Uncommon wit runs through the lyrics of this varied set, certainly one of the more intriguing Chicago blues albums of the late '70s.
Johnson's
high-pitched vocals are particularly soulful on the impassioned
"I Need Some Easy Money"
and "Ashes in My Ashtray," while "The Twelve Bar Blues" and "Poor Boy's Dream" are upbeat entries that don't sound as comfortable for the guitarist.
Johnson
gets away with a honky-tonk reprise of
Ernest Tubb's
country classic "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin," but his rehash of
Dave Brubeck's
"Take Five" should have stayed on the bandstand. ~ Bill Dahl