[.ca] Heavy Picks

From Amazon.co.uk:
Few blues artists have achieved as much crossover success as Robert Cray. Though it's not infrequent for blues purists to proclaim a dislike for his work, his skillful blend of blues, R & B, and soul has undeniable appeal. Heavy Picks is the first retrospective of Cray's recording career, tracing the route from his early, semi-independent recordings through his final dates for Mercury Records. The collection includes some of Cray's best material, including "Smoking Gun", "Playin' in the Dirt", and "Bad Influence", which testify to his strengths as a songwriter. One of the few blues musicians to have videos on MTV, Cray's style has a consistency that's helped ensure his longevity in the pop and blues arenas. At 14 tracks, Heavy Picks is also a non-intimidating introduction for newer fans. --Genevieve Williams

A CONVERT'S review: The soul, the blues and the passion...:
To me, 'Heavy Picks' is something very, very special: it's the best blues album in my quite extensive collection, both on vinyl and on CD.Robert has selected these outstanding tracks from a wealth of material to choose from. It contains the best of his songs - among them the superb 'I shiver' and 'I was warned'. The sound quality -the tracks have been remixed- and the overall production are excellent. One example: the drum sounds are perfect on all selections. Through the years, Robert has transformed the classical structures of the blues into something very much his own: an inimitable mixture of blues and soul. Can you name to me a better blues singer than Robert Cray? I love the -very 'un-Claptonesque'- punchiness of his guitar playing, too. To me, buying 'Heavy Picks' was coming back to Robert Cray after quite a long time. When I listened to his very first album quite a few years ago I was disappointed because I listened from a purist's point of view - I wanted blues, blues and nothing else. Robert didn't seem a faithful enough scholar of the blues. Of course, I was wrong - if you want the essence, the passion and the soul of the blues - go for Robert Cray! This compilation is an excellent introduction to Robert Cray's music, and a disc to cherish for anyone who loves good blues and soul music. I made an interesting discovery: this is a record that also sounds excellent if you play it at a very low volume, as background music, because the rhythmic patterns keep shifting and the punchy guitar solos come like flashes of lighting.

Too slick for my taste:
"It's not infrequent for blues purists to proclaim a dislike for \oCray's\c work", the editorial review says. Well, that's probably because Robert Cray's bland and watered-down take on the blues is so far removed from the sweaty, swaggering power of Muddy Waters and the intensity of Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James that it barely qualifies as blues. I must admit I never made it all the way through this album. Sure, there is a good moment or two, like Cray's take on Willie Dixon's "Too Many Cooks", but most of these songs sound so slick and so similar, more like the kind of MTV pop that some people have the audacity to call "soul" than actual blues. I'm probably being unfair (no, I'm not). But I just have to warn people who associate the word "blues" with men like Robert Johnson and Son House that this ain't it.

The Cream Of Robert Cray:
Seeing as this CD is a hand-picked compilation of, previously available, Robert Cray tracks, the experience of listening to this is more like what you'd hear in a live concert. Last year I was excited to attend one of Robert Cray's fantastic live performances and the fact that he had onstage with him the legendary Memphis Horns (featured on many tracks here) made it even more special. So to give an idea of what this 'Best Of' compilation sounds like, I shall attempt to re-create the mood of witnessing Robert Cray in concert. A Dark Club In Downtown Albuquerque. I recently read that Robert Cray is a big fan of, soul singer supremo, Mr. O.V. Wright - and everything Robert sings, he tries to keep O.V.'s vocal presence in mind. The house was packed (my little group was right up front near the stage) there was no seating, the lights were out and it was almost pitch black on stage. All of a sudden, the late, great O.V. Wright's emotion-packed, high tenor voice came booming out of the magnificent PA system. The choice of song couldn't have been more appropriate, it was the classic soul version of "Ace Of Spades". Needless to say, the high soul drama of this dusty old 45 caused the crowd to go wild. As the song was playing, Robert Cray and his band could only just be seen, in the darkness, taking their places on stage. Then in one heartbeat-stopping split second, O.V. Wright ceased - and the band started up, right on time, the lights came on and there was Robert with his faithful band of musicians (including keyboard wizz - Jim Pugh) and the Memphis Horns (Andrew Love & Wayne Jackson). I have to admit that the butterflies created a strange sensation in my stomach and I felt that unique excitement one feels at only the best gigs. Immediately, Robert opened the set with a vocal powerhouse of a song, the first track of his latest album, "Love Gone To Waste" which sounded like we could've been standing in the Hi Records studio, circa 1974. My first observation was one of surprise at how hard Robert played his guitar. I'm not kidding, he pounded that thing constantly with some real force. After every song, a guy ran on stage and swapped Robert's guitar for a freshly tuned one. He must really go through some strings. During one song he did actually snap a string, he then stopped playing, whipped the guitar off his shoulder and handed it back, while the guitar guy was already there with a replacement. All this was done without missing a beat, note, or word of the song. Very impressive and very professional. I was really in luck because it seemed as though every song the band played was one of my favourites from the many LP's I own. Young Bob and I must have the same taste in his own songs. On the slower ones Bob sang like a road-toughened, seasoned soul man and he played his guitar with great intensity and feeling. Adding to the excitement were the Memphis Horns who swayed in time, and blew their tear-stained runs - it all looked and sounded like an exact replication of Stax Records in a live setting. It is, most definitely, the nearest thing to it today you will encounter. Special mention must go to the Memphis Horns who were out of this world. Towards the end of "Strong Persuader", the band went into a slow vamp giving everyone a chance to show off and some room to solo. All the musicians were top notch but when the Memphis Horns took their individual turns to solo - it was absolutely mind blowing. Wayne on trumpet first - 3 or 4 minutes of pure jazz. Not the polite, supper club type jazz, but real, honest sweat-soaked, whorehouse type jazz. Complex and difficult but packed with sleazy emotion. Then, next up was Andrew on sax. Again, it was all jazz, very complex and surprisingly sweet. Towards the end of it though he got down and dirty and forced that horn to reluctantly play notes I know it was never designed to do. This Albuquerque crowd were at full appreciation levels during the whole set and it was easy to see that the band were pleasantly surprised and must have played even better for it. At one point Robert said to the crowd, "It's been a long time since we been here, and we're gonna make sure we don't stay away this long again". That was all he needed to say to cause the crowd to raise the noise levels way above the roof. Incredible playing from all concerned. Robert's guitar solos gradually raised the intensity of each song and the crowd were visibly pulled into each one, everytime. The Memphis Horns - a direct link to some of the all time greats - standing right there, 20 feet away. Robert proudly displayed his very underrated soul singing. Range, power and emotion. He was screaming in the right places - just when we weren't expecting it and never overdoing it, leaving us always begging for more. They played for two hours straight then, exhausted, they left the stage and the house lights came up and background music started over the PA system. This was no staged encore. The crowd would not let up. Feet stomped, hands clapped, voices roared. Young Bob came back on after a few minutes to rapturous applause and it was obvious the band were astonished at the sheer enthusiasm of the New Mexico crowd. A few words between each band member and they were off into "Bad Influence" and "I Was Warned". Absolutely magnificent. If they visit your town - DO NOT EVEN THINK OF NOT ATTENDING! In the meantime though, while you're waiting, even though you may already own all these tracks on separate CDs or albums - do yourself a favor and buy this impeccable collection of songs. Having all these songs together on one CD makes them even more enjoyable and the sound quality is really beautiful. Robert Cray is living proof that REAL Soul Music is alive and well.

