Chris Thomas King Albums (15)
What The Critics Say
New Orleans musician Chris Thomas King lost both a home and a recording studio when Hurricane Katrina had landfall at the close of summer in 2005, and it's hardly startling that his album Rise takes Katrina and the devastating aftermath of the storm as a central theme. The result is a tremendously elegiac outing, and even when King goes up-tempo, as he does on a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," the song itself is all about incalculable loss and the incredible indifference of contemporary America to its own personal history. Things are drowning and washing away in song after song on Rise, and King isn't afraid to name names. In "Faith," the song's narrator clings to a rooftop as bodies float by and he realizes that President Bush is in a plane over New Orleans in the same instant, and it is a powerful moment that literally defines the notion of differing perspectives. Does he really care, the narrator wonders. Rise deals with loss, death and the hope for rebirth in mostly hushed tones, and while many still think of King as primarily a blues artist, the album is really closer to a kind of pop gospel outing, only stripped of much of the certainty and joy that gospel usually conveys. Rise is King's personal revaluation of America, and the truths he examines are unclear, as perhaps they have always been. Although it works as one long and mostly melancholy suite, a few of Rise's songs do stand out, like the ominous and ultimately resigned "Flow Mississippi Flow," a lightly rewritten version of "St. James Infirmary" (certainly one of the most death-haunted songs in the whole history of American music) and the elegant "'Tis the Last Rose of Summer," which is dedicated to King's mother, who passed in December of 2005. King didn't record this album to further his career so much as a way to stumble towards an understanding of America in the 21st century, using Katrina as a necessary lens. Again, he doesn't come up with answers, but sometimes it's the questions that matter most, although asking why, King suggests, isn't particularly useful when everything has been washed away. What now, is the real question, and the answer to that question is still up in the air. The nature of modern media is to move on to the next thing. King and others whose lives were forever changed by Katrina and its aftermath don't have that option. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Red Mud Sessions'
Release Date 10/4/2005
Tracks 12
Label 21st Century Blues
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What The Critics Say
Red Mud Sessions is a tweaked and reordered reissue of 1998's Red Mud, which is out of print in its original form. This version of the record omits two tracks that were a poor fit both musically and conceptually with the rest of the album, covers of songs by Chris Thomas King's father, Tabby Thomas, "Hoodoo Party" and "Bus Station Blues," which featured the elder Thomas on electric lead. Those two songs were entertaining enough, but in the context of Red Mud, they stuck out like a pair of cheeseburgers on a platter of ribs. Red Mud Sessions collects the rest of the album, which is a strictly acoustic solo recording of King and a battery of vintage resonator and metal-top guitars. King makes the connection plain by including solid but unexceptional versions of Son House's "Death Letter Blues" and a pair of Robert Johnson tracks, but even the original material sounds like King is deliberately channeling the early country blues of the '30s. It's unsurprising that not long after this album was recorded, the formerly progressive-oriented King was tapped to play a '30s-vintage bluesman in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Those who already have the original Red Mud don't need to buy Red Mud Sessions, but it's an enjoyable listen to anyone who liked King's role in that film. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Why My Guitar Screams & Moans'
Release Date 11/9/2004
Tracks 13
Label 21st Century Blues
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What The Critics Say
Chris Thomas King is a multifaceted guy. Aside from being an actor (he played Lowell Fulson in the Ray Charles biopic Ray and also appeared in O Brother, Where Art Thou?), he produced, arranged, engineered, sang all the vocals, played all the instruments (except for the horns), and wrote all but one of the tracks on Why My Guitar Screams & Moans, then released it on his own 21st Century Blues label. The result is an impressive contemporary album that is less blues than blues-informed, and it exhibits a wide range of styles while remaining inclusive and cohesive. Although there are some fairly straight-ahead blues cuts here ("King Snake," "Juke Joint Lover," "Wicked"), King's vision takes the blues as the foundation of contemporary pop music rather than a destination point, which means there is as much R&B, funk, and urban soul in these tracks as there is blues. The opener, "Starr," and the closer, the viciously anticrack song "Cracked," bear some resemblance to the great urban commentaries of Curtis Mayfield, while King dials up the funk for an honorable cover of Prince's "Kiss," then goes neo-soul for "Come Home Tonight." Tying everything together, and making this album feel unified in spite of the different styles, is King's blazing electric guitar, which snakes and cuts through these tracks with a bone-rattling tone. Most contemporary blues players use the blues as a way to connect with the past, while King (much like Otis Taylor) uses the form as a fulcrum to vault into the 21st century, which explains why his guitar lines scream and moan more than they gently weep. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Along the Blues Highway'
Release Date 7/29/2003
Tracks 14
Label Varese
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What The Critics Say
This split CD of live performances from Chris Thomas King and Blind Mississippi Morris features two excellent, but very different, approaches to the blues. King's acoustic set was recorded at the Kalamazoo Blues Festival in 2001. On King's excellent set he tackles seven originals on slide guitar, including "Red Mud," "I'm on Fire," and "O' Brother Where Art Thou." Morris was caught the same year but at a different location: the Sunflower Blues Festival in Clarksdale, MS. Backed by his working band, this set features electric workouts on the originals "Beale Street Tonight," "You Know I Like That," "Willie," "Bad to Worse," "Night Roads," along with the obligatory "Dust My Broom." King and Morris prove that the blues is alive and well and in good hands going into the new millennium. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
'A Young Man's Blues'
Release Date 11/5/2002
Tracks 11
Label Hightone
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What The Critics Say
