Track Listing

1. Smoking Gun
2. I Guess I Showed Her
3. Right Next Door (Because of Me)
4. Nothin' But a Woman
5. Still Around
6. More Than I Can Stand
7. Foul Play
8. I Wonder
9. Fantasized
10. New Blood

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9005 in Music
• Published on: 1990-01-01
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
Stinging urban blues by way of Texas and Memphis distinguish Robert Cray's major-label debut, which followed three strong independent releases. Here he fleshes out his sound with bursts of brassy Southern soul courtesy of the Memphis Horns, but keeps his pungent, steely guitar solos out front in an engaging dialogue with his plaintive vocals. Released in 1986, Strong Persuader signaled that Cray, as a writer--like his contemporary Stevie Ray Vaughan--had something to say about his interior life beyond the usual bluesman's laments, an approach that pays homage to the music's rich traditions while suggesting new areas of inquiry. --David McGee

From Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD
Cray's commercial breakthrough. The single 'Smokin' Gun" spearheaded yet another blues revival. This album is a strong collection of blues and R&B-based songs steeped in the tradition of Bobby Bland, 0. V. Wright, Stax Records, and guitar stylings of equal parts Steve Cropper and Albert Collins. The songs are thematically linked-all deal with cheating and its ramifications-and give Cray an anguished, contemporary persona. (J.G.) -- © Frank John Hadley 1993

Customer Reviews

"Smoking Gun" of Talent
Robert Cray hits the bulls-eye with this collection of blues, rock and soul. His fast, dexterous guitar is always melodic, never gimmicky, and he leads a tight, no-frills backup band that often manages to sound like a Muscle Shoals studio band of the sixties. Robert's strong, clear voice conveys both rage and humor (sometimes at the same time!) but from the cover picture, you know the humor is the real message. The songs are mainly about love's suspicions and betrayals, most prominently in "Smoking Gun", and his lyrics are always compelling. Every song delivers flawlessly, making it impossible to nitpick or say some songs are better than others. There is nothing innovative or unusual about "Strong Persuader", it's all been done before, but few have done it as well, or managed to sound so distinctive as Robert Cray. This Seattle native has held a steady popularity among his fans and music critics, but despite his amazing singing and playing, his thorough professionalism, and his "marquee good looks", he never broke out into really massive popular appeal. What a shame!

A great collection of music
I first heard "Smoking Gun" when I was 16 and was blown away. In the era of hair bands and glam metal, Robert Cray quietly hit the scene and showed how he was alot better than what was big at that time. Funny how he is still making music and most if not all of the hair bands are gone. This disc is from top to finish a great collection of music. We have some serious slow blues like "Right Next Door" and Smoking Gun, and some faster tunes like Nothin' But A Women and I Guess I Showed Her. Not only are we able to see how much knowledge of the blues Robert Cray has, But we also get an insight to his knowledge of classic soul and R&B. This CD is still strong after 14 years and I still am totally into it.

News from the front
If there is a war between men and women, Robert Cray's songs are like casualty reports straight from the front. The music shows a serious knowledge not merely of blues (although that would be quite enough), but of deeply-rooted gospel and R&B (who cannot love the Wilson Pickett-style horns on "I Guess I Showed Her?"). This is matched well with the personal details Cray adds to his lyrics. In "Foul Play," we can almost hear the protagonist's paranoia and fear. In "I Guess I Showed Her," he glowers triumphantly at dumping an unfaithful spouse, only to reveal his hurt pride at the very end of the song, in the fadeout. In "Right Next Door (Because of Me)," he is a womanizer feeling--one thinks for the first time--pangs of guilt over the seduction of yet another wife. While not a replacement for recordings by the blues greats of old, this is an incredible CD.