Painting Signs

Painting Signs
Studio album by
Eric Bibb
Released2001
GenreBlues
LabelManhaton/EarthBeat!
ProducerDave Bronze
Eric Bibb chronology
Just Like Love
(2000) 		Painting Signs
(2001) 		Natural Light
(2003)

Painting Signs is an album by the American-born musician Eric Bibb, released in 2001.[1][2] It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.[3] Bibb supported the album with a UK tour and shows in North America opening for Robert Cray.[4][5] After the September 11 attacks, "Hope in a Hopeless World" was released as a single, with royalties earmarked for the American Red Cross.[6]

Production

The album was produced by Dave Bronze.[7] "Angel" is a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song.[8] "Honest I Do" was written by Jimmy Reed.[9] "Hope in a Hopeless World" is a version of the Roebuck Staples song; the album is dedicated to him.[10] "Delia's Gone" is an interpretation of the folk song.[11] "I Heard the Angels Singing" was written by Reverend Gary Davis.[12] Wilson Pickett sang on "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down".[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
The Guardian[8]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[15]
Tucson CitizenA+[16]

The Guardian wrote: "Blessed with a light, flexible voice that can plumb growling depths when required, Bibb interprets his remit as broadly as possible."[8] The Mirror said that Bibb's "delta blues style is beautifully delicate and detailed, soft curling guitar lines topped off with rich, sweet conversational vocals."[17] The Vancouver Sun noted that Bibb "does some neat finger-picking on 'Delia's Gone', and his 'To Know You' makes good use of mandolin and accordion."[18]

The Sun-Herald stated that "the nimble-fingered Bibb and his supple, skilled band lay on a rootsy buffet that takes in acoustic blues, cruisy R&B, honky tonk and gospel."[19] The Chicago Tribune opined that the album "compares favorably to [Taj] Mahal's and Cray's best."[20] The Gazette listed Painting Signs as the eighth best blues album of 2001.[21]

AllMusic wrote that "Bibb makes a fine case for blues as a music of introspection, warmth, and supreme nuance."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Kokomo" 
2."Hope in a Hopeless World" 
3."Five Miles Above" 
4."I Heard the Angels Singing" 
5."Delia's Gone" 
6."Got to Do Better" 
7."The Light Was Worth the Candle" 
8."Angel" 
9."Walkin' Home" 
10."To Know You" 
11."Honest I Do" 
12."Paintin' Signs" 
13."Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" 

References

  1. ^ Johnstone, Doug (10 May 2001). "Best Bibb and plucker". Edinburgh Evening News. p. 4.
  2. ^ Trapp, Roger (19 May 2001). "Jazz & Blues". Features. The Independent. p. 40.
  3. ^ "Eric Bibb". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  4. ^ Yeats, David (18 May 2001). "Bibb bringing the blues back to life". Birmingham Evening Mail. p. 62.
  5. ^ Levesque, Roger (12 Sep 2001). "Architecture's loss was music's gain". Edmonton Journal. p. G2.
  6. ^ Sylvester, Bruce (Nov 16, 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Goldmine. Vol. 27, no. 23. p. 19.
  7. ^ "Painting Signs". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 35. Sep 1, 2001. p. 22.
  8. ^ a b c Sweeting, Adam (4 May 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Friday. The Guardian. p. 17.
  9. ^ a b c "Painting Signs Review by Kenneth Bays". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  10. ^ Whishaw, John (15 May 2001). "Shot in the arm for the blues". Birmingham Post. p. 12.
  11. ^ The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad. W.W. Norton. 2005. p. 370.
  12. ^ McKenzie, Simon (18 May 2001). "Blues". The Scotsman. p. 12.
  13. ^ Danton, Eric R. (20 Sep 2001). "Painting Signs Eric Bibb". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
  14. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  15. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 37.
  16. ^ "Eric Bibb: 'Painting Signs'". Tucson Citizen. 11 Aug 2001. p. 2D.
  17. ^ Martin, Gavin (1 June 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Features. The Mirror. p. 17.
  18. ^ Andrews, Marke (1 Nov 2001). "Painting Signs". The Vancouver Sun. p. C8.
  19. ^ Holmes, Peter (4 Nov 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Metro. The Sun-Herald. p. 11.
  20. ^ Reger, Rick (25 Jan 2002). "Eric Bibb". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 19.
  21. ^ Regenstreif, Mike (29 Dec 2001). "Blues". The Gazette. p. D7.