Sunnyland Slim - Slim's Got His Thing Goin' On

This is the good old stuff mixed with modern blues musicians. Recorded in '68 by Sunnyland Slim, a talented pianist straight from the delta, with George Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Luther Allison, Shakey Jake, Al Wilson, Henry Vestine, Larry Taylor, Luther Allison and, most important, Mick Taylor of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers fame. Taylor plays on "You Used to Love Me", "My Past Life", "She's Got A Thing Goin' On" and "Substitute Woman". That's a shame he isn't featured on entire disc! Young British guitarist who was soon to join the Rolling Stones plays with confidence and respect to older bluesmen.

Slim's piano and voice are good. So are compositions, all of them but Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" credited to Albert Laundrew, which is the real name of Sunnyland Slim. Don't let that fool you, though... After the first chords of "Goin' Back to Memphis" you realize it's "Rollin' & Tumblin'" but under a different name. So is the case with most of the stuff here: it's all the usual hooks played by black blues musicians in the delta. "Slim's Got His Thing Goin' On" may be classic, but it's not ordinary. More, it's totally unique. The blend of electric guitars, harmonicas and pianos is wonderful, production just rocks. It's quite clear for a record like that!


My favorite song must be "Everytime We Get to Drinkin'". ;) But it's hard to tell, really, they are all the same. Slower and faster, all of them have a special kind of charm reserved for original Mississippi wailers. Get this disk and play it loud! It's... inspirational. ;)