Various Artists – Eat To The Beat (The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues) (Bear Family Records).
Modern day rappers may think that they have got a monopoly on innuendo and smutty lyrics, but, as is shown on this collection of bawdy blues from the 1940s and 1950s with one each from the 60s and 70s, nothing in this world is new. This album has twenty eight tracks of the most suggestive, and sometimes outright filthy, lyrics that the blues has to offer. Starting with 1945s I Want A Man (Who’s Gonna Do Right) by Annisteen Allen and Her Home Town Boys, a tale of a girl who wants her man to stand up all night we are taken on a journey with more double entendre than the entire series of Carry On films. Dirty Red’s Mother Fuyer has slurred lyrics to give the effect of swearing at the appropriate times and is of a high standard musically with some great piano playing. Dinah Washington is one of the more famous names on the album and the first of her two contributions, Long John Blues, is a tale of dentistry. This has been a favourite theme for innuendo for some time and Dinah fills this standard jazzy blues with references to drilling and filling cavities. Tom Archia and His All Stars give us Fishin’ Pole and there’s no need to explain what the suggestion is here. Weddin’ Day Blues by Cousin Joe with Pete Brown’s Brooklyn Blue Blowers is one of the upfront songs – there’s no hiding here on this speakeasy song. Another of the more famous contributors is Amos Milburn. His input is Hard Driving Blues, a standard blues but it is, after all, from one of the greats and he stamps his earthy personality all over it. The quaintly named Crown Prince Waterford offers up Move Your Hand Baby, a classy boogie-woogie with an energetic vocal. The standard of Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends’ Don’t Come Too Soon is very high even if the lyrics are a bit tame by today’s standards. Wynonie Harris is another of the albums luminaries and his I Like My Baby’s Pudding is a jazzy blues with a gritty vocal. By now I’m wondering just how many euphemisms you can get into one album! Some artists take their song seriously but that can’t be said of The Dominoes. Their Doo-Wop, Sixty Minute Man, has an exceptionally silly lead vocal and is on the album for novelty value only. Moose Jackson (Bullmoose Jackson) joins up with Tiny Bradshaw’s Orchestra for Big Ten Inch Record. This has a great use of a pause and shows that you can be frivolous and good. The Clovers give us Rotten Cocksuckers Ball, barbershop as you’ve never heard before. I’ll say no more! Chuck Berry had a number 1 with My Ding-A-Ling but Dave Bartholomew’s version pre-dates it by a number of years. I think that I prefer this big band, bluesy version. There are a number of styles on the album and The Treniers give us some post-war jump blues on Poon-Tang!
Jesse Powell & His Orchestra contribute The Walkin’ Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out) and this big band style is the most prevalent on the album. He leaves it to your imagination to make up the rhymes and this is probably the best way to deliver this type of song. The wordy, The ‘5’ Royales with Charlie ‘Little Jazz’ Ferguson & His Orchestra provide Laundromat Blues – you shouldn’t have to think too much to guess what this one is about. Wynonie Harris returns, this time with Todd Rhodes’ Orchestra, for Keep On Churnin’ – so filthy yet so innocent. Dinah Washington also makes a return with Big Long Slidin’ Thing and, as I’ve said before, some are less obvious than others. This one is about a trombone, wink wink. There are some things that you don’t expect to hear and The Blenders’ Don’t Fuck Around With Love in a Doo-Wop style is one of them. I suppose it’s the contradiction that makes it attractive. Dorothy Ellis’ Drill Daddy Drill is a return to the often covered theme and is an energetic blues with all of the compulsory innuendo. The Royals Work With Me Annie is not a blues as such but leans more toward R&B/Doo-Wop and falls into the less in your face category. The Toppers’ I Love To Play Your Piano (Let Me Bang Your Box) is about playing the piano, apparently. One person that I did not expect to hear on this album was Jackie Wilson but he appears with LaVern Baker on Think Twice (Version X). You can hear LaVern giggle all the way through this as they put just about every swear word known to man. They have great rhythm though, no matter what. Snatch & The Poontangs featuring The Mouth on vocal throw up Two Time Slim, a true talking blues. This is how rap stars would play the blues and the Delta guitar in the background is sheer bliss. Chuck Willis’ Stoop Down Baby is tame compared to some of the others but it makes up for it by being one of the best musically. We’re treated to some Cajun by Boozoo Chavis who gives us LA Women Love Uncle Bud. This is another strong song musically and it’s helping to give the album a powerful finish. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was never one to hide his light under a bushel and Bite It just confirms that. The album finishes with The Fred Wolff Combo and Somebody Else Was Suckin’ My Dick Tonight. Growling vocal, short and not so sweet, what else can I say?
Bear Family Records has also included a wonderfully informative booklet which includes the offending lyrics.
http://www.bear-family.de/
David Blue.
