Promised Land (CD) by Robert "Bilbo" Walker

0049998263226. New condition. CD. Right from the opening call on "Goin' to the Train Station" to the last notes of "Berry Pickin'" (Roll over Chuck), I was kept pleasantly off balanced and surprised. What disc can you think of where you are going to find Chuck Berry ("Promised Land") crossed with Merle Haggard ("The Wild Side of Life/It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels") backcrossed with Muddy Waters ("Still a Fool"). Stinging guitar licks in as many different styles as you can think of yet always played through a blues disposition, with a verve and conviction not often heard recently. The gospel overtones on many of the cuts are strong; just listen to some of the subtle vocal inflections hiding in the background. No real weak cuts here and a good number of true gems. The downside of this disc is that it sometimes sounds like it was recorded in a tin can, with a poor mix, but even so, it's worth rooting around in the bins to find. ~ Bob Gottlieb, Rovi