Ice Pickin'

Last updated

Ice Pickin'
Ice Pickin.jpg
Studio album by
Albert Collins
Released1978
RecordedBy Freddie Breitberg
Studio Curtom Studios (Chicago, Illinois)
Genre Blues
Length36:48
Label Alligator ALCD 4713 [1]
Producer Bruce Iglauer, Richard McLeese & Dick Shurman
Albert Collins chronology
Alive & Cool
(1972)		Ice Pickin'
(1978)		Albert Collins and Barrelhouse live
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg + “Crown” [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
DownBeat Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]

Ice Pickin' is a studio album by Albert Collins, released in 1978. [8] [9] It was Collins's breakthrough album. [4] Ice Pickin' was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award. [10]

Contents

Production

The album was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago. [11] The Guardian wrote of Collins's guitar technique: "Collins had developed a highly distinctive approach to the guitar, tuning it to a D minor chord and using a capo high up the neck to achieve a sharp, brilliant effect, his 'ice-cold, sheet-metal sound' that was mirrored in the name of his band, The Icebreakers." [12]

Critical reception

The Bay State Banner thought that "when Collins cooks, with fluent riffs and humorous vocals plus innovative tuning and incorporation of minor blues keys, the result is masterful." [13] The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the album "burrows down to the real nitty gritty of urban existence ... it's one of the best '70s blues albums." [6] The Chicago Tribune called the album "a classic." [11] The Iowa City Press-Citizen called it "a cool, invigorating blast across the era's barren blues landscape." [14] The Dayton Daily News wrote that Collins "made several other stellar releases before his untimely demise in '93, but none match the muscle and depth of this certifiable classic." [15]

Melody Maker deemed it the best blues album of 1978, as did the Montreaux Jazz Festival. [16]

In addition to a four stars out of four rating, the authors of The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings awarded the album a “Crown”, indicating that they considered it to be an exceptional CD, and one that should be part of any blues collection. [5]

DownBeat gave the album 4.5 stars. [7] Reviewer Ben Sandmel wrote, "Ice Pickin’ is definitely Collins’ best album to date, putting across his power and charisma without a hint of his repetition. Albert’s vocals and guitar are both very strong, and he’s consistently pushed by a band that plays everything with skill and feeling . . . Collins is backed here by some of Chicago’s best blues players, most of whom now join him on tour.". [7]

Liner notes

According to the inside cover of the album:

Albert King names Collins as his favorite guitarist, and John Lee Hooker declares, "I'm an Albert Collins freak!"

Track listing

  1. "Honey, Hush! (Talking Woman Blues)" (Lowell Fulson, Ferdinand Washington) - 04:28
  2. "When the Welfare Turns Its Back on You" (Lucious Porter Weaver, Sonny Thompson) - 05:26
  3. "Ice Pick" (Collins) - 03:08
  4. "Cold, Cold Feeling" (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 05:19
  5. "Too Tired" (Saul Bihari, Maxwell Davis, Johnny "Guitar" Watson) - 03:00
  6. "Master Charge" (Gwen Collins) - 05:12
  7. "Conversation with Collins" (Collins) - 08:52
  8. "Avalanche" (Collins) - 02:39

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Psychology Press. p. 220.
  2. ↑ "AllMusic Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved February 23, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 479–480.
  5. 1 2 Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings . Penguin. p. 129. ISBN   978-0-140-51384-4.
  6. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 152–153.
  7. 1 2 3 Sandmel, Ben (March 22, 1979). "Record Reviews". DownBeat . 46 (6): 27.
  8. ↑ "Artist Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Albert Collins; Award-Winning Blues Guitarist, Recording Artist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  10. ↑ "GRAMMY Award Results for Albert Collins". Grammy Awards. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "BLUES FANS IN A DEEP FREEZE OVER LOSS OF ALBERT COLLINS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ Russell, Tony (November 30, 1993). "Ice-cold blues straight from the hip Obituary: Albert Collins". The Guardian.
  13. ↑ "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner: 14. December 21, 1978.
  14. ↑ Weber, Tim (December 9, 2004). "Ice Pickin' Albert Collins". Iowa City Press-Citizen: D2.
  15. ↑ Thrasher, Don (April 25, 2006). "25 blues CDs worth shouting about". Dayton Daily News: D7.
  16. ↑ "Guitar Wizard Albert Collins To Perform With Icebreakers". The Oklahoman. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
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