The_Man_from_Mars_(album)

<i>The Man from Mars</i> (album)

The Man from Mars (album)

1997 studio album by Smokey Wilson

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]

Quick Facts The Man from Mars, Studio album by Smokey Wilson ...

Production

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]

Critical reception

More information Review scores, Source ...

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]

Track listing

More information No., Title ...

References

  1. [1]
    Kinsman, Michael (28 Nov 1996). "Lord knows, Smokey Wilson is full-up on the Mississippi blues". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 7.
  2. [2]
    "Smokey Wilson Biography by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  3. [3]
    Provencher, Norman (10 Apr 1997). "Southern blues bands to heat things up". Ottawa Citizen. p. D2.
  4. [4]
    Waller, Don (May 2, 1998). "W. C. Handy Awards Nominees". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 18. p. 42.
  5. [5]
    Himes, Geoffrey (18 Apr 1997). "Wilson's Robust Soul". The Washington Post. p. WW13.
  6. [6]
    Mason, Rick (3 Aug 1997). "Blues". Star Tribune. p. F2.
  7. [7]
    Benedetti, Winda (13 June 1997). "Tubs Cafe Opens New Beer Garden with Smokey Wilson's Soulful Blues". Weekend. The Spokesman-Review. p. 2.
  8. [8]
    Konz, Joe (21 Sep 1997). "Smokey Wilson 'The Man from Mars'". The Indianapolis Star. p. I7.
  9. [9]
    "The Man from Mars Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. [10]
    Berkhalter, Denise (3 Apr 1997). "Smokey Wilson plays Blues Alley tonight". Hattiesburg American. p. 2D.
  11. [11]
    Levesque, Roger (24 Apr 1997). "Smoky Wilson feels the burn on Mars CD". Edmonton Journal. p. D4.
  12. [12]
    Shuster, Fred (28 Mar 1997). "Blues". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L21.
  13. [13]
    MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 408.
  14. [14]
    The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 721.
  15. [15]
    Obrecht, Jas (Jun 1997). "Lonesome road blues". Guitar Player. Vol. 31, no. 6. p. 113.
  16. [16]
    McGuinness, Jim (5 Sep 1997). "Mississippi School of the Blues". Previews. The Record. p. 5.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article The_Man_from_Mars_(album), and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.