I was intrigued to hear this album as I have loved Bobby Bland for a long time. He is one of the original greats up there with Ray Charles and Sam Cooke as a pioneer in soul music's early years. Good on Mick Hucknall for wanting to update some fine old tunes even if he said some daft things about how he and Mr Bland are coming from similar backgrounds in an interview in Mojo.(Both outsiders apparently)
The Cd opens poorly I thought with Mick Hucknall somehow managing to 'de-soul' some fine old songs. Never mind it had to get better but try as I might I just didn't get it. Hucknall is out of his depth throughout and I didn't like the timbre of his voice. The album lacked integrity and whilst it was obviously a labour of love I found the arrangements to be bland (no pun intended)and anodyme lacking the essential blues and soul of the originals.
My advice is to go elsewhere on this site and buy the originals. Start with 'Two Steps from the Blues' and if it's your thing then try 'The California album' and his fine Malaco release 'Years of Tears'.
