Mississippi Fred McDowell - I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll
STYLE: Blues RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 77246-22425 LABEL: Capitol 724383391929 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 2
Reviewed by Lins Honeyman
Listening to the work of the late slide guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell can admittedly be something of an endurance test at times - albeit a rewarding one - and this enhanced re-issue of his renowned 1969 release is no exception. Taking its title from McDowell's stall-setting spoken word intro to the album, musical proceedings kick off with a somewhat shaky rendition of Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" before the veteran bluesman - playing electric slide guitar for the duration of the album - and backing musicians Jerry Puckett (bass) and Dulin Lancaster (drums) turn out a rough and ready stream of spontaneous and very likely unrehearsed blues numbers. Full credit must go to Puckett and Lancaster as they try to second guess McDowell's transient chord changes, sudden endings and mid-song tempo instructions and one can only imagine the look of panic on the poor drummer's face - armed with what sounds like nothing much more than a snare drum - when McDowell encourages him to effectively perform a drum solo during one of the songs. The unpolished and meandering nature of McDowell's work is, of course, part of the appeal and songs like "Kokomo Me Baby", a cover of Sleepy John Estes' "Drop Down Mama" and a previously unreleased recording of "My Baby She Gonna Jump And Shout" see the man in fine form. Elsewhere, pedestrian and uncertain versions of "Glory Hallelujah" and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" offer up a token spiritual side to McDowell amidst the more carnal blues numbers that make up the rest of this fascinating document of the man's later output whilst an informative and detailed biography by blues historian Pete Welding sheds more light.
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