North Mississippi Allstars Albums (7)
'Do It Like We Used to Do'
Release Date 1/20/2009
Tracks 28
Label North Mississippi
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Although they may mix elements of hip-hop, metal, and alternative rock into their repertoire, the North Mississippi Allstars are really a power blues trio whose members lean heavily on the kind of Mississippi folk-blues numbers they learned firsthand from the likes of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner, an approach that has given the NMA a solid grounding in local blues history as well as a solid sense of place, and by understanding and embracing the local North Mississippi modal drone approach, the Allstars have inherited a perfect springboard into a loose, ragged, but powerfully tight sound that somehow manages to seem both reverently traditional and completely contemporary at the same time. This set chronologically collects live highlights of the band's first ten years together over the course of two discs and adds a third DVD disc that documents the band's history. It's powerful stuff, rocking like Mississippi thunder and then turning as delicate as Mississippi rain at times, and in many ways, this might be the best release from the band yet, particularly since it captures the NMA in their natural habitat -- live and on fire. Highlights abound, including a wonderful version of Mississippi Fred McDowell's "I'm in Jail," a stark take on the NMA original "Sugartown," and an eye-opening stomp through J.B. Lenoir's wry "Down in Mississippi," but the best of all is a quick, blisteringly ragged version of Charley Patton's "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues." Stripped down and raw, it thunders along on Cody Dickinson's drums, throwing dynamics to the wind until the end, when it winds wistfully away on Luther Dickinson's slide guitar work. It's a wonderful rendition, and it reestablishes the past in the present without doing damage to either, a balancing act that the NMA do as well as anyone currently on the rock or blues scenes. This set will burn your house down. Guaranteed. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The North Mississippi Allstars have stripped things down a bit for Hernando, their fifth studio album and the first for the group's recently launched label Songs of the South, merging their usual Southern folk blues sound with elements of metal and even a touch of swing, all of it done with the lean efficiency of a maturing power trio. Led by Luther Dickinson's soaring slide guitar work and anchored by a thundering rhythm section of brother Cody Dickinson on drums and Chris Chew on bass, NMA on Hernando are no less than an obvious continuation of the late-'60s blues-rock tradition of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with a little bit of AC/DC strut thrown in, and while the result isn't perhaps their best album, it isn't far off the mark, either. Recorded and produced by the legendary Jim Dickinson (father of Luther and Cody) at his Zebra Ranch Studio in Coldwater, MS, just a stone's throw up Highway 51 from the band's hometown of Hernando (hence the title), the sound is crisp and thundering, but still retains the ragged looseness that is a NMA trademark and is also one of its biggest strengths. This is blues-rock done Mississippi style, and if NMA swaps out a little of its hometown R.L. Burnside/Otha Turner leanings for the Led Zeppelin side of the equation, it isn't a drastic shift, and songs like "Keep the Devil Down" and "Eaglebird" (which features Cody Dickinson on electric washboard of all things and carries a co-writing credit for Kid Rock's bass player Aaron Julison) would fit seamlessly into any of NMA's live sets from the past ten years. Other highlights include the energetic skip-a-long "Mizzip," "Come Go with Me" (with a guest vocal from James Mathus), and a startling version of Champion Jack Dupree's "I'd Love to Be a Hippie" (sung by bassist Chew and featuring piano from East Memphis Slim) that is easily the most striking track on Hernando. Cut after cut veers off in interesting ways, and Luther Dickinson's guitar leads are always dangerously reckless and thrilling, echoing early Hendrix at times. The only thing missing on Hernando is that North Mississippi fife and drum tradition that NMA have so wonderfully updated for the rock era on past albums. It's understandable that the band might want to move on from that approach a little (and truthfully, it stills hovers here intangibly in the background), but they have always done it so well that Hernando seems strangely incomplete and unfinished without it. