R.L. Burnside – Burnside On Burnside

This live album does a great job of capturing the frenzied energy this raucous trio generated in front of an audience. I was lucky to see RL Burnside several times before his death, and all I have to do is close my eyes, listen to this, and I'm hypnotized by that incessant Mississippi Hill Country blues groove again. "Adopted son" Kenny Brown wails on guitar, grandson Cedric Burnside kicks up a storm on drums, and RL is the hell raisin' ringleader, peppering in a few jokes amongst the eleven songs. This is a solid pressing, raw and alive, with guitars, drums and vocals all clear and loud. My copy was purchased new and plays like a champ.

R L Burnside (1926) was hip at the age of 68 on when he began to bring on the Fat Possum records Label. This label off the skin secretions are Missisippigebied in search of authentic blues artists and has since built an impressive catalog. Burnside later acquired the necessary publicity by his collaboration with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion the alternative rock band. The blues of R.L. Burnside still has the most away from the countryblues of John Lee Hooker. In addition we hear influences of Muddy Waters (his most beloved exclamation: well, well, well!!) and Robert Johnson, especially in the excellent slide guitar work of Kenny Brown. Burnside does not play smooth blues but an angular and bony variant in which improvised is on powerful, repetitive riffs. This onderbuikmuziek is at its best in a sweaty steaming pub and on the live album Burnside On Burnside is this atmosphere in a great way. Burnside shows that this primeval form of rough blues rock anno 2001 still has lost nothing of its original impact.