| Heads Up! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2002 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Ed Williams, Bruce Iglauer | |||
| Lil' Ed Williams chronology | ||||
| ||||
Heads Up! is an album by the American musician Lil' Ed Williams, released in 2002. [1] [2] It was his fifth album for Alligator Records. [3] He is credited with his band, the Blues Imperials. [4] Williams supported the album with North American, European, and Asian tours. [5] [6] Heads Up! debuted at No. 14 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart. [7]
Heads Up! was produced by Lil' Ed and Bruce Iglauer. [8] Lil' Ed and the band recorded 32 songs in three days; he wrote 11 of the songs that were chosen for the album. [9] [10] His wife, Pam, wrote "My Mind Is Gone". [11] His stepbrother, Pookie Young, played bass on Heads Up! [12] "Black Night" is a cover of the Jessie Mae Robinson song. [13] "Ed Heads' Boogie" is an instrumental paean to the band's fans. [14]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [10] |
| The Gazette | [15] |
| Ottawa Citizen | [16] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [17] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [18] |
The Ottawa Citizen called Lil' Ed the "spiritual descendent of houserocking giant Hound Dog Taylor." [16] The Philadelphia Inquirer praised "the achingly brooding 'I Still Love You'." [18] The Toronto Star noted that Lil' Ed's "voice is more tough and gruff than tender, with fat hints of Taj Mahal." [12] The Gazette said that Lil' Ed fronts "one of the tightest rhythm sections in the blues." [15] The Chicago Tribune opined that, "blues being blues, Williams, a decent guitarist, over-solos on 'Black Night' and 'I Still Love You'." [19] The Associated Press determined that Lil' Ed "doesn't so much play slide guitar as wrench the life out of it." [20]
AllMusic advised: "Listen to 'The Creeper' to get an idea of the savage fury that he can channel through his slide guitar work. This disc manifests that feel for the blues that can't be taught, but must be both lived and seen from the inside." [10] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings wrote that the album "fizzes with presence and immediacy." [17]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woman in the Castle" | |
| 2. | "Never Miss Your Water" | |
| 3. | "Natural Man" | |
| 4. | "The Creeper" | |
| 5. | "My Mind Is Gone" | |
| 6. | "Four Leaf Clover" | |
| 7. | "Lil' Ed's Home Cookin'" | |
| 8. | "Black Night" | |
| 9. | "Empty House Tour" | |
| 10. | "Computer Girl" | |
| 11. | "Ed Heads' Boogie" | |
| 12. | "I Still Love You" | |
| 13. | "I Love My Baby" |
Joseph Benjamin Hutto was an American blues musician. Elmore James influenced him and became known for his slide guitar playing and declamatory style of singing. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame two years after his death.
Downhome Sophisticate is an album by the American blues musician Corey Harris, released in 2002.
Fun & Games is an album by the American band the Connells, released in 1989. It was recorded primarily at Fort Apache Studios, in Cambridge, MA, with additional recording at Studio 900 in New York City and Reflection Studio in Charlotte, NC.
The Spin is an album by the American jazz band Yellowjackets, released in 1989. The album title refers to the Earth's rotation. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Haircut is the ninth studio album by American rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released on July 27, 1993. The first single from the album was "Get a Haircut". The album peaked at No. 120 on the Billboard 200. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Lil' Ed Williams is an American blues slide guitarist, singer and songwriter. With his backing band, the Blues Imperials, he has built up a loyal following.
Never Been Rocked Enough is a studio album by the American musician Delbert McClinton. It was released in 1992 by Curb Records. The first single was "Every Time I Roll the Dice". McClinton supported the album with a North American tour.
Simple Things is an album by the American folk musician Richie Havens, released in 1987. The album, along with Richie Havens Sings the Beatles and Dylan, from the same year, marked a recording comeback for Havens.
Yo Frankie is an album by the American musician Dion, released in 1989. The album marked a popular comeback for Dion, who had spent much of the 1980s recording Christian music. Lou Reed, who had inducted Dion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a couple of months prior to the release of Yo Frankie, was one of the many musicians who made guest appearances on the album.
Open All Night is the second album by the American Southern rock band the Georgia Satellites, released in 1988.
Rumble is the second album by the American rock band Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, released in 1988. It was the band's first album for a major label.
North Avenue Wake Up Call is an album by the American rock band the Freddy Jones Band, released in 1995. The title refers to the Chicago expressway exit the band used whenever they returned home from touring.
Honor Among Thieves is the debut album by the American band the Brandos, released in 1987. The first single was "Gettysburg", which was a minor hit on radio and MTV.
Royal Garden Blues is an album by the American saxophonist Branford Marsalis, released in 1986. Marsalis promoted it with a North American tour.
What You See Is What You Get is an album by the American musician Lil' Ed Williams, released in 1992. He is credited with his band, the Blues Imperials. Williams supported the album with a North American tour. Following the tour, Williams temporarily broke up the band to concentrate on solo work.
Burning Questions is an album by the English musician Graham Parker, released in 1992. It was his only album for Capitol Records. Backed by his band, the Small Clubs, Parker supported the album with a North American tour.
Mighty Man is an album by the American musician Mighty Joe Young, released in 1997. It was his first album for Blind Pig Records, although the label would reissue some of Young's earlier work. Young supported the album with a North American tour.
The Man from Mars is an album by the American musician Smokey Wilson, released in 1997. Wilson supported the album with a North American tour. The Man from Mars was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best contemporary blues album.
Eldorado Cadillac is an album by the American musician Billy Boy Arnold, released in 1995. It was the second album of his 1990s comeback. Arnold considered his two Alligator Records albums to be the best of his career. The album won a National Association of Independent Record Distributors award for best blues album.
Everybody's Gettin' Some is an album by the American musician Junior Wells, released in 1995. It was his second album for Telarc Records. Wells supported the album with a North American tour.