| Dark Night | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | HighTone | |||
| James Armstrong chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dark Night is an album by the American musician James Armstrong, released in 1998. [1] [2] Armstrong supported the album with a North American tour. [3]
Armstrong recorded the album after recuperating from a home invasion and serious stabbing, which is referenced in the title track. [4] [5] Armstrong lost feeling in his fingers and had to relearn how to play guitar; he also learned slide guitar during his recovery. [6] [7] "Lil' James" is about Armstrong's son, who was also injured in the attack. [8] Michael Ross played lead guitar on the majority of the tracks; Joe Louis Walker and Doug MacLeod played lead guitar on a few tracks. [9] [10] "Bank of Love" is about falling in love with a bank teller. [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [12] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [13] |
Jazziz wrote that Armstrong's "vocals and songs are vulnerable, brooding, and brimming with resignation... His hoarse, laconic delivery and falsetto on 'Too Many Misses' and 'Dark Night' are soul-piercing." [14] The Toronto Star called the album "a dozen soulful tunes with a light, appealing but emotionally edgy voice a la Otis Redding." [15] The Calgary Herald said that Armstrong's "blues riffs are clean and bold and his singing reveals his deep blues roots." [16]
The Record concluded: "Serviceable on his debut, Armstrong's vocals take on a new soulful fiber on Dark Night." [17] The Ottawa Citizen deemed Dark Night "a mixture of anger and depression leavened with the ray of hope that marks all of the best blues music." [18] The Daily Advertiser labeled it "a smooth, understated exercise in tasteful West Coast blues." [19] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that Armstrong "wins you over with the undeniable honesty of his performances." [13]
AllMusic wrote that Michael Ross's "silky leads blend with Armstrong's still very potent singing voice quite sympathetically." [9]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dark Night" | |
| 2. | "Too Many Misses for Me" | |
| 3. | "Slender Man Blues" | |
| 4. | "Trouble on the Home Front" | |
| 5. | "Lil' James" | |
| 6. | "Can't Get Off Your Love (Heaven Help Me)" | |
| 7. | "Bank of Love" | |
| 8. | "What I Would Do (For Your Love)" | |
| 9. | "Witchin' Moon" | |
| 10. | "Here for the Music" | |
| 11. | "Standing in Your Way" | |
| 12. | "Just in Case" |
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