R.L. Burnside – A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (CD, US)

18 June 1996

Matador Records

OLE 214-2

01. Goin’ Down South 02. Boogie Chillen 03. Poor Boy 04. 2 Brothers 05. Snake Drive 06. Shake ‘Em On Down 07. The Criminal Inside Me 08. Walkin’ Blues 09. Tojo Told Hitler 10. Have You Ever Been Lonely?
VIEW:

NOTES:
DigiPak with black tray. This edition manufactured in the US. Later re-issued by Fat Possum on CD and vinyl. This album is a collaboration between the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, R.L. Burnside and Kenny Brown recorded on the “afternoon of 2-6-96 at Lunati Farms in Holly Springs, MS.” The musical arrangements used on 2 Brothers and Tojo Told Hitler were also used on the song Cool Vee released by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on the 2Kindsa Love UK CD single, a Cool Vee French Promo CD and the Japanese release of Now I Got Worry. Have You Ever Been Lonely? is based on Vacuum of Loneliness originally released on the 1992 self-titled album. An mp3 of 20 Miles covering Goin’ Down South was available on judah-bauer.com. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion also collaborated with R.L. Burnside on the songs Alice May and Highway 7 released on his 1997 album Mr Wizard. Jon Spencer Interview (July 31, 2018): “NUVO: How did your relationship with R.L. Burnside begin? SPENCER: In the Blues Explosion, we were big fans of R.L.’s record, and we were listening to it all the time. This was in the very early days of Fat Possum, the label from Oxford, Mississippi, which was putting out people like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. I was already aware of some of these artists. And then, when Fat Possum started and these new recordings started coming out by these artists, I was snapping them up, and that R.L. record just really blew us away. We were just listening to it all the time. I thought, “Maybe we could play a show together,” so I reached out to Fat Possum and suggested playing some dates together. It was as easy as that. I guess initially it wasn’t that easy because they said no, and then I had to appeal to a common friend to put in a good word. One Memphis filmmaker [either Dan Rose or Robert Gordon] put in a good word with Matthew Johnson at Fat Possum. He told him, “No, the Blues Explosion are okay. This would actually be a good thing. You should do the shows.” So we played a handful of shows, and we hit it off. It was a good formula, so we did a lot more. That was a really great time.” – Nuvo Full Interview: https://nuvo.newsnirvana.com/music/jon-spencer-s-wild-ride/article_cf2b7400-94fd-11e8-843f-67ad9a357545.html
SONG CREDITS:
Vocals/Guitar: R.L. Burnside Guitar: Kenny Brown Guitar/Harmonica/Vocals/Casio SK-1: Judah Bauer Drums: Russell Simins Guitar/Vocals/Drums/Theremin: Jon Spencer Recorded on the afternoon of 2-6-96 at Lunati Farms in Holly Springs, MS. Produced: Matthew Johnson Recorded: Bruce Watson Mixed/Sequenced at Waterworks, Tuscon, AZ by Jim Waters and Judah Bauer Assisted by Saylor Breckenridge 01. Goin’ Down South Writer: Burnside Published: Mocking Bird Music (BMI) 02. Boogie Chillen Writer: Hooker Published: Duchess Music (BMI) 03. Poor Boy Writer: Burnside/Explosion 04. 2 Brothers Writer: Burnside/Explosion 05. Snake Drive Writer: Burnside Published: Mockingbird Music (BMI) 06. Shake ‘Em On Down Writer: Burnside 07. The Criminal Inside Me Writer: Burnside/Explosion 08. Walkin’ Blues Writer: Burnside Published: Mocking Bird Music (BMI) 09. Tojo Told Hitler Writer: Burnside/Explosion 10. Have You Ever Been Lonely? Writer: Burnside/Spencer/Explosion
SLEEVE NOTES:
There isn’t a man in town with good sense who’d try to argue with Robert Palmer about chaos. “Chaos, chance, charm and luck are a primary Blues paradigm, of course, and a late-twentieth-century scientific paradigm as well. The Chaos Theory of post-relativity psychics tells us of Strange Attractors – inexplicable higher order functions that provide a kind of boundary or shape or structural dynamic for chaotic systems – and this fits R.L. as well. The essential character of R.L.’s is chaos-on-wheels; spreading sonic waves of sex and mayhem around our planet.” R.L.’s a Strange Attractor. he’s a .999 fine. 24 karat. 180 proof. 100% pure-Higher-Order function. He’s what’s needed; and it’s about time. We need a man we can count on. count on to yell fire in a crowded theater, wave a pistol in a crowded juke.”He’s the Blues walking like a man: the living personification of a guitar moan and a back door slam.” R.L. doesn’t have time for any nonsense; his plate is full. So. close your eyes. put your arms in front of your face (if you still care) and prepare to be Burnsided into stark oblivion by A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey.””Special Thanks – Helen, Jay, Marty, Dale, Peter, Lori, Chris, Boche, Gibson Guitars”
DETAILS:
ARTWORK: Cover Art: Derek Hess Large R.L. Photo: Jim Herrington BARCODE: [no barcode on artwork] MATRIX: “3 OLE 0214-2 SRC##01”