[.ca] Rising Son

From Amazon.com:
Talk about having some big shoes to fill. There's some question as to whether it's really a good thing to be the son of Muddy Waters, the legend, one of the founding fathers of Chicago blues, et cetera. One listen to "The Same Thing" off of Big Bill Morganfield's impressively solid debut, though, and all questions are answered. Morganfield's guitar playing is the sort that defines a genre; listening to the foot-stomping "I Just Keep Lovin' Her" or the rollicking "Dead Ass Broke," one gets the sense that this is the blues of the highest order. No frills, no pretension, just straight-ahead, rock-solid blues, with a skill on the guitar that makes the difficult sound easy and a voice that growls and hollers with equal ease. There's not a single weak moment on this album, not a note that sounds anything less than perfect. By the time the album closes with the title track, don't be surprised to see smoke coming out of the CD player. It remains to be seen whether Morganfield will be as influential in the blues world as his father, but his talent and skill as a musician are unquestionable. --Genevieve Williams

Evoking the spirit of Muddy Waters without making himself a carbon copy, Big Bill Morganfield pays his father homage on this debut but also includes plenty of his own material. It's all performed in a no-frills, no-nonsense style, and Morganfield's growl might even be deeper than Muddy's. Overall, a promising debut. --Genevieve Williams

fun blues:
Guy can rock...humorous take on some standard blues topics with great grooves.

Even better...:
I bought this CD after hearing Big Bill play live, not ten feet away from me. And if you think this CD is impressive, which it is, it's nothing compared to hearing the real thing. Big Bill Morganfield is an incredible live performer, and I highly recommend that any fan of this album catch his act in person. Fantastic!

Big Bill overshadowed by his famous dad:
With Bob Margolin producing the debut recording of Muddy Waters' son, one can expect it to be a well played album. Problem is Morganfield's covers of Muddy's songs and his originals are somehwat woodenly delivered and lack the presence and command that his father brought to his music. To be fair, he has only been performing a short time, so he might become a convincing singer in the future.

Big Bill is His Own Blues Man:
I agree with Eric. Naturally there will be some comparison to Muddy Waters (unfair, I might add - how do you compete with a legend on your first CD?), but I feel that Big Bill stands his own ground. I would have bought the CD anyway, regardless of his esteemed lineage because he is a real student of the Blues and it shows in his music. Just take a listen to "Left Hand Blues" and "Rising Son" - both written and deftly performed by him on slide guitar, for a taste of the mystical and melancholy feelings so artfully portrayed in the songs of the old blues masters. Some "Blues" CDs that I've recently heard sound more like easy listening than Blues. I think that Big Bill will be a fixture on the blues scene for years to come. - RR

BIG BILL HAS WHAT IT TAKES:
I recently added this CD to my 300 plus blues CD collection. The guitar work by long time Muddy Waters guitarist, Bob Margolin is as solid as ever. The songs are well written and Big Bill has what it takes to deliver them in the tradition of the Blues. I am somewhat perplexed by the statements that this is Big Bill's "debut" however, as a year earlier, he recorded Big Bill Morganfield: Nineteen Years Old which is available on Taxim records directly at Taxim.com. Both CD's are worth adding to your collection as is Bob Margolin's Hold Me To It. All are highly recommended.

• Diamonds at Your Feet
• Left Hand Blues
• I Just Keep Loving Her
• Same Thing
• Dead Ass Broke
• Cryin' Days
• Sloppy Drumk
• Screamin' & Cryin'
• Baby How Long
• Don't Want to See You Go
• Champagne & Reefer
• Rising Son