Arkansas (John Oates album)

Last updated

Arkansas
Arkansas (John Oates album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 26, 2018
Recorded2017
Genre
Length33:21
Label PS
Producer John Oates, David Kalmusky
John Oates chronology
John Oates: Live at the Historic Wheeler Opera House
(2004)
Arkansas
(2018)
Reunion
(2024)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link

Arkansas is a 2018 Americana album by John Oates, who is best known as being part of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates. The album was originally released on January 26, 2018. It was recorded with a group of Nashville session musicians called the Good Road Band. [1]

Contents

The album originally began as a tribute to Oates' idol, American country blues singer and guitarist Mississippi John Hurt. Alongside two new songs by Oates, many of the songs are re-imagined traditional Delta, country blues and ragtime selections, such as Emmett Miller's "Anytime" and Jimmie Rodgers' "Miss the Mississippi and You". [1]

Oates is New York City-born and Philadelphia-raised, but has a deep connection to the Arkansas region. Oates explained to Billboard Magazine, "My uncle Tony, after World War II, moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas and lived there for the rest of his life. I went there to visit him. I stood at night out in the middle of the cotton fields all along the banks of the Mississippi River and it was one of the most beautiful moments that I've ever experienced, with the moonlight shining on the white cotton, and I just thought, 'Man, this is so American, in a way.'" [2]

Track listing

  1. "Anytime" (Herbert Lawson/Traditional) – 3:07
  2. "Arkansas" (Oates) – 4:21
  3. "My Creole Belle" (Mississippi John Hurt) – 2:16
  4. "Pallet Soft and Low" (Traditional) – 6:05
  5. "Miss the Mississippi and You" (William Heagney) – 3:34
  6. "Stack O Lee" (Traditional) – 2:49
  7. "That'll Never Happen No More" (Blind Blake/Traditional) – 3:07
  8. "Dig Back Deep" (Oates) – 3:55
  9. "Lord Send Me" (Traditional) – 2:39
  10. "Spike Driver Blues" (Hurt) – 2:09

Personnel

On the sleeve, the album is credited to "John Oates with the Good Road Band". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi John Hurt</span> American country blues singer and guitarist

John Smith Hurt, known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muddy Waters</span> American blues musician (1913–1983)

McKinley Morganfield, known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues". His style of playing has been described as "raining down Delta beatitude".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall & Oates</span> American pop rock duo

Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily played the electric guitar and provided backing vocals. The two wrote most of the songs they performed, either separately or in collaboration. They achieved their greatest fame from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s with a fusion of rock and roll, soul music, and rhythm and blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levon Helm</span> American musician (1940–2012)

Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Helm was known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, multi-instrumental ability, and creative drumming style, highlighted on many of the Band's recordings, such as "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek", and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Stuart</span> American musician

John Marty Stuart is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a solo artist in the early 1980s. He is known for his combination of rockabilly, country rock, and bluegrass music influences, his frequent collaborations and cover songs, and his distinctive stage dress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukka White</span> American singer-songwriter

Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Oates</span> American musician (born 1948)

John William Oates is an American musician, best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates along with Daryl Hall. He has played rock, R&B, and soul music, serving as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Rush (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

Bobby Rush is an American blues musician, composer, and singer. His style incorporates elements of blues, rap, and funk, as well as a comic sense about blues tropes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert King</span> American blues musician (1923–1992)

Albert Nelson, known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and influential album Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) and its title track. He, B.B. King, and Freddie King, all unrelated, were known as the "Kings of the Blues". The left-handed Albert King was known for his "deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystery Train</span> 1953 song by Junior Parker

"Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabilly song, as first covered by Elvis Presley, then numerous others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvin Bishop</span> American musician (born 1942)

Elvin Bishop is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 2015, and in the Blues Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otis Rush</span> American blues singer and guitarist (1934–2018)

Otis Rush Jr. was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s artists Magic Sam and Buddy Guy, his sound became known as West Side Chicago blues and was an influence on many musicians, including Michael Bloomfield, Peter Green and Eric Clapton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cotton</span> American blues singer-songwriter (1935–2017)

James Henry Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Musselwhite</span> American blues musician

Charles Douglas Musselwhite is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader, one who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago Blues movement of the 1960s. He has often been identified as a "white bluesman".

<i>Same Train, a Different Time</i> 1969 studio album by Merle Haggard

Same Train, A Different Time is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers, released in 1969, featuring covers of songs by legendary country music songwriter Jimmie Rodgers. It was originally released as a 2 LP set on Capitol (SWBB-223).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carey Bell</span> American blues musician

Carey Bell Harrington was an American blues musician who played harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica and bass guitar for other blues musicians from the late 1950s to the early 1970s before embarking on a solo career. Besides his own albums, he recorded as an accompanist or duo artist with Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Taylor, Louisiana Red and Jimmy Dawkins and was a frequent partner with his son, the guitarist Lurrie Bell. Blues Revue called Bell "one of Chicago's finest harpists." The Chicago Tribune said Bell was "a terrific talent in the tradition of Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter." In 2023, he was inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame.

"Corrine, Corrina" is a 12-bar country blues song in the AAB form. "Corrine, Corrina" was first recorded by Bo Carter. However, it was not copyrighted until 1932 by Bo Carter, along with his publishers Mitchell Parish and J. Mayo Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band</span> American country blues band

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is a three-piece American country blues band from Brown County, Indiana. They have played up to 250 dates per year at venues ranging from bars to festivals since 2006. To date, they have released ten albums and one EP, most of which have charted on the Billboard and iTunes Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Gales</span> American guitarist (born 1974)

Eric Gales, also known as Raw Dawg, is an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy. As of 2022, Gales has recorded nineteen albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work. He has also contributed vocals on several records by the Memphis rap groups Prophet Posse and Three 6 Mafia under the name Lil E.

Ghalia Vauthier, known professionally as Ghalia Volt, is a Belgian blues rock singer, guitarist, drummer and songwriter. She has been involved in the release of five albums since 2016, including Mississippi Blend (2019) released on Ruf Records. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "John Oates & The Good Road Band – ARKANSAS". JohnOates.com. October 15, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  2. Dauphin, Chuck (February 1, 2018). "John Oates Pays Tribute to American Music's Roots With Solo Album 'Arkansas': Exclusive First Listen". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2022.