Arthur Alexander
Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter
Hacktone Records
If you haven’t heard of Arthur Alexander, you’ve missed one of the true greats of ’60s Delta blues. Alexander offers a smooth, old school mix of country steel guitar and soul that might have been on the Animal House soundtrack or some lost black and white romance from the ’50s. That’s his vibe: slow dance music that has some real pain and misery behind it. No pop schlock here, this man has a voice as big as any feeling humans can endure.
This disc collects 20 cuts from albums, radio appearances, and demos. Some of the hits are “Go Home Girl”, “Everyday I Have to Cry”, and an eerie unplugged version of “Solitary Man.” The first two-thirds of the album is studio material – polished, arranged, and ready for air play. Later in the disc we get to the essence of the blues experience with material recorded in a hotel room. It’s rougher, certainly, but still soulful and far above the norm. Arthur Alexander was a true treasure, and 10 years after his death, still an influence in the music industry.
Hacktone Records: http://www.hacktone.com
