Sweet Potato Pie (album)

Sweet Potato Pie
Studio album by
Robert Cray
Released1997
RecordedArdent, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreBlues, R&B
Length47:13
LabelMercury
ProducerRobert Cray
Robert Cray chronology
Some Rainy Morning
(1995) 		Sweet Potato Pie
(1997) 		Take Your Shoes Off
(1999)

Sweet Potato Pie is an album by the American musician Robert Cray, released in 1997 through Mercury Records.[1][2] Cray produced the album.[3] It was recorded by John Hampton and Skidd Mills (who also did the mixing) at Ardent Studios, in Memphis, Tennessee. "Trick or Treat" is a cover of the Otis Redding song.[4]

Cray supported the album by touring with B. B. King.[5] Sweet Potato Pie peaked at No. 184 on the Billboard 200.[6] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album".[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
Los Angeles Daily News[11]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide[3]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[12]
USA Today[4]

The Los Angeles Daily News noted that "the material here has a muscular '60s and '70s soul feel... Cray's vocals aren't just paying lip service to Southern r&b heroes O.V. Wright and James Carr."[11] USA Today said that "Cray sings mostly about love and loss, the band's bluesy sound punctuated by the Memphis Horns."[4] The Chicago Tribune concluded that most of the songs "are bland ballad or mid-tempo tunes that do little to distinguish themselves."[9]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Robert Cray; except where indicated

  1. "Nothing Against You" - 5:46
  2. "Do That for Me" - 4:26
  3. "Back Home" - 5:59
  4. "Save It" - 3:32 (bonus track; only on European edition)
  5. "The One in the Middle" (Jimmy Pugh) - 5:17
  6. "Little Birds" - 3:50
  7. "Trick or Treat" (Otis Redding) - 3:10
  8. "Simple Things" - 4:46
  9. "Jealous Minds" (Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Pugh) - 4:43
  10. "Not Bad for Love" - 7:12
  11. "I Can't Quit" - 5:04

Personnel

  • Robert Cray – vocals, guitar
  • Jimmy Pugh – keyboards
  • Karl Sevareid – bass
  • Kevin Hayes – drums

References

  1. ^ Dicaire, David (2015). More Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Artists from the Later 20th Century. McFarland, Inc. p. 113.
  2. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides. 1999. p. 228.
  3. ^ a b MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 95.
  4. ^ a b c Jones, Steve (6 May 1997). "R&B". USA Today. p. D4.
  5. ^ Newman, Melinda (Apr 12, 1997). "On the Road". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 15. p. 12.
  6. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 23. Jun 7, 1997. p. 99.
  7. ^ "Robert Cray". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Sweet Potato Pie Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b Kening, Dan (9 May 1997). "Robert Cray Sweet Potato Pie". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  11. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (2 May 1997). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L23.
  12. ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.