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A Tribute to Slim Harpo and Raful Neal

 
Album Review: A Tribute to Slim Harpo and Raful Neal

  • Artist: Kenny Neal
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: August 23, 2005
  • Genre: Blues

Review

Kenny Neal began the project that led to this record in 2002, and it was originally intended to be a tribute to the music of Slim Harpo, whose own languid, atmospheric recordings are the very definition of swamp blues. With Slim's good friend (and Kenny Neal's father) Raful Neal handling most of the vocals, and, of course, the harmonica work, and with some of the members of Harpo's band also on-board, ten tracks were recorded before the elder Neal was diagnosed with bone cancer. Raful Neal died on September 1, 2004, and when Kenny Neal eventually returned to the project tapes, the album had turned into a tribute to Raful. as well. The famous muffled and swampy sound of Harpo's original Excello recordings was as much due to lack of proper equipment (cardboard boxes were supposedly used as drums on some tracks) as it was creative vision, and Neal makes no attempt to re-create the same sort of atmosphere here, but Raful's rough, world-weary voice gives songs like "Rainin' in My Heart," "King Bee," and "Got Love If You Want it" a kind of aged resignation that serves them well. The feel on this album is really more reverent than it is swampy, but that's fine. As both a remembrance of Slim Harpo and a farewell to Raful Neal, it makes a respectful and compelling testament. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Rainin' in My Heart Kenny Neal (3:38)
What a Dream Kenny Neal (4:34)
Swamp Boogie Kenny Neal (2:25)
Late Last Nite Kenny Neal (5:03)
King Bee Kenny Neal (4:28)
Te-Ni-Ne-Ni-Nu Kenny Neal (3:30)
Scratch My Back Kenny Neal (3:13)
Baby Bee Kenny Neal (5:07)
Worry, Worrin' Kenny Neal (3:32)
Got Love If You Want It Kenny Neal (3:19)

Credits

Kenny Neal (Vocals), Kenny Neal (Harmonica), Kenny Neal (Guitar (Rhythm)), Kenny Neal, Jr. (Mixing Assistant), Jimmy Johnson (Guitar), Kenny Neal, Jr. (Engineer), Kenny Neal (Guitar), Tyree Neal (Drums), Frederick Neal (Keyboards), Keith H. Brown (Illustrations), Darnell Neal (Guitar (Bass)), Keith H. Brown (Design), Raful Neal (Vocals), Jef Scott (Mixing), Kenny Neal (Producer), Mischa Chillak (Assistant Engineer), Kenny Neal, Jr. (Digital Transfer Assistant), Kenny Neal, Jr. (Producer), Gerald Wiggins (Executive Producer), Jimmy Johnson (Vocals), Nelson Blanchard (Engineer), Raful Neal (Harmonica), Rudolph Richard (Vocals), Daniel Ger (Digital Transfers), Edmund Puckhaber (Executive Producer), Rudolph Richard (Guitar), Kenny Neal (Liner Notes)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more