| The Gift | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Blues, soul | |||
| Label | HighTone | |||
| Producer | Joe Louis Walker | |||
| Joe Louis Walker chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Gift is the second album by the American musician Joe Louis Walker, released in 1988. [1] [2] Walker was backed by the Boss Talkers. [3] He supported the album with a North American tour. [4]
The album was produced by Walker with assistance from Bruce Bromberg. [5] Walker's singing style was influenced by gospel music; he wanted the music to be reminiscent of the Memphis soul of the 1960s. [6] [7] He tried to avoid blues clichés in his lyrics. [8] The Memphis Horns played on several tracks. [9] Steve Berlin contributed a tenor sax solo to "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool". [10]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [12] |
| MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide |  [13] |
| Oakland Tribune | [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [14] |
The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that "Walker's music swings with a smooth rhythm that lends itself well to his polished vocals and linear guitar solos." [15] The Washington Post called the album "a taut, funky record steeped in '60s soul and highlighted by some stirring vocals that occasionally recall Otis Redding." [16] Robert Christgau said that, "like they say, he just plays the blues... Yet between sharp tempos and worldly-wise material, he overcomes the boredom factor built into that time-worn endeavor." [12]
The Chicago Tribune labeled Walker "an impressive lyric writer [who] has created wry and wise songs gloriously free of the usual blues cliches." [17] The Globe and Mail determined that Walker's "a tad more traditional (and less guilt-ridden) in his approach to the blues (and life) than Cray, and he's got a nice tough edge to his playing that the yuppified Cray sometimes lacks." [18] The San Francisco Examiner praised the "sleek production and depth of feeling." [5]
AllMusic wrote that the album "just may be his finest album of all, filled with soulful vocal performances, bone-cutting guitar work, and tight backing." [11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Time Around" | |
| 2. | "Thin Line" | |
| 3. | "747" | |
| 4. | "The Gift" | |
| 5. | "What About You" | |
| 6. | "Shade Tree Mechanic" | |
| 7. | "1/4 to 3" | |
| 8. | "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool" | |
| 9. | "Everybody's Had the Blues" | |
| 10. | "Main Goal" |
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