Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down
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Description
R.L. Burnside's background is pure Mississippi Delta--he was raised in the hill country and musically trained by quintessential bluesmen like Fred McDowell. But this record, like all his work, is infused with an adventurous spirit, haunted by eerie bits of electronic music and dark, despondent subject matter. The combination sounds irresistibly fresh, and scary as a hellhound on your trail. --Matthew Cooke
Description
Imagine a man sitting on a weathered front porch in a rocking chair, telling stories as the sun goes down. As first, they seem like the old-time tales any grandfather might tell, but as the sun sets, they take on a chilling, uneasy edge. That's the effect of R.L. Burnside's fifth album for Fat Possum; it's unnerving, at times downright spooky. Many will wonder if the digital effects featured on 1998's Come On In are here as well. Yes, they are, but less obviously. While electronics and DJ scratches are part of "Got Messed Up," their inclusion is subtle, like unearthly noises heard after dark a thousand miles from anywhere. Though there are some upbeat moments on this album, such as the uptempo "Miss Maybelle" and the satirical "Nothin' Man," for the most part this is the particular brand of Mississippi blues that Burnside and the lateJunior Kimbrough have done so well: mournful, even somewhat bleak, with every sense of hellhounds on the trail. Indeed, as the track "R.L.'s Story" indicates, Burnside's got his own demons; bonus tracks aside, this makes a perfect closing track, a last tale before the children are shooed off to bed. Forget Martha Stewart; this is Halloween music. --Genevieve Williams
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