BUDDY GUY

Skin Deep

Silvertone 88697-31629-2

By Tim Holek

If the Buddy Guy you first knew or liked was the Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues Buddy Guy, then this is the CD you’ve been waiting for. After some less than memorable releases – namely Sweet Tea and Bring ’Em In – Buddy Guy is back on top. With regards to the songs and guests, Skin Deep is every bit as good as Damn Right… . However, it features more of Guy’s wildly speedy guitar playing, and this time the message of the songs is deeper. The inspiration for the album title and song comes from a significant series of personal memoirs and observations on the ways in which "underneath we're all the same.” This time Buddy Guy had the freedom to play what he wanted in the studio. "This is the first time I really had more control," Guy says.

            The success of the album can be attributed to the veteran studio musicians like Reese Wynans (keyboards). The greatest credit must be given to Tom Hambridge – known for his work with Delbert McClinton, Johnny Winter, and Susan Tedeschi – who produced the CD, contributed all but two songs, and performed on drums. Guy’s vocals are usually thunderous, but they lack energy on the opening song Best Damn Fool. He more than compensates for the deficiency by putting everything he has got into a scintillating guitar that vibrates its way into your blues bloodstream. Lyin’ Like A Dog is a dirty blues with lots of jolting guitar notes. Here, Guy delivers a rant of bad love with the expressive, energetic, and expressive vocals we have come to expect. This seven-plus minute opus gives merit that Guy is still one of the best blues guitarists on the scene. Show Me The Money is a rockin’ boogie that sounds highly produced especially the background vocals. As the remaining real deal bluesmen fall victim to attrition, Who’s Gonna Fill Those Shoes describes a real predicament. The song itself does not propose any answers to the question, but rather it urges the listener to dictate the future of the blues. Cleverly, hope for the future is delivered on the track via pre-teen guitar whiz Quinn Sullivan. 

            The contemporary rock song Too Many Tears is fueled by Derek Trucks’ slide guitar and Susan Tedeschi’s vocals. Every Time I Sing The Blues is a perfect partnering of rock’s greatest blues advocate – Eric Clapton – with the blues’ greatest rock advocate – Buddy Guy. The lyrics and arrangement of Out In The Woods are made to sound rural thanks to an accompanying accordion of Nathan Williams. Here, Robert Randolph’s pedal steel guitar is absolutely wicked. He cuts heads with Guy again on That’s My Home.  

            Along with the occasional pop song, e.g., Hammer And A Nail that could have been omitted, there is plenty of rock and blues on this CD. Broad-minded music enthusiasts will love this release which expands the borders of the blues.   

Editor’s Note: Skin Deep has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Recording.

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