Two previously unreleased tracks have been added to this re-release.
COLD DAY IN HELL is one of the standouts from Otis Rush's 1970s catalogue. Rush's anguished vocals, piercing guitar leads, and overall gutsy attack are in full effect here on galloping rockers ("Cut You a Loose") and loping groovers ("Mean Old World") alike. Rush specializes in slow-burn down-tempo numbers--"You're Breaking My Heart," "Society Woman," and the wiry title track fall into this category, and each of these tracks give the Chicago axe-master plenty of room to stretch out on the fretboard.
Unlike a lot of the post-'60s bluesmen, Rush never softened or commercialized his sound, and COLD DAY IN HELL upholds the artist's rough and raw ethos. His searing guitar work (which seems inseparable from his chunky amplifier tone) cuts a trail through the middle of these songs and is as appropriate on wrenching slow blues as it is on "Motoring Along," a sprightly, jazz-influenced instrumental. An alternate take of "You're Breaking My Heart" and the previously unissued "Part Time Love" are icing on this satisfying release.
Professional Reviews
Q (12/92, p.150) - 3 Stars - Good - "..COLD DAY IN HELL finds the structure of Rush's music intact, despite the two decades since his debut...his blood-tinged vocals still sound as if he's got the blues so bad, he wished he had never been born.."
Vox (12/92, p.94) - 7 - Very Good - "..Rush's hard-picking style meanders deliciously...Unfussy, downhome and oozing with sophistication.."
