The Man from Mars (album)

The Man from Mars
Studio album by
Smokey Wilson
Released1997
GenreBlues, R&B
LabelBullseye Blues
ProducerRon Levy
Smokey Wilson chronology
The Real Deal
(1995) 		The Man from Mars
(1997) 		Push
(1999)

The Man from Mars is an album by the American musician Smokey Wilson, released in 1997.[1][2] Wilson supported the album with a North American tour.[3] The Man from Mars was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best contemporary blues album.[4]

Production

The album was produced by Ron Levy, who used a rhythm section of Dallas musicians.[5] Wilson wrote eight of its songs.[6] "Louise" was written by Howlin' Wolf, one of Wilson's primary influences; "44 Blues" is a cover of Wolf's version of the standard.[7][8] "Easy Baby" was written by Magic Sam.[9] "Something Inside of Me" is a cover of the Elmore James song.[9] "Thanks for Making Me a Star" is about staying humble after becoming famous.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Edmonton Journal[11]
The Indianapolis Star[8]
Los Angeles Daily News[12]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide[13]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[14]

The Los Angeles Daily News wrote that the album "recalls the grit of a '50s juke joint... Wilson's slash and burn guitaring is a breath of fresh air at a time when a generation of tepid teen players are being taken seriously as blues musicians."[12] The Washington Post stated that "thick, punchy horn riffs dominate nearly every song and force Wilson to sharpen the edge on his lead-guitar licks and to pump up his hollering vocals to make himself felt."[5] The Edmonton Journal praised the "shuffles and honky tonk ballads and roaring r'n'b horn workouts."[11]

Guitar Player said that Wilson's "stinging tone, swift vibrato and staccato blasts travel from string-strangling '50s blues to R&B-driven '70s rock."[15] The Record determined that Wilson's "incendiary slide-guitar work carries on the Elmore James tradition, while his gravel-voiced singing recalls Howlin' Wolf and Tyrone Davis."[16] The Indianapolis Star noted that "the juke-joint atmosphere Wilson embraced while cutting his teeth in the profession is evident."[8]

AllMusic wrote that "Levy keeps Wilson's guitar tone at sting and bite level 10 and his vocals right up front and toasty, surrounding him with a solid rhythm section and spare horn stabs."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Thanks for Making Me a Star" 
2."Something Inside of Me" 
3."The Man from Mars" 
4."44 Blues" 
5."Louise" 
6."Too Drunk to Drive" 
7."You Don't Drink What I Drink" 
8."Black Widow" 
9."Just Like a Mountain" 
10."Don't Want to Tangle with Me" 
11."Doctor Blues" 
12."Easy Baby" 

References

  1. ^ Kinsman, Michael (28 Nov 1996). "Lord knows, Smokey Wilson is full-up on the Mississippi blues". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 7.
  2. ^ "Smokey Wilson Biography by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  3. ^ Provencher, Norman (10 Apr 1997). "Southern blues bands to heat things up". Ottawa Citizen. p. D2.
  4. ^ Waller, Don (May 2, 1998). "W. C. Handy Awards Nominees". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 18. p. 42.
  5. ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (18 Apr 1997). "Wilson's Robust Soul". The Washington Post. p. WW13.
  6. ^ Mason, Rick (3 Aug 1997). "Blues". Star Tribune. p. F2.
  7. ^ Benedetti, Winda (13 June 1997). "Tubs Cafe Opens New Beer Garden with Smokey Wilson's Soulful Blues". Weekend. The Spokesman-Review. p. 2.
  8. ^ a b c Konz, Joe (21 Sep 1997). "Smokey Wilson 'The Man from Mars'". The Indianapolis Star. p. I7.
  9. ^ a b c d "The Man from Mars Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. ^ Berkhalter, Denise (3 Apr 1997). "Smokey Wilson plays Blues Alley tonight". Hattiesburg American. p. 2D.
  11. ^ a b Levesque, Roger (24 Apr 1997). "Smoky Wilson feels the burn on Mars CD". Edmonton Journal. p. D4.
  12. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (28 Mar 1997). "Blues". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L21.
  13. ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 408.
  14. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 721.
  15. ^ Obrecht, Jas (Jun 1997). "Lonesome road blues". Guitar Player. Vol. 31, no. 6. p. 113.
  16. ^ McGuinness, Jim (5 Sep 1997). "Mississippi School of the Blues". Previews. The Record. p. 5.