I can't believe it's missing . . .:
Any Robert Cray "best of" compilation is NOT complete without the fabulous tunes "On The Road Down" and "He Don't Live Here Anymore." Thus, the 4-star review. I was deeply disappointed that those 2 great songs were not included, but I'll live.

Deep Pockets:
Heavy Picks is a 14-track retrospective that spans Robert Cray's brilliant recording career. Early independent label cuts like Phone Booth, Too Many Cooks, Bad Influence, and Playin' in the Dirt provide wonderful insight into the amazing song writing potential of "Young Bob" and demonstrate why the Robert Cray band was a college radio favorite. The 1986 release of Strong Persuader on the Mercury label marked an important milestone in Robert's recording career; more importantly, it helped spark a major blues revival. Cray's blend of blues and Memphis soul, combined with the Fabulous Thunderbirds straight ahead, Gulf Coast style and Stevie Ray Vaughan's merciless intensity, brought blues to the MTV generation. While hair bands like Quiet Riot, Motley Crüe, and Poison were prancing around stage in women's clothing, singing about the clichés of adolescence, Robert Cray released overtly adult themed songs like Smoking Gun, Strong Persuader, and I Guess I Showed Her. With the Grammy Award winning Strong Persuader, Robert's ability as a guitarist became the talk of every guitar-geek magazine on the newsstand - and rightly so. His percussive attack, amazing timing, and hip phrasing landed him a deal with Fender guitars that resulted in the production of the "Robert Cray" model Stratocaster. With both critical and commercial success under his belt, Cray was free to developed as an artist. With each recording subsequent to Strong Persuader, Robert has made the story the most important aspect of the song; consequently, the guitar has often been cast in a supporting role. Robert Cray is brilliant as a songwriter and often genius as an instrumentalist but what makes him special is his ability to deliver lyrics. Tracks like I Shiver, the Dream and Forecast (Calls for Pain) are testaments to Cray_s awe-inspiring talent as a vocalist. Robert_s dynamic voice effortlessly produces the hollers, moans, and melismatic leaps characteristic of the great gospel singers in the Southern tradition. As a result, Cray is able to confidently approach songs like the Otis Redding classic, Trick or Treat and deliver it with an earnest authority. I was Warned, the final track of the album, is perhaps the best, most defining tune on Heavy Picks. This dark and brooding minor rumba is Robert Cray at his very best. Layers of guitars frame the poignant melody as Cray recalls the warnings of his friends regarding the love of his life. In a classic moment of irony, Cray sings, _whether they_re right or wrong, at least the mystery is gone._ Throughout his career, Cray has suffered from categorization. His music is found under the category of blues in most record stores but purists more often than not scoff at this classification. They insist that his music is not the blues in a traditional sense but, while they may have a point, it is a shame to overlook the casual brilliance of Robert Cray as a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Cray may not be the torchbearer of the blues as many had hoped following his work with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland on the Alligator release, Showdown, but he certainly represents a continuation of the legacy created by soul singers like O.V. Wright, Ottis Redding, and Marvin Gaye. Heavy Picks is not the shining jewel of the Robert Cray collection but it does provide listeners with a nicely packaged summation of the man_s career.

• Phone Booth
• Forecast (Calls for Pain)
• Smoking Gun
• Playin' in the Dirt
• Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
• Too Many Cooks
• Dream
• Right Next Door (Because of Me)
• Consequences
• Bad Influence
• I Guess I Showed Her
• I Shiver
• Trick or Treat
• I Was Warned