Painting Signs
| Painting Signs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Manhaton/EarthBeat! | |||
| Producer | Dave Bronze | |||
| Eric Bibb chronology | ||||
| ||||
Painting Signs is an album by the American-born musician Eric Bibb, released in 2001.[1][2] It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.[3] Bibb supported the album with a UK tour and shows in North America opening for Robert Cray.[4][5] After the September 11 attacks, "Hope in a Hopeless World" was released as a single, with royalties earmarked for the American Red Cross.[6]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Dave Bronze.[7] "Angel" is a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song.[8] "Honest I Do" was written by Jimmy Reed.[9] "Hope in a Hopeless World" is a version of the Roebuck Staples song; the album is dedicated to him.[10] "Delia's Gone" is an interpretation of the folk song.[11] "I Heard the Angels Singing" was written by Reverend Gary Davis.[12] Wilson Pickett sang on "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down".[13]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [15] |
| Tucson Citizen | A+[16] |
The Guardian wrote: "Blessed with a light, flexible voice that can plumb growling depths when required, Bibb interprets his remit as broadly as possible."[8] The Mirror said that Bibb's "delta blues style is beautifully delicate and detailed, soft curling guitar lines topped off with rich, sweet conversational vocals."[17] The Vancouver Sun noted that Bibb "does some neat finger-picking on 'Delia's Gone', and his 'To Know You' makes good use of mandolin and accordion."[18]
The Sun-Herald stated that "the nimble-fingered Bibb and his supple, skilled band lay on a rootsy buffet that takes in acoustic blues, cruisy R&B, honky tonk and gospel."[19] The Chicago Tribune opined that the album "compares favorably to [Taj] Mahal's and Cray's best."[20] The Gazette listed Painting Signs as the eighth best blues album of 2001.[21]
AllMusic wrote that "Bibb makes a fine case for blues as a music of introspection, warmth, and supreme nuance."[9]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kokomo" | |
| 2. | "Hope in a Hopeless World" | |
| 3. | "Five Miles Above" | |
| 4. | "I Heard the Angels Singing" | |
| 5. | "Delia's Gone" | |
| 6. | "Got to Do Better" | |
| 7. | "The Light Was Worth the Candle" | |
| 8. | "Angel" | |
| 9. | "Walkin' Home" | |
| 10. | "To Know You" | |
| 11. | "Honest I Do" | |
| 12. | "Paintin' Signs" | |
| 13. | "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" |
References[edit]
- ^ Johnstone, Doug (10 May 2001). "Best Bibb and plucker". Edinburgh Evening News. p. 4.
- ^ Trapp, Roger (19 May 2001). "Jazz & Blues". Features. The Independent. p. 40.
- ^ "Eric Bibb". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Yeats, David (18 May 2001). "Bibb bringing the blues back to life". Birmingham Evening Mail. p. 62.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (12 Sep 2001). "Architecture's loss was music's gain". Edmonton Journal. p. G2.
- ^ Sylvester, Bruce (Nov 16, 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Goldmine. Vol. 27, no. 23. p. 19.
- ^ "Painting Signs". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 35. Sep 1, 2001. p. 22.
- ^ a b c Sweeting, Adam (4 May 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Friday. The Guardian. p. 17.
- ^ a b c "Painting Signs Review by Kenneth Bays". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Whishaw, John (15 May 2001). "Shot in the arm for the blues". Birmingham Post. p. 12.
- ^ The Rose & the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad. W.W. Norton. 2005. p. 370.
- ^ McKenzie, Simon (18 May 2001). "Blues". The Scotsman. p. 12.
- ^ Danton, Eric R. (20 Sep 2001). "Painting Signs Eric Bibb". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 37.
- ^ "Eric Bibb: 'Painting Signs'". Tucson Citizen. 11 Aug 2001. p. 2D.
- ^ Martin, Gavin (1 June 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Features. The Mirror. p. 17.
- ^ Andrews, Marke (1 Nov 2001). "Painting Signs". The Vancouver Sun. p. C8.
- ^ Holmes, Peter (4 Nov 2001). "Eric Bibb Painting Signs". Metro. The Sun-Herald. p. 11.
- ^ Reger, Rick (25 Jan 2002). "Eric Bibb". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 19.
- ^ Regenstreif, Mike (29 Dec 2001). "Blues". The Gazette. p. D7.