The Man from Mars | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1997 | |||
Genre | Blues, R&B | |||
Label | Bullseye Blues | |||
Producer | Ron Levy | |||
Smokey Wilson chronology | ||||
|
The Man from Mars is an album by the American musician Smokey Wilson, released in 1997.[1][2] Wilson supported the album with a North American tour.[3] The Man from Mars was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best contemporary blues album.[4]
The album was produced by Ron Levy, who used a rhythm section of Dallas musicians.[5] Wilson wrote eight of its songs.[6] "Louise" was written by Howlin' Wolf, one of Wilson's primary influences; "44 Blues" is a cover of Wolf's version of the standard.[7][8] "Easy Baby" was written by Magic Sam.[9] "Something Inside of Me" is a cover of the Elmore James song.[9] "Thanks for Making Me a Star" is about staying humble after becoming famous.[10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Edmonton Journal | [11] |
The Indianapolis Star | [8] |
Los Angeles Daily News | [12] |
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide | [13] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [14] |
The Los Angeles Daily News wrote that the album "recalls the grit of a '50s juke joint... Wilson's slash and burn guitaring is a breath of fresh air at a time when a generation of tepid teen players are being taken seriously as blues musicians."[12] The Washington Post stated that "thick, punchy horn riffs dominate nearly every song and force Wilson to sharpen the edge on his lead-guitar licks and to pump up his hollering vocals to make himself felt."[5] The Edmonton Journal praised the "shuffles and honky tonk ballads and roaring r'n'b horn workouts."[11]
Guitar Player said that Wilson's "stinging tone, swift vibrato and staccato blasts travel from string-strangling '50s blues to R&B-driven '70s rock."[15] The Record determined that Wilson's "incendiary slide-guitar work carries on the Elmore James tradition, while his gravel-voiced singing recalls Howlin' Wolf and Tyrone Davis."[16] The Indianapolis Star noted that "the juke-joint atmosphere Wilson embraced while cutting his teeth in the profession is evident."[8]
AllMusic wrote that "Levy keeps Wilson's guitar tone at sting and bite level 10 and his vocals right up front and toasty, surrounding him with a solid rhythm section and spare horn stabs."[9]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Thanks for Making Me a Star" | |
2. | "Something Inside of Me" | |
3. | "The Man from Mars" | |
4. | "44 Blues" | |
5. | "Louise" | |
6. | "Too Drunk to Drive" | |
7. | "You Don't Drink What I Drink" | |
8. | "Black Widow" | |
9. | "Just Like a Mountain" | |
10. | "Don't Want to Tangle with Me" | |
11. | "Doctor Blues" | |
12. | "Easy Baby" |