Give in Kind
| Give in Kind | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2002 | |||
| Genre | Blues, country blues | |||
| Label | Red House | |||
| Producer | John Platania | |||
| Guy Davis chronology | ||||
| ||||
Give in Kind is an album by the American musician Guy Davis, released in 2002.[1][2] It was his fifth album for Red House Records.[3] Davis supported it with a North American tour.[4] The album was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best "Acoustic Blues Album".[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by John Platania.[3] Davis did not spend a lot of time on song selection, choosing what he liked, what others liked, and what was already worked out.[6] He played banjo, six- and twelve-string guitars, and washboard; he played a didgeridoo on "Layla, Layla".[6][7] Ken Whiteley contributed on mandolin.[8] "Loneliest Road That I Know" is a version of Mississippi Fred McDowell's song "Highway 61".[9] "What You Doin'" is a cover of the Sleepy John Estes song.[10] "Good Liquor" is a cover the Big Bill Broonzy song.[11] "Joppatowne" is about a prisoner returning to his hometown for a funeral.[12] "I Will Be Your Friend" is a tribute to the Scottish musician Davy Steele, who died in 2001.[13]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | B+[11] |
| Robert Christgau |  [15] |
| DownBeat |  [16] |
| The Gazette | 4/5[8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [17] |
Robert Christgau called the album "country blues in the spirit of friendship, like John Hurt did it."[15] The Star Tribune wrote that "Davis continues his dogged but creative commitment to traditional acoustic blues."[18] The Gazette determined that "Davis recalls the days when jug bands ruled Memphis's Beale St.," writing that his original songs "preserve and carry forward the tradition."[8] The Birmingham Post opined that Davis "has an inbuilt empathy with the music, without any of the vaudeville hokum of Keb' Mo' or the sophisticated gloss of Eric Bibb."[10] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution concluded that "his previous albums have sometimes been weighed down by an artificial vocal gruffness... Now he has found his voice."[11]
AllMusic wrote that "he's listened hard to classic Delta blues and based his style on it, without ever becoming a carbon copy of the greats."[14]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Liquor" | |
| 2. | "Loneliest Road That I Know" | |
| 3. | "Lay Down By My Side" | |
| 4. | "I Will Be Your Friend" | |
| 5. | "(I Love My Job)" | |
| 6. | "Layla, Layla" | |
| 7. | "Honeydew Melon Rag" | |
| 8. | "Six Cold Feet of Ground" | |
| 9. | "Grandma Is Dancing" | |
| 10. | "What You Doin'" | |
| 11. | "Watch Over Me" | |
| 12. | "I Don't Know" | |
| 13. | "Don't You Leave Me Here" | |
| 14. | "(Joppatowne Intro)" | |
| 15. | "Joppatowne" | |
| 16. | "God's Unchanging Hand" |
References
[edit]- ^ Van Matre, Lynn (27 Mar 2002). "Sunday concerts set for Riverwalk". Chicago Tribune. p. 2DN.6.
- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (9 Apr 2002). "Blues power". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 33.
- ^ a b Wishaw, John (19 June 2002). "Culture: Never felt more like singing". Features. Birmingham Post. p. 12.
- ^ Alarik, Scott (4 Apr 2002). "Guy Davis". The Boston Globe. p. CAL.8.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (21 Jan 2003). "Handys Hail the Many Shades of Blues". The Commercial Appeal. p. C1.
- ^ a b Charleston, Rita (3 May 2002). "Guy Davis to open for David Bromberg and his Big Band". The Philadelphia Tribune. p. 8E.
- ^ Hicks, Robert (10 June 2002). "Guy Davis brings context to his songs". TGIF. Daily Record. Morristown. p. 16.
- ^ a b c Regenstreif, Mike (25 Apr 2002). "Blues". The Gazette. p. C5.
- ^ Van Matre, Lynn (11 Apr 2002). "Country blues star Davis is set to play Hinsdale". Trib West. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
- ^ a b Wishaw, John (21 June 2002). "Culture: Davis brings his blues to Birmingham". Features. Birmingham Post. p. 16.
- ^ a b c Melvin, Don (7 July 2002). "Blues". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L8.
- ^ Asch, Kim (17 Oct 2002). "Musical stories full of heart, soul". The Burlington Free Press. p. WK3.
- ^ Williams, Ken (16 Aug 2002). "Give in Kind". Entertainment Guide. The Age. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Give in Kind Review by Chris Nickson". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Guy Davis". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Hadley, Frank-John (Jan 2003). "Guy Davis: Give in Kind". DownBeat. Vol. 70, no. 1. p. 72.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 156.
- ^ Bream, Jon (12 Apr 2002). "Blues/Folk". Star Tribune. p. 6E.