Music review: Robert Cray – 鈥業n My Soul鈥�
As I was finishing up my senior year of college back in 1986, I stumbled across Robert Cray鈥檚 鈥淪trong Persuader鈥� at the campus bookstore.
Driven by the hit 鈥淪moking Gun鈥� and an ample amount of MTV airplay, the blues guitarist and singer had finally hit the big time with his signature style of contemporary blues. With the release of his 17th studio album, the five-time Grammy Award-winner and Blues Hall of Fame inductee explores the Memphis sound issued by record labels like Chess and Stax.
鈥淚n My Soul鈥� offers a delicious mix of original arrangements and well-chosen covers. Cray gives a nod to some of his early influences by skillfully interpreting Otis Redding鈥檚 鈥淣obody鈥檚 Fault But Mine,鈥� Lou Rawls鈥� 鈥淵our Good Thing (Is About to End)鈥� and Bobby 鈥淏lue鈥� Bland鈥檚 鈥淒eep in My Soul.鈥�
The album opens with some piercing guitar work and soulful singing on the Cray-penned 鈥淵ou Move Me.鈥� Horns usher in the R&B funk of the retro-sounding 鈥淚 Guess I鈥檒l Never Know,鈥� while 鈥淔ine Yesterday鈥� features Cray鈥檚 smooth and sophisticated crooning. The instrumental 鈥淗ip Tight Onions鈥� is a rousing and fun tribute to the sound of Booker T. and the MGs.
The elegantly warm and inviting 鈥淧illow鈥� brings the album to a gracious close. Cray, who has sold more than 12 million records and sports a personalized line of Fender guitars, navigates the new collection of passionate and lively arrangements with the same flair and finesse found on early albums like 1983鈥檚 鈥淏ad Influence鈥� and 1990鈥檚 鈥淢idnight Stroll.鈥�
Cray certainly has come a long way since his uncredited appearance as the bassist for Otis Day and the Knights in the 1978 film 鈥淎nimal House.鈥� Forty years have passed since the formation of the Robert Cray Band, but Cray shows no signs of suppressing the sweet sounds of his stylish soul anytime soon.