"BLUES FOR HIPPIES?" The Final Excello Southern Blues Sessions

In spite of the off-putting title this is actually a collection of down home and electric blues recorded for Excello in the late 60s and early 70s, some previously unissued.Although Excello Records is famous for its swamp pop sound, a good part of which was due to Jay Miller's production approach that favored a deadened, muffled drum sound and tons of delay and reverb, by the late '60s and early '70s the label was struggling to grab hold of its share of the Southern soul market, and the sound of the label's singles became much slicker, sharper, and more funk-driven. Excello never really abandoned the blues, but the studio started to give the genre some fancier clothes, as this interesting collection of late-era singles recorded between 1966 and 1974 clearly shows. Slim Harpo's "I'm So Sorry" from 1968 and his cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillun" from 1970 are cases in point. Both singles are far more professional sounding than his earlier output, and decidedly less swampy in feel. Better production and clearer sound didn't translate into more sales, however, and these tracks are some of the last gasps of the famed Excello catalog. Worth noting are two fine 1970 cuts from Otis Spann, the atmospheric and off-kilter "Bloody Murder" and the sharp-edged title track, "Blues for Hippies," where Spann sings about meeting Daniel in the metaphoric (one assumes, anyway) Lion's Den. (Allmusic)

trax:
1. Things I Used To Do - Jimmy Dawkins 2. Five Minutes More - Charles Friday 3. Boogie Chillun - Slim Harpo 4. Bloody Murder - Otis Spann 5. Fine Drivin´ Machine - Tiny Watkins 6. Keep On Trying - Tabby Thomas 7. Give Me Your Love - Marion James 8. Baby! I´m Stickin´ To You - Charles Friday 9. I´ve Waited So Long - Mildred Woodard 10. High Cost Of Living - Jimmy Dawkins 11. Don´t Let Nobody Know - Willie Baker 12. Mr. Buzzard - Tabby Thomas 13. Sittin´ And Drinking - Rose Davis 14. Make My Way In This World - Jimmy Dawkins 15. Thank You - Bobby Powell 16. The Right One - Charles Friday 17. Think Twice Before You Speak - Jimmy Dawkins 18. I Believe - Charles Friday 19. I´m So Sorry - Slim Harpo 20. I Say I - Tabby Thomas 21. Chicago On My Mind - Jimmy Dawkins 22. Jimmy´s Blues - James Stewart 23. All For Business - Jimmy Dawkins 24. Blues For Hippies - Otis Spann
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