Buddy Guy - Swamp Poker (from his new album)

[srblue5]

Buddy Guy put out a new album this past week (coinciding with his 89th birthday), Ain't Done With The Blues.

Buddy was my gateway drug into the blues so I still have a soft spot for him. That being said, I haven't loved his more loud blues-rock albums that he's put out consistently since the late 2000s (Living Proof was the last one I really enjoyed) so I approach each new album a bit skeptically. Buddy used to have some of my favourite Strat tones (even during his '90s comeback era), so to hear it covered under so much gain in recent years that I can't even tell it's a Strat is disappointing.

I needn't have worried so much about his newest album. On first listen, it seems to strike a reasonable balance between louder contemporary blues-rock and older school blues that I prefer. Even the "guest spots" make sense.

So far, this is one of the standout tracks for me:


Long live Buddy and Chicago blues!

 

[Cali Dude]

Cool! I do prefer his 90s sound too. His album "Slippin' in" is a favorite of mine.

 

[srblue5]

Cool! I do prefer his 90s sound too. His album "Slippin' in" is a favorite of mine.

Yes, "Slippin' In" is a favourite of mine too, that and "Sweet Tea" (which was the first Buddy Guy album I ever bought, although I understand that it wasn't a favourite of his).

I'm also fond of "Breaking Out", "Live at The Checkerboard Lounge", and some of the Vanguard stuff. He has a lot of gems in his catalog.

 

[clayville]

I like that a lot. Truly. Thanks for the heads up.

But (and not to be a dink, but) I find some of the stuff whoever mixed this is doing with reverbs and delays to be a little distracting. Seems like every element has a completely different reverb, with no tail on some of the overdubs - they duck in and out, ride on top of the whole. The delay on Buddy’s voice sounds great on its own, but the various layers aren’t quite knit together as well as they could be to my ear. Niggles to be sure - I hope I’m upright at 89 much less still able to play.

 

[tomtama]

That is HOT!!! At 89 Buddy has still got the magic!!!

 

[badinfinities]

The last Buddy record I paid attention to was Sweet Tea. I sure am glad he's still ticking.

Stone Crazy is one of my favorite blues albums of all time. Man that is ferocious stuff.