''What's the Word'' is the second studio album by the

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

-based

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

band

the Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...

, released in 1980. Like its predecessor, the album initially sold poorly, but is now regarded as a noteworthy blues recording of the period. The 2000 CD reissue on Benchmark Records contains three bonus tracks, two of which were recorded live at Club Koda, Austin, Texas.

Critical reception

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' wrote that the band "play no-frills, gut-bucket R&B and blues with enough enthusiasm and intensity to overcome any doubts one might have about their authenticity." "''Girls Go Wild'' and ''What's the Word?'' are Texas barroom blues at their greasiest, and Kim Wilson's expressive delivery seems to ease his confusion at whether this woman that keeps popping up is his full- or part-time lover."

Track listing

All tracks composed by

Kim Wilson Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, " Tuff Enuff" (which was the group's only Top ...

; except where indicated # "Runnin' Shoes" (Traditional,

Juke Boy Bonner Weldon H. Philip Bonner, better known as Juke Boy Bonner (March 22, 1932 – June 29, 1978) was an American blues singer, harmonica player, and guitarist. He was influenced by Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Reed, and Slim Harpo. He accompanied himself ...

) – 3:38 # "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine" ( Sidney Simien,

Floyd Soileau James Floyd Soileau (born November 2, 1938) is an Americans, American record producer. Biography Soileau was born in Faubourg, a small community between Ville Platte, Louisiana, Ville Platte and Washington, Louisiana, Washington, Louisiana. He ...

) – 1:48 # "Low-Down Woman" – 3:15 # "Extra Jimmies" (

Jimmie Vaughan Jimmie Lawrence Vaughan Jr. (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was a founding member of The Fabulous Thunder ...

, Keith Ferguson) – 2:35 # "Sugar Coated Love" (Audrey Butler, J.D. Miller) – 3:00 # "Last Call for Alcohol" (Vaughan, Kim Wilson) – 2:55 # "The Crawl" (Raymond Victoria, Wayne Shuler) – 2:15 # "Jumpin Bad" (Vaughan, Wilson) – 2:25 # "Learn to Treat Me Right" – 3:07 # "I'm a Good Man (If You Give Me A Chance)" – 2:50 # "Dirty Work" – 3:00 # "That's Enough of That Stuff" – 2:05

Bonus tracks on some editions

# "Band Introduction by C-Boy" – 0:21 # "Bad Boy" (Live) (

Eddie Taylor Eddie Taylor (January 29, 1923 – December 25, 1985) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. Biography Born Edward Taylor in Benoit, Mississippi, as a boy Taylor taught himself to play the guitar. He spent his early years playing ...

) – 3:11 # "

Scratch My Back ''Scratch My Back'' is the eighth studio album (and fifteenth album overall) by English musician Peter Gabriel, his first in eight years. It was released in February 2010. The album, recorded at AIR Lyndhurst and Real World Studios during 2009, ...

" (Live) ( James Moore) – 5:06 # "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" (Vaughan, Ferguson, Wilson) – 1:10 * "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" is track 13 on some earlier Chrysalis releases.

Personnel

Musicians

–

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

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 incl ...

, simultaneous drums and harp on "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" *

–

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

* Keith Ferguson –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

Fran Christina Francis Anthony Christina (born February 1, 1951) is an American drummer known for his work in Texas blues band the Fabulous Thunderbirds (1979–97). He was also the founding drummer of Roomful of Blues (1967–1971).''Sound Waves'' Interview w ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

(tracks 2, 4, 6, 8–10, 12)

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

on "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" * Mike Buck – drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 11)

Technical

* Denny Bruce – producer * Bob Sullivan –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

* Frank DeLuna – mastering

References

{{Authority control The Fabulous Thunderbirds albums 1980 albums Albums produced by Denny Bruce Chrysalis Records albums