Blues Is My Wailin' Wall | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1999 | |||
Genre | Blues | |||
Label | Blue Thumb | |||
Producer | Mighty Mo Rodgers | |||
Mighty Mo Rodgers chronology | ||||
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Blues Is My Wailin' Wall is the debut album by the American musician Mighty Mo Rodgers, released in 1999. [1] [2] Rodgers referred to his music as "nu bluez"; he was also working on a master's thesis titled "Blues as Metaphysical Music (Its Musicality and Ontological Underpinnings)". [3] [4] He initially released the album on his label, North Star Records, in December 1998. [5] Rodgers supported the album with a North American tour. [6] He was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for "Best New Artist Debut". [7]
Rodgers funded the album, which he produced and recorded over 18 months. [5] [8] Rodgers was influenced by Ralph Ellison's Juneteenth , which argued that the blues were a part of the lives of all Black Americans. [9] He was also influenced by Jimmy Reed and Willie Dixon, whom he saw perform at his father's Indiana club. [10] "Tuskegee Blues" is about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. [5] "Took Away the Drum" made use of kalimbas. [11]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Edmonton Journal | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Press of Atlantic City | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Exclaim! wrote that the album "is no revivalist camp ... but a richly musical charge that recalls the work of the late Curtis Mayfield... Rodgers' deep, warm vocals embrace gospel and R&B, and his voice alternates between a powerful growl and a gentle caress across arrangements designed around solid hooks that first seduce the listener before driving home their message." [16] The Daily Herald noted that, "where most contemporary blues songs are riffs built around hogging guitar solos, Rodgers brings a literate, philosophical punch to the genre." [17] The Edmonton Journal said that "slices of soul, dips into R&B, some rootsy roadhouse arrangements and a voice that has lived every lyric, amounts to an impressive 11 songs." [13] The Press of Atlantic City determined that "the album is uneven in spots, but Rodgers makes a valiant effort to do something different." [15]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Blues Is My Wailin' Wall" | |
2. | "Took Away the Drum" | |
3. | "Heaven's Got the Blues" | |
4. | "No Regrets" | |
5. | "Tuskegee Blues" | |
6. | "No Dough" | |
7. | "The Kennedy Song" | |
8. | "(Bring Back) Sweet Soul Music" | |
9. | "Willie B. and Me" | |
10. | "Gone Fishin'" | |
11. | "Shame!" |
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