I'm a Blues Man

I'm a Blues Man
Studio album by Z. Z. Hill
Released	1983
Genre	Blues R&B Southern soul
Length	35:06
Label	Malaco
Producer	Tommy Couch, Wolf Stephenson
Z. Z. Hill chronology
Velvet Soul (1982) I'm a Blues Man (1983) Bluesmaster (1984)

I'm a Blues Man is an album by the American musician Z. Z. Hill, released in 1983. ^{[1] [2]} Like Hill's previous albums, it is a mixture of blues, R&B, and Southern soul. ^{[3] [4]} I'm a Blues Man was among the 25 best selling Top Black Albums of 1984, and remained on that chart for almost a year; for a brief period, Hill's three 1982 and 1983 Malaco albums were on the chart at the same time. ^{[5] [6] [7]} I'm a Blues Man was the last album released in Hill's lifetime. ^[8]

Production

The album was produced by Tommy Couch and Wolf Stephenson. ^[9] The title track, which mentions Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed, was written by Walter Godbold. ^{[10] [11]} Vasti Jackson played guitar on the album. ^[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
Robert Christgau	B+ [14]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	[10]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul	[15]

The Los Angeles Times noted that the album "employs a more pronounced Stax attack on Hill's typical assortment of cheating love songs". ^[16] The Daily Herald said that Hill "never rises out of a larded grits-and-chitlins groove, but he's polished it until it shines like a diamond." ^[17] Robert Christgau wrote that the songs were stronger than on Hill's previous Malaco album, The Rhythm and the Blues. ^[14] The Lake Geneva Regional News called Hill "a link to the Southern tradition who shines on every song he sings". ^[18] The Valley Advocate labeled Hill's music "red-clay soul", and listed I'm a Blues Man among the best "Black Pop" albums of 1984. ^[19]

AllMusic opined that "Hill had indeed rechristened himself as a blues man of the first order." ^[13]

Track listing

I'm a Blues Man track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I'm a Blues Man"	3:34
2.	"Three into Two Won't Go"	2:52
3.	"Cheatin' Love"	3:26
4.	"Shade Tree Mechanic"	2:57
5.	"It's Been So Long"	3:29
6.	"Get a Little, Give a Little"	4:12
7.	"Please Don't Let Our Good Thing End"	4:18
8.	"Steal Away"	4:09
9.	"Blind Side"	2:47
10.	"I Ain't Buying What You're Selling"	3:22
Total length:		35:06

References

1. Hardy, Phil; Laing, Dave (1995). The Da Capo Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music. Da Capo Press. p. 427.
2. Miller, Debby (March 29, 1984). "I'm a Blues Man". Rolling Stone. No. 418. p. 73.
3. Herzhaft, Gérard (1997). Encyclopedia of the Blues. University of Arkansas Press. p. 83.
4. Govenar, Alan B. (2008). Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound. Texas A&M University Press. p. 121.
5. "Top Black Albums". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-22.
6. "Top Black Albums". Billboard . Vol. 96, no. 47. November 24, 1984. p. 52.
7. Hurst, Jack (May 2, 1984). "Services for Z.Z. Hill; brought rebirth of blues". Chicago Tribune . p. 2.10.
8. "Singer Z.Z. Hill dies in Dallas". The Clarion-Ledger . April 28, 1984. p. 2B.
9. "Z. Z. Hill I'm a Blues Man". High Fidelity. Vol. 34, no. 6. June 1984. p. 81.
10. The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 257.
11. Farley, Charles (2011). Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland. University Press of Mississippi. p. 244.
12. Garrett, Reggie (August 23, 1993). "Multi-Ethic Celebration". The Star-Ledger .
13. "I'm a Blues Man Review by Bill Dahl". AllMusic . Retrieved October 14, 2024.
14. "Z.Z. Hill". Robert Christgau. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
15. Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin Books. p. 153.
16. Snowden, Don (February 12, 1984). "LP Briefs". Calendar. Los Angeles Times . p. 95.
17. Kelton, Jim (March 25, 1984). "Records". Venture. Daily Herald . p. 5.
18. Burke, Jack (September 13, 1984). "The Wax Works". Lake Geneva Regional News . p. 89.
19. Lane, George (January 16, 1985). "The Changing Face of Black Pop". Valley Advocate . Springfield. p. 28.