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although they may mix elements of hip-hop and alternative rock into their repertoire, the North Mississippi Allstars are really at their best when they blow out the rust on the kind of Mississippi folk-blues numbers they learned first hand from the likes of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner. The lead track here, a blisteringly ragged version of Charley Patton's "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues," is a case in point. Stripped down and raw, it thunders along on Cody Dickinson's drums, throwing dynamics to the wind until the end, when it breaks down to just washboard and drums, then rises back up into a furious, marching stomp rhythm, before winding wistfully away on Luther Dickinson's slide guitar work. It's a wonderful rendition, and it reestablishes the past in the present without doing damage to either, a balancing act that the NMA do as well as anyone currently on the rock or blues scenes. Produced by legendary Memphis producer (and the father of Luther and Cody) Jim Dickinson, Electric Blue Watermelon has lots of similar moments that reach back to older songs, but instead of re-imagining them, as many artists would do, the Allstars simply amplify what is already there, a bit like tweaking out (but not replacing) the engine in an old stock car. This means the songs still carry the original package of nuts and bolts that made them work in the first place, but with the added kick of being covered by a top-notch band that understands that no one gets anywhere without understanding the past. This doesn't mean that the NMA reproduces the past, just that they understand it. For their version of Odetta's "Deep Blue Sea," for instance, the Allstars actually speed things a hair, but keep the churchy feel of the original, and the result is a delightfully nuanced and bluesy folk hymn that is reverent to its source, but expands on it as well. Two of the songs here ("Teasin' Brown" and "Hurry Up Sunrise,") were worked up by Luther from tapes of the late fife-and-drum-master Othar Turner talking and improvising lyrics on his front porch, while "No Mo" and "Stompin' My Foot" feature Mississippi rapper Al Kapone doing essentially the same thing ("Stompin'" also features some blazing pedal steel guitar work from the amazing Robert Randolph), and all of it ends up sounding like it was cut from the same sturdy bolt of cloth. Another highlight is "Moonshine," a NMA original that sounds a bit like an alt rock version of the Allman Brothers Band, thanks to Luther's Duane Allman-like slide tone. The North Mississippi Allstars call what they do "world boogie," and that's a fine term, but what they really are is a 21st century version of a good old Southern rock band who know all too well that the hills of North Mississippi are alive with real folk music. Just like the final track here, Turner's "Bounce Ball," which starts out as a relentless fife-and-drum march before giving way to the sound of crickets and frogs in the Mississippi night; this is a band that has found a place to stand that makes sense. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Hill Country Revue: Live at Bonnaroo'
Release Date 10/12/2004
Tracks 14
Label ATO
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The North Mississippi Allstars were invited to play the 2004 Bonnaroo festival, but instead of just bringing the band itself, they brought along all kinds of friends and family and dubbed it the North Mississippi Hill Country Revue. North Mississippi appears to be an incestuous musical community (just take a look at the players on R.L. Burnside's and Junior Kimbrough's albums), and this show comes off as a giant, joyous family affair. There are the Dickinsons: Luther and Cody along with their legendary father Jim, and three generations of Burnsides with R.L., sons Duwayne and Garry, and grandson Cody (R.L.'s wife was there too). In addition, Othar Turner's Rising Star Fife & Drum Band is being carried on by Othar's grandsons, and bassist Chris Chew and JoJo Hermann would have to be considered members of the extended family, having played with all those folks. The North Mississippi Allstars brand of roots rock and Mississippi blues seems tailor-made for a festival like this, and the good times shine through the great music. It's a loose, rambling set that occasionally drags a bit during introductions and audience interaction, but when the band gets down to playing, some real magic happens. They can play just about anything convincingly, from greasy Mississippi blues like "Snake River Drive" to sounding like the Band on Ry Cooder's "Boomer's Story," even making music from just an electrified washboard (wah-wah washboard) and cigar box guitar (no fooling!). Luther's slide can't help but remind one of Duane Allman, even when he's slipping Dr. John quotes into "Down in Mississippi." They know their history too, dipping into the Mississippi Sheiks songbook while performing with the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band ("Station Blues" aka "Sittin' on Top of the World" goes back to 1930 or so). There are high points throughout the album, but they really hit their stride on the last three tunes or so. No flash, no egos, and no pretension, just genuine American music played from the heart. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
