Start with the Soul is an album by the American musician Alvin Youngblood Hart, released in 2000.[1][2] Hart promoted the album with North American tours that included stints with Galactic and Ben Harper.[3][4]
| Start with the Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2000 | |||
| Studio | Sounds Unreel | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:28 | |||
| Label | Hannibal | |||
| Producer | Jim Dickinson | |||
| Alvin Youngblood Hart chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was recorded at Sounds Unreel, in Memphis, and produced by Jim Dickinson.[5] The more electric sound was inspired in part by the late-sixties San Francisco rock that Hart liked as a kid, as well as Hart's ability to repair older guitars and amplifiers.[6] Start with the Soul includes many covers, which Hart selected because the songs were on albums in his record collection.[3] "Back to Memphis" was composed by Chuck Berry.[7] "Cowboy Boots" is a cover of the Dave Dudley song.[5] "Treat Her Like a Lady" is a version of the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose song.[8] "Cryin' Shame" was written and originally recorded by Black Oak Arkansas.[9] "Manos Arriba" deals with police harassment.[10] "Fightin' Hard" laments the early death of a close friend.[11] "Maxwell Street Jimmy" is a tribute to Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |    [12] |
The Boston Globe noted that Hart's "flexible, tar-and-whiskey voice conveys as much personality as his fret work".[13] The Province determined that Hart "winds up sounding not terribly unlike a toned-down Little Feat or a little above a run-of-the-mill blues rock power trio."[14] The Scotsman opined that "the instrumentals sound a bit like unfinished backing tracks, but there's a rousing swagger which makes the whole thing hard to resist."[15] The Calgary Herald said that "Start with the Soul doesn't push any boundaries or forge any new musical territory... It merely adds another brick to the already-tired wall of American blues rock."[16]
The Irish Times praised the album's "power, poise and skill".[17] The New York Times considered Start with the Soul to be one of the best albums of 2000, concluding that Hart "has an uncooked voice and a stance all his own... Jim Dickinson's production makes this real living blues."[18] The Commercial Appeal thought it was one of 2000's best albums, labeling it a "classic that confounded all the right people and delighted the rest."[19] The Miami New Times stated that Start with the Soul was the album of the year.[20]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fightin' Hard" | 2:55 |
| 2. | "Manos Arriba" | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Treat Her Like a Lady" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Once Again" | 2:10 |
| 5. | "Porch Monkey's Theme" | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Electric Eel" | 5:14 |
| 7. | "Back to Memphis" | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Cowboy Boots" | 3:00 |
| 9. | "A Prophet's Mission" | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Cryin' Shame" | 3:26 |
| 11. | "The Hustler" | 2:07 |
| 12. | "Maxwell Street Jimmy" | 3:35 |
| 13. | "Will I Ever Get Back Home?" | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 46:28 | |
References
edit- ^ Young, Jon (July–August 2000). "Start with the Soul". Mother Jones. Vol. 25, no. 4. p. 74.
- ^ Marsh, Dave (July 2000). "Start with the Soul". Playboy. Vol. 47, no. 7. p. 37.
- ^ a b Morris, Chris (June 3, 2000). "Flag Waving". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 23. p. 88.
- ^ Nailen, Dan (August 18, 2000). "Ben Harper Provides Antidote to Musical Malaise". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. B1.
- ^ a b Ellis, Bill (May 13, 2000). "Start with the Soul Alvin Youngblood Hart". The Commercial Appeal. p. F1.
- ^ Ellis, Andy (July 2000). "Alvin Youngblood Hart: Rootsy bluesman turns rocker". Guitar Player. Vol. 34, no. 7. pp. 37–38.
- ^ Mullinax, Gary (October 20, 2000). "The New Hues of the Blues". The News Journal. p. Z20.
- ^ Mersereau, Bob (June 10, 2000). "Alvin Youngblood Hart Start with the Soul". Life. Telegraph-Journal.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (July 7, 2000). "One of Mahal's heirs, Alvin Youngblood Hart...". The Washington Post. p. WW12.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (May 9, 2000). "Change of Hart". Friday. The Guardian. p. 16.
- ^ McKeough, Kevin (August 8, 2000). "Hot Summer Selection". Chicago Tribune. p. 5.2.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 246.
- ^ Perry, Jonathan (April 20, 2000). "Alvin Youngblood Hart Start with the Soul". The Boston Globe. p. CAL8.
- ^ "Blues". The Province. May 2, 2000. p. B5.
- ^ Mathieson, Kenny (May 12, 2000). "Alvin Youngblood Hart Start with the Soul". The Scotsman. p. 16.
- ^ Boettcher, Shelley (May 25, 2000). "CD Reviews". Calgary Herald. p. HL16.
- ^ Breen, Joe (May 27, 2000). "Roots". Weekend. The Irish Times. p. 72.
- ^ "An Old Spell, a New 'Voodoo'". The New York Times. December 17, 2000. p. 2.37.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (July 20, 2001). "Town's Sounds". The Commercial Appeal. p. G3.
- ^ Floyd, John (June 15, 2000). "Alvin Youngblood Hart – Start with the Soul". Rotations. Miami New Times.