Who's Been Talkin'
Who's Been Talkin' is the first album by the Robert Cray Band, released in 1980.[2][3] It received little initial notice due to Tomato Records' bankruptcy.[3] It has been rereleased a couple of times, including under the title Too Many Cooks.[2]
Production
Produced by Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker, the album was recorded in two sessions.[4][5][6] Cray wrote four of its songs.[7] "Too Many Cooks" is a cover of the Willie Dixon song.[8]
Critical reception
Robert Christgau wrote: "Cray can recite his catechism without kowtowing to orthodoxy--guitar like Albert Collins only chillier and more staccato, voice like B.B. King only cleaner and, well, thinner."[10] The New York Times, in a review praising the artistic growth of Cray's Strong Persuader, from 1986, thought that his first three albums "variously recalled the Stax/Volt and Atlantic soul sounds, big-city funk, and bar band rock-and-roll."[15]
The Globe and Mail commended "the winning confidence, the cool reserve, the sense of pure style and the respectful curiosity about the blues tradition."[16] The Toronto Star thought that "even as a young and impressionable guitarist, Cray had amazing strength and versatility, and no appreciation of his work would be complete without this excellent album."[17]
The Rough Guide to Rock called the album "raw and teeming with promise."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Too Many Cooks (by Willie Dixon)" | 2:49 |
| 2. | "The Score" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "The Welfare (Turns Its Back on You) (by Lucious Weaver, Sonny Thompson)" | 3:19 |
| 4. | "That's What I'll Do" | 2:37 |
| 5. | "I'd Rather Be a Wino" | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Who's Been Talkin' (by Chester Burnett)" | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Sleeping in the Ground (by Sam Myers)" | 3:19 |
| 8. | "I'm Gonna Forget About You (by O.V. Wright)" | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Nice as a Fool Can Be" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "If You're Thinkin' What I'm Thinkin'" | 4:26 |
Personnel
- Robert Cray – guitar, vocals
- Richard Cousins – bass
- Dave Olson – drums
- Buster B. Jones – drums
- Tom Murphy – drums
- Nathaniel Dove – keyboards
- Curtis Salgado – harmonica, vocals
- Nolan Andrew Smith – trumpet
- David Li – tenor saxophone
- Bruce Bromberg – producer
- Dennis Walker – producer, bass
- Dave Crawford – engineer
- Bill Dashiell – engineer
References
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 608.
- ^ a b "Robert Cray | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Harrington, Richard (26 Aug 1988). "Robert Cray & the Rebirth Of the Blues". The Washington Post. p. B1.
- ^ Fong-Torres, Ben (January 12, 1986). "He Breathes Hot, New Life Into the Blues - Robert Cray's future may be now". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 37.
- ^ Gwinn, Mary Ann (October 23, 1988). "Bluesman of His Own Persuasion". Pacific. The Seattle Times. p. 6.
- ^ a b Buckley, Peter (July 10, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides – via Google Books.
- ^ Racine, Marty (February 22, 1987). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 11.
- ^ Allen, Greg (6 Jun 1980). "The Vinyl Word". The Press of Atlantic City. p. V6.
- ^ "Who's Been Talkin' - Robert Cray Band, Robert Cray | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: The Robert Cray Band". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 287.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 143.
- ^ Bradley, Lloyd (December 1986). "Robert Cray: Who's Been Talking". Q. No. 3. p. 108.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 165.
- ^ Freedman, Samuel G. (November 16, 1986). "Robert Cray's Blues Embody a Different, Modern Idea". The New York Times.
- ^ Miller, Mark (23 Apr 1987). "Who's Been Talkin' Robert Cray". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
- ^ Quill, Greg (20 Mar 1987). "Pop Reviews". Toronto Star. p. D14.
