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Strong Persuader

 
Album Review: Strong Persuader
 

  • Artist: Robert Cray
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1986
  • Total Time: 39:34
  • Genre: Blues

Review

The set that made Cray a pop star, despite its enduring blues base. Cray's smoldering stance on "Smoking Gun" and "Right Next Door" rendered him the first sex symbol to emerge from the blues field in decades, but it was his innovative expansion of the genre itself that makes this album a genuine 1980s classic. "Nothing but a Woman" boasts an irresistible groove pushed by the Memphis Horns and some metaphorically inspired lyrics, while "I Wonder" and "Guess I Showed Her" sizzle with sensuality. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Smoking Gun Robert Cray, D. Amy, Richard Cousins Robert Cray (4:09)
I Guess I Showed Her Robert Cray (3:40)
Right Next Door (Because of Me) Dennis Walker Robert Cray (4:21)
Nothin' But a Woman Robert Cray, Peter Boe, Bruce Bromberg, Richard Cousins, Dave Olson Robert Cray (3:59)
Still Around Robert Cray (3:42)
More Than I Can Stand Robert Cray (3:00)
Foul Play Robert Cray (4:19)
I Wonder Robert Cray Robert Cray (3:58)
Fantasized Robert Cray (4:05)
New Blood Robert Cray (4:21)

Credits

Robert Cray (Guitar), Robert Cray (Vocals), Robert Cray (Main Performer), Robert Cray (Performer), The Memphis Horns (Horn Arrangements), Fidel Bell (Mixing Assistant), Peter Boe (Keyboards), Charlie Brocco (Mixing Assistant), Bruce Bromberg (Producer), Richard Cousins (Bass), Bill Dashiell (Engineer), Bill Dashiell (Mixing), Henry Diltz (Photography), Toni Greene (Mixing Assistant), Jeff Hendrickson (Mixing), Wayne Jackson (Trombone), Wayne Jackson (Trumpet), Wayne Jackson (Horn), Andrew Love (Saxophone), Andrew Love (Sax (Tenor)), Dave Olson (Drums), Larry Sloven (Executive Producer), Lee Spath (Percussion), Dennis Walker (Producer), Aaron Rapoport (Photography), Kosh (Cover Design), Bill Levy (Art Direction)
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Wikipedia: Strong Persuader
Top
Strong Persuader
Strong Persuader cover
Studio album by Robert Cray
Released November 1986
Recorded Sage & Sound, Los Angeles; Haywood's, Los Angeles
Genre Blues
Length 39:34
Label Mercury
Producer Bruce Bromberg, Dennis Walker
Professional reviews
Robert Cray chronology
False Accusations
(1985)
Strong Persuader
(1986)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(1988)

Released in 1986, Strong Persuader was Robert Cray's breakthrough album to the mainstream. "Strong Persuader" also became a nickname for Cray.

It was preceded by False Accusations (1985) and followed by Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1988). By the early '90s, Cray was under management direction to not do college radio station I.D.s, ironically often the only place that regularly played his catalogue and in spite of heroes like B.B. King, Little Milton, and Ray Charles doing similar work.

Contents

Lyrics

Cray's music contains sometimes sexual lyrics, which are showcased on Strong Persuader. Some lyrics from "Fantasized", for example: "She had sugar-sweet lips and magical hips just like I fantasized, what a slow ride, she moaned and she cried just like I fantasized."


Track listing

  1. "Smoking Gun" (Amy, Cousins, Cray)
  2. "I Guess I Showed Her" (Cray)
  3. "Right Next Door (Because Of Me)" (Walker, Cray)
  4. "Nothin' but a Woman (featuring The Memphis Horns)" (Cousins, Cray, Boe, Bomberg, Olson)
  5. "Still Around" (Cray)
  6. "More Than I Can Stand" (Cray)
  7. "Foul Play" (Cray)
  8. "I Wonder" (Cray)
  9. "Fantasized" (Cray)
  10. "New Blood" (Cray)

Credits

  • Fidel Bell - mixing assistant
  • Charlie Brocco - mixing assistant
  • Peter Boe - keyboards
  • Bruce Bomberg - producer
  • Richard Cousins - bass
  • Robert Cray - main performer, guitar, vocals
  • David Olson - drums
  • Lee Spath - percussion
  • Andrew Love - tenor saxophone
  • Wayne Jackson - trumpet, trombone

Charts

Album

1987 Billboard 200 No. 13

Singles

  • 1987 "Smoking Gun" Billboard Hot 100 No. 22
  • 1987 "Smoking Gun" Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 2


External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

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
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Strong Persuader" Read more