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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice...., 30 Jun 2004
How about that headline, eh? I'm real proud of it myself.Anyway...the back cover shows all four harpists, Cotton, Wells, Branch, and Bell, holding their harmonicas in a "one for all, all for one" musketeer position. And my initial reservations about this album have long since proved unfounded..."Harp Attack" is _not_ a gimmick, or a novelty item, or a mere showpiece; most of the time it really works. Backed by a sparse four-man band (drums, bass, guitar, and excellent piano player Lucky Peterson), three former members of the Muddy Waters-band - and Billy Branch - trade off choruses and solos on this warm and relaxed little album. The liner notes are even kind enough to tell the listener who is singing and playing what on each of the 11 songs. "Harp Attack" opens with one of the best songs on the album, the easy blues shuffle "Down Home Blues", and that one sets the tone...all four men sing a verse each and play a solo each, very democratic, and very good, too, actually. Other highlights include a great rendition of Rice Miller's "Keep Your Hands Out Of My Pocket", sung in Junior Wells' gritty bartone, an energetic "Little Car Blues" by Cotton, James Cotton's expressive, soulful performance of "Black Night", and a funky take on "Broke And Hungry", originally from Wells' second LP. The album mixes classic blues tunes with more contemporary sounds (Billy Branch's R&B-flavoyred compositions in particular), and even though everything isn't equally compelling, "Harp Attack" holds up well. Not a must-have album, perhaps, but a nice listen, especally for fans of Billy Branch. 3 3/4 stars.
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