''The Blues Don't Lie'' is a studio album by blues guitarist and singer
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray V ...
. It was released as a CD and as a two-disc LP on September 30, 2022.
[
''The Blues Don't Lie'' was produced by ]Tom Hambridge
Thomas Jay Hambridge (born December 20, 1960) is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, a ...
, who also co-wrote many of the songs, and plays drums as well. Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...
, Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician, activist and pastor who served as the U.S. representative for for three decades. A civil rights activist during the 1960s, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Pan ...
, Wendy Moten
Wendy Moten (born November 22, 1964) is an American jazz singer from Tennessee. Born in Memphis and based in Nashville, Moten has had a successful career in music, including several major-label solo records, some international hit songs, and a ...
, Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
, James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
, and Jason Isbell
Michael Jason Isbell (; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell h ...
are featured vocalists on one track each.[
''The Blues Don't Lie'' was nominated for a ]Grammy award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Traditional Blues Album
The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album was awarded from 1983 to 2011 and from 2017 onwards. Until 1992 the award was known as Best Traditional Blues Performance and was twice awarded to individual tracks rather than albums.
The award w ...
.[
]
Critical reception
In ''Blues Blast Magazine'' Steve Jones wrote, "At 86, Buddy is still going at it full force with lots and lots of new music and giving it his all.... For me, this is his best album since 2001's ''Sweet Tea
Sweet tea, also known as sweet iced tea, is a popular style of iced tea commonly consumed in countries such as the United States (especially the South) and Indonesia. Sweet tea is most commonly made by adding sugar or simple syrup to black tea e ...
'' and it is close to being one of his best; it is a flawless effort. This is a superb album and it is well worth adding to any blues lover's collection."[
In ''Blues Rock Review'' Jamie Warden said, "]his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
latest release, ''The Blues Don't Lie'', undoubtedly proves that Buddy is the World Heavyweight Champion of the blues. He's the real deal. It doesn't get much better than Buddy... from his singing, his guitar playing, to his showmanship on stage. While most artists slow down later in life, he shows no signs of slowing down. As cliché as it sounds, he is truly getting better with age."[
In ''Rock & Blues Muse'' Ellie Rogers wrote, "In fact, Buddy Guy's ''The Blues Don't Lie'' is about as close to perfect a new blues album as you could ever hope to hear. Spanning a plethora of moods, topics and sounds, and with more dexterous and impassioned fretwork than many players half his age could even dream of mustering, it's a real blues masterclass."][
In ''Chicago Blues Guide'' Marty Gunther said, "Sure, Buddy Guy's 86 years old and recently announced dates for a farewell tour, but fear not! The ageless wonder fires on all cylinders with this sensational CD, a 16-song, 64-minute, star-studded effort that's destined to add even more luster to one of the most successful careers in blues history.... ''The Blues Don't Lie'' is 24-carat gold from beginning to end. Run, don't walk to buy this one. It's a true-blue treasure!"][
]
Track listing
#"I Let My Guitar Do the Talking" (Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray V ...
, Tom Hambridge
Thomas Jay Hambridge (born December 20, 1960) is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, a ...
) – 4:26
#"Blues Don't Lie" (Hambridge) – 3:54
#"The World Needs Love" (Guy) – 5:30
#"We Go Back" featuring Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...
(Richard Fleming, Hambridge) – 4:39
#"Symptoms of Love" featuring Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
(Fleming, Hambridge) – 3:37
#"Follow the Money" featuring James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
(Hambridge, Gary Nicholson) – 3:41
#"Well Enough Alone" (Fleming, Hambridge) – 4:12
#"What's Wrong with That" featuring Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician, activist and pastor who served as the U.S. representative for for three decades. A civil rights activist during the 1960s, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Pan ...
(Fleming, Hambridge) – 5:25
#"Gunsmoke Blues" featuring Jason Isbell
Michael Jason Isbell (; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell h ...
(Fleming, Hambridge) – 3:08
#"House Party" featuring Wendy Moten
Wendy Moten (born November 22, 1964) is an American jazz singer from Tennessee. Born in Memphis and based in Nashville, Moten has had a successful career in music, including several major-label solo records, some international hit songs, and a ...
(Fleming, Hambridge) – 2:59
#"Sweet Thing" (Joe Josea
The Bihari brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American businessmen of Hungarian Jewish origins. They were the founders of Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries, such as Meteor Records, based in Memphis. The Bihari brothers we ...
, B.B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
) – 3:00
#"Backdoor Scratchin'" (Hambridge, Nicholson) – 3:54
#"I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album ''Let It Be''. It was recorded on 30 January 1969 during the Beatles' rooftop concert. It is a combination of two unfinished songs: Paul McCartney's "I've ...
" (John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
) – 4:01
#"Rabbit Blood" (Fleming, Hambridge) – 4:43
#"Last Call" (Hambridge, Bill Sweeney) – 3:33
#" King Bee" ( James Moore) – 2:44
Personnel
Musicians
*Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray V ...
– guitar, vocals
*Rob McNelley – guitar
*Kevin McKendree
Kevin McKendree (born April 27, 1969) is an American electric blues pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to having a lengthy and varied career as a session musician, McKendree has released two solo albums.
Life and ...
– Hammond B3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano
*Reese Wynans
Reese Wynans (born November 28, 1947) is an American keyboard player, who has done session work and has been a member of Double Trouble and progressive rock band Captain Beyond. In 2015, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a ...
– Hammond B3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano
* Michael Rhodes – bass
*Glenn Worf
Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler.
Early life and education
Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Madis ...
– bass
*Tom Hambridge
Thomas Jay Hambridge (born December 20, 1960) is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, a ...
– drums, percussions, tambourine, backing vocals
Production
*Produced by Tom Hambridge
Thomas Jay Hambridge (born December 20, 1960) is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, a ...
*Recording: Ducky Carlisle
*Additional recording: Zach Allen, Jonathan Lackey, Dave O'Donnell, Casey Wasner, Steve Weeder
*Mixing: Michael Saint-Leon, Tom Hambridge
*Mastering: Brian Lucey
*Art direction, design: Gavin Taylor
*Photography: Paul Natkin
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blues Don't Lie, The
2022 albums
Albums produced by Tom Hambridge
Buddy Guy albums
RCA Records albums