Tony Joe White
Bad Mouthin’
Yep Roc
The description ‘Old Soul’ is a compliment to any songwriter. With Tony Joe White, it’s been a description for over 50 years. He’s survived and thrived for all that time. These days he’s generally seated during performances due to a back problem, but his talent is in no way diminished.
With Bad Mouthin’, Tony Joe White offers up a mix of classic covers and originals stripped to their essence. The result is a fine offering of songs – some going back to before he was a swamp-flavored force on the international scene.
The treatments are spare and, at times, almost primitive. The result is his first full-fledged blues release. The songs smoulder. They are delivered in his dusky baritone voice with a laid-back delivery that has become a trademark of his sound.
New or old, these classics from John Lee Hooker (“Boom Boom”), Lightnin’ Hopkins (“Awful Dreams”) and Jimmy Reed (“Big Boss Man”) that fit nicely alongside his newer originals – or even his best-known hits.
I highly recommend this release.
