Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Collection

• Artist: Robert Cray
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Blues

Review

Robert Cray left his longtime home Mercury Records following the release of 1997's Sweet Potato Pie, moving to Rykodisc in 1999. Not long after his Ryko debut Take Your Shoes Off -- just a little over six months, actually -- Mercury released Heavy Picks: The Robert Cray Collection. It wasn't really an attempt to steal the thunder from Take Your Shoes Off, since that album had eased into the catalog by that point; it was merely a welcome compilation of Cray's first 17 years of recording. Almost all of his albums, from 1980's Who's Been Talkin' to Sweet Potato Pie, are represented (1995's Some Rainy Morning is conspicuously missing, perhaps because of its slick soul direction), and the selections are by and large on the money -- the crossover hits "Smoking Gun," "Right Next Door (Because of Me)," and "I Guess I Showed Her" are here, but so are some straight-ahead blues cuts, too, including the Albert Collins duet "The Dream." The only real fault with Heavy Picks is that the collection feels haphazardly assembled, bouncing from era to era. Ultimately, however, that doesn't matter, since this captures the highlights from his Tomato and Mercury recordings quite well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Phone Booth (Lyrics)	Robert Cray, Richard Cousins, Mike Vannice, Dennis Walker	Robert Cray Band	(3:28)
Forecast (Calls for Pain)	David Plenn	Robert Cray Band	(4:00)
Smoking Gun (Lyrics)	Robert Cray, D. Amy, Richard Cousins	Robert Cray Band	(4:05)
Playin' in the Dirt (Lyrics)	Robert Cray, D. Amy	Robert Cray Band	(3:42)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark	Dennis Walker	Robert Cray Band	(3:46)
Too Many Cooks (Lyrics)	Willie Dixon	Robert Cray Band	(2:48)
The Dream	Robert Cray	Robert Cray Band	(5:32)
Right Next Door (Because of Me)	Dennis Walker	Robert Cray Band	(4:16)
Consequences	Bonnie Hayes, Kevin Hayes	Robert Cray Band	(4:24)
Bad Influence	Robert Cray, Mike Vannice	Robert Cray Band	(2:51)
I Guess I Showed Her	Dennis Walker	Robert Cray Band	(3:37)
I Shiver (Lyrics)	Robert Cray	Robert Cray Band	(5:07)
Trick or Treat	Otis Redding	Robert Cray Band	(3:09)
I Was Warned	Robert Cray, Dennis Walker	Robert Cray Band	(7:15)

Credits

Robert Cray (Guitar), Robert Cray (Guitar (Rhythm)), Robert Cray (Vocals), Robert Cray (Producer), Robert Cray (Main Performer), Robert Cray (Compilation Producer), Allen Batts (Organ), Peter Boe (Keyboards), Bruce Bromberg (Producer), Richard Cousins (Bass), Bill Dashiell (Engineer), Bill Dashiell (Mixing), Johnny B. Gayden (Bass), Margaret Goldfarb (Production Coordination), John Hampton (Mixing), Jeff Hendrickson (Mixing), Bruce Iglauer (Producer), Wayne Jackson (Trombone), Wayne Jackson (Trumpet), Tim Kaihatsu (Guitar), David Li (Sax (Tenor)), Andrew Love (Sax (Tenor)), Edward Manion (Sax (Tenor)), Andy McKaie (Executive Producer), Tom Murphy (Drums), Justin Niebank (Engineer), Justin Niebank (Mixing), Night Train Clemons (Rhythm Section), Mark Pender (Trumpet), Jim Pugh (Keyboards), Warren Rand (Saxophone), Curtis Salgado (Harmonica), Antoine Salley (Rhythm Section), Karl Sevareid (Bass), Dick Shurman (Producer), Larry Sloven (Executive Producer), Lee Spath (Percussion), Mike Vannice (Keyboards), Dennis Walker (Producer), Vartan (Art Direction), Suha Gur (Mastering), Mike Kappus (Compilation Producer), Bas Hartong (Compilation Producer)