Chris Thomas King has been on a roll since his involvement, musically and as an actor, in O Brother Where Art Thou?. A Young Man's Blues collects a number of tracks recorded between 1989 and 1991, taking advantage of King's newfound fame to make sure that these earlier tracks get a wider hearing. The mostly self-penned material is fairly straightforward, and one can hear King drawing from a number of musical influences as he carves out his own style. "Plaquemine Blues," for instance, evokes what Jimi Hendrix might have sounded like if he'd written about social issues, while the opening notes of "I'm Gonna Make It" remind one of a later-day Eric Clapton. The arrangements and production (by Bruce Bromberg) walk the line between a bluesy roots sound on "The Game" and harder rock on "Itch." There's also a lovely, mostly acoustic track, "The Devil's Daughter," that was previously unreleased. The only drawback to the collection is that a number of the songs lack distinction, and one gains the impression that King is in the process of searching for his own voice here. Fans interested in the guitarist/singer's roots, as well as lovers of electric blues, will nonetheless enjoy A Young Man's Blues. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Chris Thomas King makes his stand on the final, hidden track of Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues. "This is the blues of the 21st century and I don't give a damn if you can't get with me," he raps over a funky guitar riff. True to his word, King is out to remake the blues in a postmodern image, like no one else is doing. He mashes blues with hip-hop, creating an original sound that sometimes mixes perfectly, often shows promise, and only rarely falls flat. There's no doubt King can play the blues. Just listen to the barebones and beautiful acoustic blues of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" (which he played on the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou). His voice and guitar emote sorrow like Son House himself. He infuses those old-style blues qualities into the best of his postmodern blues. On "Revelations," he samples Son House and sings lyrics from Robert Johnson's "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day," along with his own slide guitar and dance-club electronic beats. His update of "The Thrill Is Gone," called "The Thrill Is Gone From Here," features an uncanny B.B. King imitation on the fretboard, using it as a platform for a slick rap about the plight of urban life. While his best work is rooted in blues and adds hip-hop flavor, he swaps the combo on songs like "Welcome to da Jungle," supporting his old school rap with subtle blues tones. Unfortunately, King strays into a CCM vibe on the trite "Gonna Take a Miracle." A few other songs have neither blues grit nor hip-hop style, showing that 21st century blues is still a work in progress. ~ Michael Gowan, All Music Guide
'The Legend of Tommy Johnson, Act 1: Genesis 1900's-1990's'
Release Date 10/9/2001
Tracks 11
Label Valley
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What The Critics Say
Inspired by his screen debut as Delta bluesman Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Chris Thomas King takes a whirlwind tour through 80 years of blues history on this unique concept album. He begins a cappella, with a song written on the movie set but not used in the soundtrack, proceeds through several pared-down period covers (Tommy Johnson's "Canned Heat Blues" and Blind Willie Johnson's "Trouble Will Soon Be Over") and originals written and played in a similar mode, and then plugs into the postwar Chicago era and kicks up a full band for the closing tracks. Before his casting in O Brother, King specialized in a rap-blues hybrid rather than in prewar country blues, and there are many other revivalists who play in this style with more authority then he shows on, for instance, the slide piece "Flooded in the Delta" (inspired by the movie's climactic flood scene). He fares much better on "Watermelon Man," an entertaining yarn built over a Bukka White-style one-chord groove, and on electric rockers like "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" and "Red Shoes." Throughout the album, King proves himself a soulful singer and versatile multi-instrumentalist, more interested in melody than in the soloing calisthenics heard in so much contemporary blues. ~ Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, All Music Guide
'It's a Cold Ass World: The Beginning'
Release Date 8/14/2001
Tracks 10
Label Arhoolie
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What The Critics Say
This is a CD reissue of King's debut album, released in 1986 as simply The Beginning, when he was still billed as Chris Thomas. It's quality modern blues that sounds cognizant of contemporary trends without being forced. Largely written by King, the songs are reasonably satisfying electric blues that admit some influences from modern blues-rock players, particularly Jimi Hendrix, as well as a bit of funk and rock in the rhythm. At the same time, he grounds out some down-home gutbucket boogie blues that would be at home in a Southern roadhouse, like "Soon This Morning" and "Take Yo Time," and Chuck Berry-type songwriting with "Mary Jane." The rhythm section can sound a little flat and under-recorded, but at least underproduction serves this sort of music better than overproduction does. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'Me, My Guitar and the Blues'
Release Date 5/16/2000
Tracks 11
Label Blind Pig
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What The Critics Say
On Me, My Guitar and the Blues, Chris Thomas King ventures out into eclectic musical territories. King sings and plays all the instruments on his first disc for the Blind Pig label. Recorded in New Orleans, this release retains some of those Crescent City funk influences while "Superstitious Blues," "Gambling Woman," and Robert Johnsons' "Stones in My Passway" are gritty acoustic delta blues. However, the majority of this release finds King reaching for a broader more popular approach that will likely turn off blues purists. "Born Under a Bad Sign" injects hip-hop into this blues classic, "You Are My Heaven" is comparable to the soul sound of Robert Cray, while the synth laden "Stay Just As You Are" would be the obvious pick for crossover radio play specifically going after a more mainstream pop audience. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The son of Louisiana bluesman Tabby Thomas makes an acoustic with real bite to it on this outing. Daddy Tabby joins him for a remake of "Hoodoo Party" and "Bus Station Blues," but for the rest of the album, it's mostly Chris working out on various resonator dobro guitars and harmonica. Besides nine of his originals on this 14-tracker, he boldly takes on a pair of Robert Johnson tunes ("Rambling On My Mind" and "Come On In My Kitchen") and Son House's "Death Letter Blues" in the midst of contemporary offerings like the urban "Alive" and the poppish "Wanna Die With a Smile On My Face." There's just as much of a folk vibe to this session as there is a blues one, and the blend works well for Thomas' all-encompassing style. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
