Feels Like Rain

by Buddy Guy

Overview

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 Guy's search for mainstream success as evidenced by his penchant for guest appearances and non-traditional blues forms, but Guy sounds fantastic in these unconventional situations (witness his burning version of the Moody Blues' "I Go Crazy"). Guy'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 John Mayall duet "I Could Cry," but his singing, especially on the soulful "Feels Like Rain," is full of character. Guy's backing band is top-notch, particularly bassist Greg Rzab, who plays both more actively and more melodically than most bassists working in the blues idiom. Guy has recorded better blues in his career, but on Feels Like Rain he shows that he is comfortable in more mainstream situations as well. The blues on this record often just sound flat for some reason, like Guy and his band are just going through the motions. But on up-tempo R&B tracks such as the Paul Rodgers duet "Some Kind of Wonderful" or Guy's pairing with Travis Tritt on "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. Feels Like Rain is not the place to look for Guy the legendary blues guitarist, but, taken for what it is, it is extremely entertaining. ~ Daniel Gioffre

Product Details

Release Date:	09/08/2023
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262030862
Rank:	30128

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Buddy Guy   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
John Mayall   Guest Artist,Piano,Vocals
Travis Tritt   Guest Artist,Vocals
Bonnie Raitt   Guest Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar
Paul Rodgers   Guest Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ian McLagan   Piano,Wurlitzer
Bill Payne   Piano
Joe Sublett   Sax (Tenor)
David Grissom   Guitar (Rhythm)
John Porter   Guitar
Johnny Lee Schell   Guitar
Marty Grebb   Organ,Piano,Sax (Tenor),Tenor (Vocal),Sax (Baritone),Vocals (Background)
Rick Cortes   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Richie Hayward   Drums
Joe Yuele   Drums
Mick Weaver   Organ
Mike Finnegan   Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Powers   Harp
Tom Canning   Organ (Hammond)
Darrell Leonard   Trumpet
Tony Braunagel   Percussion
Greg Rzab   Bass
John Philip Shenale   Organ,Synthesizer
Renee Geyer   Vocals (Background)
John Myall   Piano,Vocals
The Texacali Horns   Ensemble
Leslie   Guitar

Technical Credits

Tony Platt   Engineer
Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Trina Shoemaker   Engineer
Ray Charles   Composer
James Brown   Composer
Joe McGrath   Second Engineer
John Fogerty   Composer
John Porter   Producer
John Mayall   Assistant Producer
Marty Grebb   Arranger,Horn Arrangements
Marvin Gaye   Composer
R.S. Field   Producer
Marc DeSisto   Mixing,Engineer
Tim Latham   Second Engineer
Muddy Waters   Composer
Dave McNair   Engineer,Producer
John Ellison   Composer
John Hiatt   Composer
Neal Avron   Engineer
Buddy Guy   Composer
Junior Wells   Composer
Gary Spector   Photography
Efren Herrera   Engineer
Ken Deranteriasian   Engineer
Ron Kaplan   Executive Producer
John Carter   Engineer
Elmo Jones   Composer