Name: Show of Strength
Brand: ALLIGATOR RECORDS
SKU: 26738100
Availability: OutOfStock

Show of Strength

Rating

Album: Show of Strength
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Count On You	More Info...
2)	Take A Chance On Me, Baby	More Info...
3)	Storm Warning	More Info...
4)	Can You Read Between The Lines?	More Info...
5)	Cross Eyed Woman	More Info...
6)	Little Juke Joint	More Info...
7)	24 Hour Blues	More Info...
8)	Valley Of Tears	More Info...
9)	Since I Been Loving You	More Info...
10)	I Want To Get You Back	More Info...
11)	What Does It Take To Please You?	More Info...
12)	Feel Like Going Home	More Info...

Album: Show of Strength
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Count On You	More Info...
2)	Take A Chance On Me, Baby	More Info...
3)	Storm Warning	More Info...
4)	Can You Read Between The Lines?	More Info...
5)	Cross Eyed Woman	More Info...
6)	Little Juke Joint	More Info...
7)	24 Hour Blues	More Info...
8)	Valley Of Tears	More Info...
9)	Since I Been Loving You	More Info...
10)	I Want To Get You Back	More Info...
11)	What Does It Take To Please You?	More Info...
12)	Feel Like Going Home	More Info...

Performer Notes

Personnel: Michael Burks (vocals, guitar); Wayne Sharp (piano, organ, background vocals); Chuck "Popcorn" Louden (drums, background vocals); Terrence Grayson (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Blaise Barton.
Liner Note Author: Bruce Iglauer.
Recording information: Joyride Studios, Chicago, IL.
Photographer: Paul Natkin.
The sudden passing of 54-year-old guitarist Michael Burks in 2012, between the recording and release of this, his final album, casts an undeniable shadow over it. Burks was prepared to approve the final mixes and track order when he was struck by a fatal heart attack when arriving stateside after a European tour. It's a tragic and untimely end to a bluesman who was in his prime, as evidenced by the impassioned performance and superior songs on his fourth Alligator studio waxing. Burks' husky build was mirrored in his similarly styled vocals and meaty guitar tone, all of which are in full force throughout these dozen tracks. Like his previous disc, this features his road band whose keyboard player, Wayne Sharp, is a major component of Burks' soulful sound. From the funky bassline and sly lyrics of "Can You Read Between the Lines?" to the slide-guitar rock thump of "Cross Eyed Woman" (perhaps a nod to Free, whose music Burks has covered in the past) and the straight-ahead shuffle of "What Does It Take to Please You?," he navigates a lot of musical territory. Both covers and originals boast strong melodies, which Burks does justice to with tough vocals and full-bodied, often thunderous guitar solos from which his "ironman" nickname was derived. The closing version of Charlie Rich's classic gospel "Feel Like Going Home" ends this set on a somber note, made all the more melancholy by Burks' demise. The album's extended length is its only detriment (it would be more potent trimmed by a few tracks), but since there will be no more music from the guitarist, that criticism is mitigated by the unfortunate circumstances. Burks is truly at the top of his game here, which makes Show of Strength such a bittersweet finale from one of contemporary blues' most magnetic, powerful, and committed artists. ~ Hal Horowitz

Professional Reviews

Mojo (Publisher) (p.97) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]ith full-on performances of originals like 'Cross Eyed Woman'....Burks had developed a trenchantly original voice..."