Hard River to Cross
| Hard River to Cross | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 4, 1993 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Black Top | |||
| Producer | Hammond Scott | |||
| Earl King chronology | ||||
| ||||
Hard River to Cross is an album by the American musician Earl King, released on May 4, 1993.[1][2] He supported it with a North American tour.[3]
Production
The album was produced by Hammond Scott.[4] George Porter Jr. played bass and Snooks Eaglin contributed on guitar.[4][5] King wrote the songs, some of which were decades old, on guitar and piano.[6][7] The horn charts were arranged by Mark Kazanoff.[8] "It Hurts to Love Someone" is a cover of the Guitar Slim song; Slim had been a mentor to King.[9] "You Better Know" advises against getting married.[10] "Big Foot" is a narrative about a party-seeking beast venturing from the bayou to New Orleans.[11] "Handy Wrap" is about a man who is unhappy in his mundane romantic relationship.[12]
Critical reception
Newsday stated, "King has a crisp, clean disciplined approach to solos: He stings while the rhythm section swings."[3] The Washington Post noted "King's soulful voice and sometimes sinuous, sometimes stinging guitar work".[7] The Orlando Sentinel said that "King's jumping blues have a distinctive spicy, New Orleans feel, but what really sets King apart is his humorous and inventive songwriting."[10] The Chicago Tribune listed Hard River to Cross as the second best blues album of 1993.[18]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Medieval Days" | |
| 2. | "Seduction" | |
| 3. | "Hard River to Cross" | |
| 4. | "Clairvoyant Lady" | |
| 5. | "It Hurts to Love Someone" | |
| 6. | "No City Like New Orleans" | |
| 7. | "You Better Know" | |
| 8. | "Big Foot" | |
| 9. | "Your Love Means More to Me Than Gold" | |
| 10. | "I'm Still Holding On" | |
| 11. | "Handy Wrap" | |
| 12. | "Love Can Save the World" |
References
- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (May 2, 1993). "Merry Month of May Means New Albums". Calgary Herald. Knight Ridder. p. C2.
- ^ Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Vol. 1. Routledge. p. 96.
- ^ a b Robins, Wayne (May 21, 1993). "Pop Music at Tramps Tonight: The King of New Orleans". Part II. Newsday. p. 77.
- ^ a b "Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 25. June 19, 1993. p. 64.
- ^ a b Hinckley, David (May 21, 1993). "They get the blues most every night ... and also on CD". Daily News. New York. p. 63.
- ^ Beal Jr., Jim (July 2, 1993). "What's red, white and blue all over?". San Antonio Express-News. p. 21G.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (July 16, 1993). "Earl King: Twistin' the Blues Away". Weekend. The Washington Post. p. 11.
- ^ Isola, Gregory (December 1993). "Earl King: Crescent city storyteller". Guitar Player. Vol. 27, no. 12. p. 17.
- ^ Dahl, Bill (May 14, 1993). "Earl King pulls new tricks out of old bag". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
- ^ a b c Gettelman, Parry (September 17, 1993). "Earl King". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 11.
- ^ Cooper, Scott (June 18, 1993). "Music". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 10.
- ^ Wolfe, Penny (June 20, 1993). "The turntable". Staten Island Advance. p. E2.
- ^ All Music Guide to the Blues (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. 2003. p. 314.
- ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. 2002. p. 228.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. 1999. p. 400.
- ^ Beal Jr., Jim (July 2, 1993). "Records". Weekender. San Antonio Express-News. p. 26.
- ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin Books. 1998. p. 212.
- ^ Dahl, Bill (December 24, 1993). "Don't Get Bent Out of Shape, Just Revisit the Best in Blues". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.