Modern day rappers may think that they have got a monopoly on innuendo and smutty lyrics, but, as is shown on this collection of bawdy blues from the 1940s and 1950s with one each from the 60s and 70s, nothing in this world is new. This album has twenty eight tracks of the most suggestive, and sometimes outright filthy, lyrics that the blues has to offer. Starting with 1945s I Want A Man (Who’s Gonna Do Right) by Annisteen Allen and Her Home Town Boys, a tale of a girl who wants her man to stand up all night we are taken on a journey with more double entendre than the entire series of Carry On films. Dirty Red’s Mother Fuyer has slurred lyrics to give the effect of swearing at the appropriate times and is of a high standard musically with some great piano playing. Dinah Washington is one of the more famous names on the album and the first of her two contributions, Long John Blues, is a tale of dentistry. This has been a favourite theme for innuendo for some time and Dinah fills this standard jazzy blues with references to drilling and filling cavities. Tom Archia and His All Stars give us Fishin’ Pole and there’s no need to explain what the suggestion is here. Weddin’ Day Blues by Cousin Joe with Pete Brown’s Brooklyn Blue Blowers is one of the upfront songs – there’s no hiding here on this speakeasy song. Another of the more famous contributors is Amos Milburn. His input is Hard Driving Blues, a standard blues but it is, after all, from one of the greats and he stamps his earthy personality all over it. The quaintly named Crown Prince Waterford offers up Move Your Hand Baby, a classy boogie-woogie with an energetic vocal. The standard of Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends’ Don’t Come Too Soon is very high even if the lyrics are a bit tame by today’s standards. Wynonie Harris is another of the albums luminaries and his I Like My Baby’s Pudding is a jazzy blues with a gritty vocal. By now I’m wondering just how many euphemisms you can get into one album! Some artists take their song seriously but that can’t be said of The Dominoes. Their Doo-Wop, Sixty Minute Man, has an exceptionally silly lead vocal and is on the album for novelty value only. Moose Jackson (Bullmoose Jackson) joins up with Tiny Bradshaw’s Orchestra for Big Ten Inch Record. This has a great use of a pause and shows that you can be frivolous and good. The Clovers give us Rotten Cocksuckers Ball, barbershop as you’ve never heard before. I’ll say no more! Chuck Berry had a number 1 with My Ding-A-Ling but Dave Bartholomew’s version pre-dates it by a number of years. I think that I prefer this big band, bluesy version. There are a number of styles on the album and The Treniers give us some post-war jump blues on Poon-Tang!
Jesse Powell & His Orchestra contribute The Walkin’ Blues (Walk Right In, Walk Right Out) and this big band style is the most prevalent on the album. He leaves it to your imagination to make up the rhymes and this is probably the best way to deliver this type of song. The wordy, The ‘5’ Royales with Charlie ‘Little Jazz’ Ferguson & His Orchestra provide Laundromat Blues – you shouldn’t have to think too much to guess what this one is about. Wynonie Harris returns, this time with Todd Rhodes’ Orchestra, for Keep On Churnin’ – so filthy yet so innocent. Dinah Washington also makes a return with Big Long Slidin’ Thing and, as I’ve said before, some are less obvious than others. This one is about a trombone, wink wink. There are some things that you don’t expect to hear and The Blenders’ Don’t Fuck Around With Love in a Doo-Wop style is one of them. I suppose it’s the contradiction that makes it attractive. Dorothy Ellis’ Drill Daddy Drill is a return to the often covered theme and is an energetic blues with all of the compulsory innuendo. The Royals Work With Me Annie is not a blues as such but leans more toward R&B/Doo-Wop and falls into the less in your face category. The Toppers’ I Love To Play Your Piano (Let Me Bang Your Box) is about playing the piano, apparently. One person that I did not expect to hear on this album was Jackie Wilson but he appears with LaVern Baker on Think Twice (Version X). You can hear LaVern giggle all the way through this as they put just about every swear word known to man. They have great rhythm though, no matter what. Snatch & The Poontangs featuring The Mouth on vocal throw up Two Time Slim, a true talking blues. This is how rap stars would play the blues and the Delta guitar in the background is sheer bliss. Chuck Willis’ Stoop Down Baby is tame compared to some of the others but it makes up for it by being one of the best musically. We’re treated to some Cajun by Boozoo Chavis who gives us LA Women Love Uncle Bud. This is another strong song musically and it’s helping to give the album a powerful finish. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was never one to hide his light under a bushel and Bite It just confirms that. The album finishes with The Fred Wolff Combo and Somebody Else Was Suckin’ My Dick Tonight. Growling vocal, short and not so sweet, what else can I say?
Bear Family Records has also included a wonderfully informative booklet which includes the offending lyrics.
http://www.bear-family.de/
David Blue.
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