Vietnam Blues: The Complete L + R Recordings
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| Vietnam Blues: The Complete L + R Recordings | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1965, 1966 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Evidence | |||
| Producer | Horst Lippmann, Jerry Gordon | |||
| J. B. Lenoir chronology | ||||
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Vietnam Blues: The Complete L + R Recordings is a compilation album by the American musician J. B. Lenoir, released in 1995.[1][2] It includes Alabama Blues, from 1965, and Down in Mississippi, from 1966.[3] Lenoir supported those albums by touring with the American Folk Blues Festival.[4] Vietnam Blues was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best reissue album.[5]
The album was produced by Horst Lippmann and Jerry Gordon, with the recording sessions supervised by Willie Dixon.[6][7] All of the album's songs were written by Lenoir, with 21 of the 24 performed as solo pieces.[8] They were recorded in 1965 and 1966.[9] Lenoir was influenced primarily by Blind Lemon Jefferson and Chicago blues.[9] He took inspiration from the civil rights struggles of the mid-1960s, although he also wanted to continue to sing more lighthearted material.[10] He dubbed his musical style "African hunch".[11] Fred Below played drums on some of the tracks.[11] "Tax Payin' Blues" is a reworking of Lenoir's "Eisenhower Blues".[12] "Born Dead" and "Down in Mississippi" are about the hardships experienced by Black people in Mississippi, and the desire to move north.[13] The title track compares the plight of Black soldiers in Vietnam with Southern Black citizens.[13] "Good Advice" is a tribute to Lenoir's grandmother.[14]
Critical reception
The Indianapolis Star praised Lenoir's "high energy level" and command of "social blues".[16] Guitar Player said that "there's much to admire in his innovative chords, rumbling bass boogies, potent jabs, jangling leads, and unforgettable compositions."[9]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings included the album in its "core" blues collection, noting that "no blues singer has ever done anything quite like it".[10] Rough Guides included it in the book Blues: 100 Essentials CDs.[14]