| King of the Blues: 1989 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Blues, pop | |||
| Length | 51:28 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| B. B. King chronology | ||||
| ||||
King of the Blues: 1989 is an album by the American musician B. B. King, released in 1988.[1][2] It was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Blues Recording" category.[3]
King supported the album with a North American tour, which was a hit due to his appearance in U2's Rattle and Hum.[4][5] King was disappointed that the album and tour did not find much success with Black audiences.[5]
Production
Al Kooper was among the album's four producers.[6] Many of the tracks used drum machines; King was an adopter of home computers and curious about modern studio technology.[7][8] Steve Cropper played rhythm guitar.[9] "Drowning in the Sea of Love" was written by Gamble and Huff.[10] "Can't Get Enough" was King's favorite track.[11]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD | [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
The Orlando Sentinel called the album a "bid for pop- crossover attention."[16] The Calgary Herald wrote that "the songs are so mediocre as to actually give you the blues, and producer Al Kooper has drowned King's occasional stellar guitar work in a sea of keyboards and soulless drum programming."[17] The Kingston Whig-Standard determined that the album "is very contemporary and could easily give Robert Cray a run for his money in the blues-pop-soul category."[18] The Toronto Star labeled it "a bold, big electric blues album from the unassailable master of the field."[9] The Vancouver Sun noted that King of the Blues: 1989 was "more structured and tight than previous albums."[19]
AllMusic concluded: "Over-glossed R&B tracks, heavy doses of keyboards and drum programming are an ideal way to make albums for the pop charts, but for B.B. King, they are tools of disaster."[12] King's biographer, Daniel de Vise, deemed the album perhaps "the low ebb of his recording career."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(You've Become a) Habit to Me" | |
| 2. | "Drowning in the Sea of Love" | |
| 3. | "Can't Get Enough" | |
| 4. | "Standing on the Edge" | |
| 5. | "Go On" | |
| 6. | "Let's Straighten It Out" | |
| 7. | "Change in Your Lovin'" | |
| 8. | "Undercover Man" | |
| 9. | "Lay Another Log on the Fire" | |
| 10. | "Business with My Baby Tonight" | |
| 11. | "Take Off Your Shoes" |
References
- ^ a b de Vise, Daniel (2021). King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B. B. King. Grove Atlantic.
- ^ McShane, Larry (29 Dec 1988). "Blues giant B. B. King gets boost from U2 rock band". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2.39.
- ^ "B. B. King". Recording Academy. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Silverman, David (15 Sep 1988). "Coming Soon". Chicago Tribune. p. 15F.
- ^ a b Hunt, Dennis (31 Dec 1988). "Blue Over the Blues". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 1.
- ^ Lepage, Mark (9 Mar 1989). "B.B. King – King of the Blues: 1989". The Gazette. Montreal. p. E3.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (14 Apr 1989). "The Blues Blowin' into Town". The Washington Post. p. N23.
- ^ Anderson, John (28 July 1989). "Bluesman B.B. King Is Puttin' On the Ritz". Weekend. Newsday. p. 3.
- ^ a b Quill, Greg (6 Jan 1989). "B.B. King wired to cutting edge with computer-generated blues". Toronto Star. p. E16.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 358.
- ^ Doruyter, Renee (18 Aug 1989). "Afro, pop and all that jazz". Entertainment. The Province. p. 72.
- ^ a b "King of the Blues: 1989 Review by Curtis Zimmermann". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Hadley, Frank-John (1993). The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD. Grove Press. p. 125.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 384.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 395.
- ^ Duffy, Thom (11 Dec 1988). "Music". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 7.
- ^ Muretich, James (22 Dec 1988). "Disc". Calgary Herald. p. C5.
- ^ Burliuk, Greg (24 Dec 1988). "Short Cuts". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ Todd, Douglas (21 Jan 1989). "Recordings". Vancouver Sun. p. E2.
This page was last edited on 19 January 2024, at 00:13