'Born too late' is the predicate that the British blues singer and slide guitarist Ian Siegal often gets stamped on. After all, with his raw throat and energetic rhythm 'n' blues, he had definitely felt at home among British sixties bands like Them and The Animals. At the same time, it is good that he is there, at a time when white blues is dominated by gray guitar onanists. On this album, too,
… Siegal returns to the never-devoid of humor and sexual bragging work of songwriter Willie Dixon, in performances by pedigree entertainers such as Howlin 'Wolf and Muddy Waters. He does this with great conviction so that it has no tendency towards epigonism or nostalgia. Swagger sounds rather fresh in thirteen soggy rhythm 'n' blues tampers based on pointed slide guitar licks. Siegal means what he growls and roars, in a voice somewhere between Dr. John and Van Morisson. A pleasantly purist album by a gifted bluesman. (MR)more
