Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials - Rattleshake
2006 Alligator Records

Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials have been tearing up clubs and festival stages all over the world for almost 25 years. Between the band’s raw and untamed music and Ed’s flying leaps, his back-bending, his toe-walking through the audience and his sliding across the stage on his knees, it’s no wonder The Boston Globe called Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials “the world’s #1 house rocking blues band. The latest release from this band, Rattleshake, provides slow soulful tunes, house rocking jams and of course, whaling guitars! My two favorite tunes on this disc were “Nobody’s Fault” and “You Know You Were Wrong”, which Alligator’s Boss, Johnny Iguana jams on the keys. I give this disc a 3.9 out of 5.0 on my STLBluesometer rating and recommend seeing this band rock the house live at a venue near you!.

The band is:

Lil’ Ed Williams, Lead Vocals and Guitar
Michael Garrett, Guitar & Background Vocals
James “Pookie” Young, Bass and Backing Vocals
Johnny Iguana, Organ & Piano
Kelly Littleton, Drums

1. Leaving Here- upbeat jam with electric guitar whaling
2. Tired of Crying- his voice reminds me of the late great “Gatemouth Brown”
3. Golden Rule- tempo and beat reminded me of surfer music
4. You Just Weren’t There- nice slow jam with organ
5. Icicles in My Meatloaf- obviously about a bad meatloaf experience
6. Broken- enjoyed the jamming electric guitar licks
7. Tramp On Your Street- too slow for me
8. Maybe Another Time- great tempo, nice licks and vocals
9. Spend Some Time With Me- love that bass line and Lil’ Ed cuts loose
10. Nobody’s Fault But My Own- enjoyable slow blues jam with whaling guitar
11. You Know You’re Wrong- Elmore James tune redone very nicely
12. That’s The Truth – Lil’ Ed’s uncle J.B. Hutto wrote this one and it jams!
13. It’s A Beautiful World- shuffle gave off a little Mardi Gra feel, loved the slide work

The blues is a beautiful thing.