Boogie Man"Chuck Blackwell, Leon Russell3:45
5."Leave My Woman Alone"Ray Charles3:33
6."Just a Little Bit"Ralph Bass, Buster Brown, John Thornton, Fats Washington2:27
7."Yonder Wall"Elmore James2:25
8."Help Me Through the Day"Russell4:27
9."I'm Ready"Dixon3:45
10."Trouble in Mind"Richard M. Jones3:41
11."You Don't Have to Go"Jimmy Reed2:55

References

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  1. ^ "Freddie King | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b "Blues guitarist Freddie King joins Rock Hall royalty in 2012". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia.
  3. ^ Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 22, 2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9781135958329 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Conner, Thomas (December 21, 2001). "We Three Kings". Spot. Tulsa World. p. 21.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 424.
  6. ^ Strong, Martin C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography. Times Books. p. 442.
  7. ^ a b Ellis, Bill (July 1, 2000). "Old Folks and Newcomers Give the Past Its Props". The Commercial Appeal. p. F8.
  8. ^ Gregory, Hugh (July 22, 2003). Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas R&B. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879307479 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b "Woman Across the River - Freddie King | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. pp. 848–849.
  11. ^ a b Mann, Bill (7 Jul 1973). "Woman Across the River, Freddie King". The Gazette. p. 30.
  12. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 633.
  13. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick (October 1992). "What a Disc!". Texas Monthly. Vol. 20, no. 10. p. 134.
  14. ^ Russell, Tony (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 363.
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