Taj Mahal (album)
| Taj Mahal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Recorded | August 1967 | |||
| Genre | Blues, electric blues | |||
| Length | 32:55 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Bob Irwin, David Rubinson | |||
| Taj Mahal chronology | ||||
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Taj Mahal is the debut album by American blues guitarist and vocalist Taj Mahal. Recorded in 1967 with backing musicians that included guitarists Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder, it was released by Columbia Records in 1968.
The album contains mostly updated versions of early blues songs by Sleepy John Estes, Robert Johnson, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Also included is Taj Mahal's blues rock adaptation of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues", which inspired the popular Allman Brothers Band recording.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[2] |
Music critic Bruce Eder gave the album five out of five stars. In his review for AllMusic, Eder described it as "as hard and exciting a mix of old and new blues sounds as surfaced on record ... in what had to be one of the most quietly, defiantly iconoclastic records of 1968."[1]
In a music review of Taj Mahal reissues for Entertainment Weekly, Tony Scherman gave the album an "A" and wrote that the album "explodes with high spirits; of Taj’s 30-plus albums, it might be the best."[2]
Track listing
- "Leaving Trunk" (Sleepy John Estes) – 4:51
- "Statesboro Blues" (Blind Willie McTell) – 2:59
- "Checkin' Up on My Baby" (Sonny Boy Williamson II) – 4:55
- "Everybody's Got to Change Sometime" (Estes) – 2:57
- "EZ Rider" (Taj Mahal) – 3:04
- "Dust My Broom" (Robert Johnson) – 2:39
- "Diving Duck Blues" (Estes) – 2:42
- "The Celebrated Walkin' Blues" (Traditional) – 8:52
Personnel
Musicians
- Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, harmonica, slide guitar, music arranger
- Jesse Ed Davis – lead guitar
- Ry Cooder – rhythm guitar, mandolin
- Bill Boatman – rhythm guitar
- James Thomas – bass guitar
- Gary Gilmore – bass
- Sanford Konikoff – drums
- Chuck "Brother" Blackwell – drums
Production
- Raphael Valentin, Roy Halee – engineer
- Ron Coro – design
- Guy Webster – photography
References
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. Taj Mahal – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Scherman, Tony (September 8, 2000). "Music Review: Taj Mahal", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
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