Wake Up and Live!
| Wake Up and Live! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Blues, jump blues | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Port Barlow | |||
| Floyd Dixon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Wake Up and Live! is an album by the American musician Floyd Dixon, released in 1996.[1][2] He was backed by the Full House band.[3] Dixon supported the album with a North American tour.[4] In recognition of Wake Up and Live!, Living Blues bestowed on Dixon its "Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Keyboards)" award.[5] The album also won the W. C. Handy Award for "Comeback Blues Album".[6]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Dixon's guitarist, Port Barlow, who used vintage recording equipment to achieve a 1950s sound.[7][8] Dixon wrote or cowrote all of the album's songs.[3] "Hey, Bartender" is a version of Dixon's first hit, from 1954.[9] "My Song Is Don't Worry" is adapted from a poem Dixon used as his answering machine message.[10] The album liner notes are by Chip Deffaa.[11]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Chicago Tribune | [12] |
| MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide |  [13] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [10] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [14] |
| The Vancouver Sun | [15] |
The Chicago Tribune noted that, "unlike some of the bland revivalists now exploiting [jump blues], Dixon helped to develop the idiom, and his supple piano style and infectious vocals render this set irresistible."[12] The Vancouver Sun stated that Dixon "plays the jazz-blues of the 1950s, with his piano and vocals leading the way, acoustic bass providing the bottom and, on most tracks, a horn section kicking in for the ride."[15] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel listed Wake Up and Live! among the 10 best blues albums of 1996, writing that "his slow songs, such as 'My Song Is Don't Worry', have a believable desperation."[16] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette determined that the album "shows how alive and vital the music remains."[14] The Ithaca Journal considered it the sixth best album of 1996.[17]
AllMusic wrote that Dixon's "voice had not aged much, his enthusiasm is very much intact and his piano playing (whether on slow blues, medium-tempo novelties or the closing instrumental blues 'Gettin' Ready') is quite jazz-oriented."[11]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey, Bartender" | |
| 2. | "My Song Is Don't Worry" | |
| 3. | "You Know That'll Get It" | |
| 4. | "A Long Time Ago" | |
| 5. | "A Dream" | |
| 6. | "You're the Only One for Me" | |
| 7. | "450 Pound Woman" | |
| 8. | "Mean and Jealous Man" | |
| 9. | "I Wanna Rock Now" | |
| 10. | "Don't Send Me No Flowers in the Graveyard" | |
| 11. | "Wake Up and Live" | |
| 12. | "Livin' a Lie (Weak for a Woman)" | |
| 13. | "Rockin' at Home" | |
| 14. | "Got the Blues So Bad" | |
| 15. | "Skeet's California Sunshine" | |
| 16. | "Gettin' Ready" |
References[edit]
- ^ Jasinski, Laurie E. (2012). Handbook of Texas Music (2nd ed.). Texas A&M University Press.
- ^ Williamson, Nigel (2007). The Rough Guide to the Blues. Rough Guides. p. 155.
- ^ a b Harmon, Rick (Jun 20, 1996). "Blues". Montgomery Advertiser. p. 2C.
- ^ "Critic's picks". Houston. Houston Chronicle. 17 Oct 1996. p. 3.
- ^ Gallant, Michael (Oct 2006). "Departures: Floyd Dixon". Keyboard. Vol. 32, no. 10. p. 15.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (May 2, 1997). "Blues guitarist Allison captures top Handy Awards". The Commercial Appeal. p. A5.
- ^ Morris, Chris (Aug 24, 1996). "Flag Waving". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 34. p. 106.
- ^ Cote, Michael (Jul 5, 1996). "CD Reviews". Music. Naples Daily News. p. 13.
- ^ "More Listening". Times. Tampa Bay Times. Jun 7, 1996. p. 25.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 164.
- ^ a b c "Wake Up and Live! Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b Dahl, Bill (20 June 1996). "Good Rocking Floyd Dixon's 'Wake Up and Live' a Real Taste of Jump Blues". Chicago Tribune. p. 9C.
- ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 108.
- ^ a b White, Jim (Jun 23, 1996). "Blues". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G8.
- ^ a b Andrews, Marke (20 June 1996). "Floyd Dixon Wake Up and Live!". The Vancouver Sun. p. D8.
- ^ Knopper, Steve (27 Dec 1996). "A bucketful of blues: Lining up 10 best albums of '96". Cue. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 11.
- ^ Catalano, Jim (Jan 2, 1997). "Music". Arts & Leisure. The Ithaca Journal. p. 15.