North Mississippi Allstars return with Polaris, their most ambitious album yet. They added Duwayne Burnside on guitar and vocals, and brought an even more eclectic group of songs to the table. Starting with the soulful rocker "Eyes," they slide right into a fabulous version of Junior Kimbrough's "Meet Me in the City." "Conan" starts with nice fingerpicked acoustic guitars before moving into and out of a country boogie before the guitar solo. Luther Dickinson's meaty slide is featured on all over the place, often recalling Duane Allman. Pegged as roots rockers and loosely identified with the jam-band scene, North Mississippi Allstars might surprise some people with tunes like "Otay" and "Time for the Sun to Rise," which are extremely well-produced pure pop tunes. The Dickinson brothers have done a great job with production all the way around: crisp and clean without sounding glossy, and a rich, warm tone throughout. The band seems equally at ease doing greasy country blues or bright shiny pop, making it all seem effortless (or like on "Be So Glad" where 95-year-old Othar Turner's fife mixes with drum machines and Cody Burnside's rapping, bridging three generations and at least two styles of music). Things end with a hidden track called "Goin Home," an up-tempo instrumental that recalls the best elements of the Allman Brothers Band. With Polaris, North Mississippi Allstars have turned in their best set yet, showing that they're at the vanguard of a new Southern rock. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The second outing from North Mississippi Allstars Luther and Cody Dickinson consolidates their growing strengths, both instrumental (read: fewer drum machines) and compositional (only two covers here, as opposed to the raft of Fred McDowell/R.L. Burnside titles on 2000's Shake Hands With Shorty). Featuring guests like ancient fife player Othar Turner and Big Ass Truck's John C. Stubblefield, the band certainly smokes like they did on their debut, opening with an excellent driving rocker (the title track) that ends with Luther cooing just like Howlin' Wolf. The second song, "Snakes in My Bushes," is a dead-ringer for an age-old blues along the lines of "Stones in My Passway," though ironically it's also one of the few tracks with a drum machine. Yes, 51 Phantom does lose in the comparison game to its excellent predecessor: the Dickinson brothers can't quite hold up an LP with their own songs, and a few of the guitar licks end up as recycled Led Zeppelin clichés. Still, North Mississippi Allstars make the blues sound just as energetic, raucous, and earthy as it's sounded in years. Added bonus: closing out with a raging, nearly demonic "Mud" (a quasi-cover of the Tin Pan Alley standard "Mississippi Mud"), a track verging on grindcore or rap-rock. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Shake Hands With Shorty'
Release Date 5/9/2000
Tracks 10
Label Tone Cool
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Luther and Cody Dickinson (the sons of Memphis producer-musician Jim Dickinson) play guitar and drums like two true brothers on this debut outing. Exploring the world of Mississippi modal juke-joint music, the duo, with bassist Chris Chew, come up with the freshest style to hit roots music in decades. Their sound is a little bit of ZZ Top, a little bit Allman Brothers, some hip-hop beats and samples, a touch of Cream, and a little bit of Little Feat with the modern inflection of jam bands like Widespread Panic -- sometimes happening all in the same song. Although the set list is as old-timey as it gets ("Shake 'Em on Down," "Drop Down Mama," "Drinkin' Muddy Water"), what they do to the material is anything but; just when you think you have them figured out, the beat, the sound, or the approach will change. Although the disc is loaded with guest artists ranging from fife player Othar Turner to the Tate Country Singers, it's ultimately the band's show, and the success of this album rests in their hands. Highly, highly recommended. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
