''Penitentiary Blues'' is the debut album of American singer David Allan Coe. It was released in 1970 on SSS International Records.

Style

The lyrics of ''Penitentiary Blues'' are often dark and foreshadow the content of Coe's later

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

albums, discussing themes such as working for the first time,

blood test A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholester ...

s from veins used to inject

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

time, hoodoo imagery and death.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Thom Jurek describes the album's style as "

voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

", writing "This is redneck music, pure and simple, fresh out of hell and trying to communicate the giddiness of reprieve as well as its horrors to the listener." The album derives influence from

Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. His eclectic style of music was often difficult to classify, encompassing the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country music, country, sou ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

, Bo Diddley, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Tony Joe White.

Reception

Allmusic's Thom Jurek wrote, "There are hints and traces of the lyrical genius Coe would display later, but taken as a whole, Penitentiary is thoroughly enjoyable as a rowdy, funky, and crude blues record full of out-of-tune guitars, slippery performances, and an attitude of 'fuck it, let's get it done and get it out,' which was a trademark of

Plantation Records Plantation Records was a country music record label of the 1960s and 1970s helmed by Shelby Singleton. The label is best known for Jeannie C. Riley's 1968 hit "Harper Valley PTA", which topped both the country and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. ...

during the era."

Track listing

All Songs written by David Allan Coe except where noted. #"Penitentiary Blues" – 3:11 #"Cell #33" (Coe, Teddy Paige) – 2:13 #"Monkey David Wine" – 3:00 #"Walkin' Bum" ( Hank Mills) – 3:36 #"One Way Ticket To Nowhere" (Coe, Betty Coe, Teddy Paige, Cliff Parker) 2:46 #"Funeral Parlor Blues" (Coe, Betty Coe, Teddy Paige) – 3:12 #"Death Row" – 2:44 #"Oh Warden" (Coe, Teddy Paige) – 2:45 #"Age 21" – 2:06 #"Little David" – 2:12 #"Conjer Man" – 2:09

Personnel

*David Allan Coe –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

*Teddy Paige, Jerry Kennedy, Mac Gayden –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

*Teddy Paige, Charlie McCoy, Ed Kollis –

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

*William C. Sanders, Billy Linneman, Mac Gayden, Charlie McCoy –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

*Karl Himmel, Kenneth Buttrey –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* David Briggs –

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

*Teddy Paige, Shelby S. Singleton, Jr. – production *Joe Venneri - engineering *Gayle Allen - photography

References

{{Authority control David Allan Coe albums 1970 debut albums Blues albums by American artists