Track Listing

1. Dislocation Blues
2. Stagger Lee
3. When I Paint My Masterpiece
4. Rocket House
5. The Road Leads Down
6. Dislocation Blues
7. Forever In My Life
8. Velocity Girl
9. Ravenswood
10. Underground
11. Changing Of The Guard
12. Motion Bride
13. Untitled

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41040 in Music
• Released on: 2007-04-03
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The late Chris Whitley plainly found a kindred spirit in Australia's Jeff Lang, with whom he collaborated on his last recording before his 2005 death. Both are breathy vocalists and bluesy adventurers who favor a buzzsaw immediacy to more layered, polished recordings. With Whitley playing mainly National steel guitar and Lang alternating among lap steel and other guitars, backed by a crack rhythm section, the music has a haunted, sin-drenched quality that ranks with Whitley's most intense. Highlights range from the tribal-throb rendition of Prince's "Forever in My Life" and the Asian delicacy of Lang's acoustic "Ravenswood" to the Dylanesque phrasing of Whitley's "Velocity Girl" and a pair of Dylan covers ("When I Paint My Masterpiece" and "Changing of the Guard"). The opening "Stagger Lee" and the closing "Hellhound on My Trail" (an unlisted bonus cut) show where this music is rooted, while Whitley's "Rocket House" and the supercharged "Underground" show where it can soar. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

real sound
its a real sound. nowadays its getting harder and harder to find the authentic sound, raw, the real stuff, and this is it. Its at a different level than the mainstream stuff. Musically inspiring, relaxing. Chris was a great talent, who always kept it alive. thanks Chris, the blues is a great sound, is a great feeling.

These Guys Rock!!!
I've only recently started listening to Jeff Lang and like his music a great deal, and then I came across this collaboration with Whitley and I must say I'll be searching out more of his work as well.
Together they are magic and the musicianship is stunning, with a very raw sound that is just perfect for both performers. There are no lesser tracks in my opinion on this cd, it simply rocks for a blues album.

Whitley swansong wows a cruel world!
This last album, a collaboration with Australian Jeff Lang, sees the two of them revisiting some of Chris' earlier compositions, albeit with radically new arrangements, plus some covers, collaborations and Lang originals, as well as a couple of Dylan songs. The playing is exemplary, intimate without being claustrophobic. Obviously kindred spirits, the two share singing and guitar duties to outstanding effect. This really is an album of astounding honesty, grit and feel. And the rhythm section are no slouches, either.
Chris' passing in 2005 at the age 45 robbed music of a major talent. Although frequently categorized as a bluesman, this really doesn't do justice to Chris' vision. Many of his albums could only be called blues in the loosest sense of the genre; capturing the soul of the blues without succumbing to the cliches. Treat yourself to something bitter sweet, but quite special!
P.S. If you don't already have Chris' Living With The Law and Dirt Floor albums I strongly recommend you invest a little of your hard-earned cash and buy them. Hotel Vast Horizon and Terra Incognita are two other personal faves.