| Fish Ain't Bitin' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Blues, country blues | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Larry Hoffman, Corey Harris | |||
| Corey Harris chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fish Ain't Bitin' is the second album by the American musician Corey Harris, released in 1997 through Alligator Records. [1] [2] [3] Harris supported the album with a North American tour that included shows opening for B.B. King. [4] [5] Fish Ain't Bitin' won a W. C. Handy Award for the best acoustic blues album of 1997. [6]
The album was co-produced by Larry Hoffman, who also arranged the horns. [7] Harris was inspired by the music of New Orleans, where he had lived for several years. [8] He used a National steel guitar. [9] Harris used a tuba and two trombones on some of the tracks. [10] "God Don't Ever Change" is a cover of the Blind Willie Johnson song. [11] "Bumble Bee Blues" is a cover of the Memphis Minnie song. [12] "Jack O'Diamonds" is a version of the song popularized by Blind Lemon Jefferson. [13] "Worried Life Blues" was written by Big Maceo. [14] "5-0 Blues" is about police brutality. [15] The title track was influenced by Harris's childhood catfishing excursions. [16]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [17] |
| DownBeat | [18] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [7] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [19] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [20] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| Seattle Post-Intelligencer | B+ [21] |
| Uncut | [22] |
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called Harris "more than an imitator," writing that "like many of his musical ancestors, Harris has turned the stuff of his life into a musical anthology." [20] The Orlando Sentinel noted that, "in addition to a distinctive, gravelly baritone with wonderful sustain, he has an exceptionally strong sense of rhythm and knows how to write a good tune." [7] The Calgary Herald deemed the album "a delicious acoustic blues disc that captures that back porch blues feel of old and yet remains completely contemporary." [23]
The Times Colonist determined that "Harris throws everything from New Orleans brass bands to rap into his unique, and it all comes out majestic and inspired country blues." [9] The Michigan Chronicle concluded that the album "demonstrates the same haunting majesty that powered the [blues] during its pre-World War II, pre-electric phase." [24] Robert Christgau opined that "as much as Harris's cross-rhythms and vocal panoply honor his readings of the classics, his virtuosity springs to life on originals." [17]
The Chicago Tribune listed Fish Ain't Bitin' as the best blues album of 1997. [25] OC Weekly included the album on its list of the best of the 1990s. [26]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High Fever Blues" | |
| 2. | "Frankie and Johnnie" | |
| 3. | "Berry Owens Blues" | |
| 4. | "Take Me Back" | |
| 5. | "Fish Ain't Bitin'" | |
| 6. | "Preaching Blues" | |
| 7. | "Bumble Bee Blues" | |
| 8. | "God Don't Ever Change" | |
| 9. | "5-0 Blues" | |
| 10. | "Mama Got Worried" | |
| 11. | "Worried Life Blues" | |
| 12. | "High Fever Blues (Solo Version)" | |
| 13. | "Jack o'Diamonds" | |
| 14. | "If You Leave Me" | |
| 15. | "Moosemilk Blues" | |
| 16. | "You've Got to Move" | |
| 17. | "Clean Rag" |
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