Various
Devil’s Blues
(True North)
Eighteen songs about drinking, gambling, lust and jealousy, from 1949 to 1977, make up Devil’s Blues. A few names may be familiar, like Memphis Minnie and Otis Rush, but the set leans heavily towards obscure and nasty. Cash McCall doesn’t quite make it all the way to double-entendre delineating his desires on “Stoop Down Baby.” Cicero Blake’s “Dip My Dipper” is equally direct. Fiery vocals and smooth playing give the album a surprising unity. Summing up and standing apart, Tommie Young’s “Everybody’s Got a Little Devil in their Soul,” with its gospel backing, is an effective coda. She soon disowned it and returned to her father’s church.
Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.