Rating: NNN
Having a bunch of contemporary rock artists cover the mesmerizing Mississippi hill country boogie of Junior Kimbrough seems a smashing way to introduce the late, great Southern shaman’s mystifying mojo to a younger demographic that would never buy a blues recording. And the ramshackle revisions offered here by Spiritualized, the Blues Explosion, Jack Oblivian and the reconstituted Iggy & the Stooges should do the trick. Too bad the Fat Possum brain trust have a way of turning potential success into head-scratching failure. This time, they accomplish that by padding the disc with tracks from artists with no connection to the blues, many of whom can’t even sell their own recordings. Pete Yorn? Outrageous Cherry? Cat Power? A better idea would’ve been to call up the members of U2, the Rolling Stones and any other celeb who visited Junior’s juke joint and tell ’em Peetie Wheatstraw says it’s payback time.
