Heavy Love (Buddy Guy album)
| Heavy Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Blues, blues rock | |||
| Length | 57:01 | |||
| Label | Silvertone[1] | |||
| Producer | David Z | |||
| Buddy Guy chronology | ||||
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Heavy Love is an album by the American blues musician Buddy Guy, released in 1998.[2][3] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album".[4]
The album peaked at No. 163 on the Billboard 200.[5]
Production
Produced by David Z, the album was recorded in Nashville.[6] In an attempt to get the album played on popular radio, Guy added synthetic drums and tape loops to some tracks.[7]
Jonny Lang duets with Guy on the album's lead single, "Midnight Train".[8] On the Tony Joe White cover, "Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You," Guy uses a Gibson acoustic guitar.[9]
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album focuses on "tight songs, concise, off-kilter solos, funk-tinged grooves, and impassioned vocals."[14] The Daily Herald called "Did Somebody Make a Fool Outta You" "a mesmerizing piece of fretwork and utter soul."[18] The Chicago Tribune opined that "the methodical finale, 'Let Me Show You', showcases the singer's soft, tearful, underrated voice."[19] The Hamilton Spectator noted that "a Buddy Guy album is the only place where the volume faders are often turned down to 2 rather than consistently bombarding your ears at 11."[15]
AllMusic thought that "purists will cringe at the unabashed commercial concessions," but acknowledged that "Heavy Love works well when compared to the modern electric blues of the post-Stevie Ray Vaughan era, especially since Guy once again contributes some scorching solos."[11] (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide deemed the album "refreshingly modern, if uneven."[17]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heavy Love" | Dan Penn, Jon Tiven, Sally Tiven | 5:39 |
| 2. | "Midnight Train" | J. Tiven, Roger Reale | 5:21 |
| 3. | "I Got a Problem" | Gene Barge, Jesse Anderson | 5:17 |
| 4. | "I Need You Tonight" | Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard | 5:17 |
| 5. | "Saturday Night Fish Fry" | Louis Jordan, Walsh Ellis Lawrence | 5:29 |
| 6. | "Had a Bad Night" | Buddy Guy | 4:43 |
| 7. | "Are You Lonely for Me Baby" | Bert Berns | 3:55 |
| 8. | "I Just Want to Make Love to You" | Willie Dixon | 3:25 |
| 9. | "Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You" | Tony Joe White | 7:49 |
| 10. | "When the Time Is Right" | Steve Cropper, Glen Clark | 4:32 |
| 11. | "Let Me Show You" | Guy | 5:34 |
Personnel
- Buddy Guy – guitar, vocals
- Jack Holder – guitar
- Reese Wynans – keyboards
- David M. Smith – bass guitar
- Richie Hayward – drums
- David Z – percussion
- Jonny Lang – guitar, vocals (track 2)
- Steve Cropper – guitar (tracks 1, 5, 7 to 11)
References
- ^ "The Year in Blues". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 26, 1998.
- ^ Clarke, John (June 13, 1998). "Blues Choice". Features. The Times. p. 11.
- ^ Perry, Jonathan (May 22, 1998). "Damn Right, He's Buddy Guy". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Buddy Guy". Grammy Awards. December 15, 2020.
- ^ "Buddy Guy". Billboard.
- ^ "Buddy Guy, Torchbearer for Windy City Blues". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Sculley, Alan (September 17, 1998). "Buddy Guy Takes Blues Tradition into the '90s". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 18.
- ^ "The Big Guy of Blues on Three Stages". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Guy, Paul (1998). "Buddy Guy interview". Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Reilly, Terry (July 10, 1998). "CD Reviews". Entertainment Guide. The Age. p. 10.
- ^ a b "Heavy Love Buddy Guy". AllMusic.
- ^ "Buddy Guy". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 49.
- ^ a b "Heavy Love". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Krewen, Nick (June 16, 1998). "Heavy Love". The Hamilton Spectator. p. C8.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 235.
- ^ a b (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 352–353.
- ^ Guarino, Mark. "Chicago Red Hots Smashing Pumpkins and Buddy Guy make it a summer of love". Time Out. Daily Herald. p. 4.
- ^ Knopper, Steve (June 7, 1998). "Buddy Guy". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune. p. 21.