Woman Across the River is an album by the American blues musician Freddie King, released in 1973.[2] It was the last of three albums King made for Shelter Records.[3] King's three Shelter albums were re-released as a collection titled King of the Blues.[4]
| Woman Across the River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Blues, Texas blues | |||
| Length | 39:04 | |||
| Label | Shelter[1] | |||
| Producer | Leon Russell | |||
| Freddie King chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200.[5]
Production edit
Like King's first two Shelter albums, Woman Across the River was produced by label head Leon Russell.[2] King was backed by many session musicians, including Carl Radle on bass and Jim Keltner on drums.[6] The album was mixed at Ardent Studios, in Memphis, Tennessee.[7] King covered two Willie Dixon songs, "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I'm Ready".[8]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| The Gazette | C+[11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [12] |
The Gazette called the album "painfully mechanical, with little or no personal involvement."[11]
Texas Monthly called the album "more than competent," but thought that it made "a few too many concessions to the rock sound."[13] AllMusic noted the "perhaps heavier rock elements," writing that "King's last Shelter album was his most elaborately produced, with occasional string arrangements and female backups vocals."[9] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings opined that it "reflects the awkward phase blues was going through in the early '70s."[14] The Commercial Appeal praised the "exquisite Russell ballad" "Help Me Through the Day".[7]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woman Across the River" | Bettye Crutcher, Allen Jones | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Hootchie Cootchie Man" | Willie Dixon | 4:48 |
| 3. | "Danger Zone" | Percy Mayfield | 4:32 |
| 4. | "Boogie Man" | Chuck Blackwell, Leon Russell | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Leave My Woman Alone" | Ray Charles | 3:33 |
| 6. | "Just a Little Bit" | Ralph Bass, Buster Brown, John Thornton, Fats Washington | 2:27 |
| 7. | "Yonder Wall" | Elmore James | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Help Me Through the Day" | Russell | 4:27 |
| 9. | "I'm Ready" | Dixon | 3:45 |
| 10. | "Trouble in Mind" | Richard M. Jones | 3:41 |
| 11. | "You Don't Have to Go" | Jimmy Reed | 2:55 |
References edit
- ^ "Freddie King | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Blues guitarist Freddie King joins Rock Hall royalty in 2012". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia.
- ^ Komara, Edward; Lee, Peter (July 22, 2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9781135958329 – via Google Books.
- ^ Conner, Thomas (December 21, 2001). "We Three Kings". Spot. Tulsa World. p. 21.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 424.
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography. Times Books. p. 442.
- ^ a b Ellis, Bill (July 1, 2000). "Old Folks and Newcomers Give the Past Its Props". The Commercial Appeal. p. F8.
- ^ Gregory, Hugh (July 22, 2003). Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas R&B. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879307479 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Woman Across the River - Freddie King | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. pp. 848–849.
- ^ a b Mann, Bill (7 Jul 1973). "Woman Across the River, Freddie King". The Gazette. p. 30.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 633.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick (October 1992). "What a Disc!". Texas Monthly. Vol. 20, no. 10. p. 134.
- ^ Russell, Tony (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 363.
External links edit
- Woman Across the River at Discogs (list of releases)