Feels Like Rain in Bloomington, MN

On
Buddy Guy
's second
Silvertone
release, he continues the practice of guest appearances begun on
Damn Right, I've Got the Blues
. In this case, the notables include
Paul Rodgers
,
Travis Tritt
, and
John Mayall
. The finest combination comes when
Bonnie Raitt
joins
Guy
on
John Hiatt
's
"Feels Like Rain."
Raitt
's gritty vocals and sweet slide guitar add a pleasing nuance to the bittersweet track, and it is ultimately the high point of the record. Certain critics and
blues
purists have derided
's search for mainstream success as evidenced by his penchant for guest appearances and non-traditional
forms, but
sounds fantastic in these unconventional situations (witness his burning version of the
Moody Blues
'
"I Go Crazy"
).
's vocals, often under appreciated, really sell this song. As for his guitar playing, it is slightly below his usually high standards. He often sounds sloppy and unfocused, an extremely noticeable exception being his explosive solo on the
duet
"I Could Cry,"
but his singing, especially on the soulful
"Feels Like Rain,"
is full of character.
's backing band is top-notch, particularly bassist
Greg Rzab
, who plays both more actively and more melodically than most bassists working in the
idiom.
has recorded better
in his career, but on
Feels Like Rain
he shows that he is comfortable in more mainstream situations as well. The
on this record often just sound flat for some reason, like
and his band are just going through the motions. But on up-tempo
R&B
tracks such as the
"Some Kind of Wonderful"
or
's pairing with
"Change in the Weather,"
the bluesman sounds excited and fresh. It must be mentioned that the production is a bit on the thin side throughout, and many of the tracks simply do not pack enough punch. Despite this, the album is quite strong.
is not the place to look for
the legendary
guitarist, but, taken for what it is, it is extremely entertaining. ~ Daniel Gioffre