Feels Like Rain

Performer: Buddy Guy
Artist: Paul Rodgers; Bonnie Raitt; Travis Tritt; John Mayall
Engineer: Dave McNair; John Carter; Ken Deranteriasian; Efren Herrera; Marc DeSisto; Neal Avron; Tony Platt; Trina Shoemaker
Producer: Dave McNair; John Porter; R.S. Field
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); David Grissom, Johnny Lee Schell, John Porter (guitar); Jimmy Powers (harmonica); Marty Grebb (tenor & baritone saxophones, piano, organ, background vocals); Bill Payne (piano, keyboards); Ian McLagen (Wurlitzer piano); John Philip Shenal (organ, synthesizers); Mick Weaver (organ); Tom Canning (Hammond organ); Rick Cortes, Greg Rzab (bass); Richie Hayward, Joe Yuele (drums); Tony Braunagle (percussion); Renee Geyer, Mike Finnegan (background vocals). Texicali Horns: Joe Sublett (tenor saxophone); Darrell Leonard (trumpet). FEELS LIKE RAIN won the 1994 Grammy Award for "Contemporary Blues Album." Personnel: Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); Bonnie Raitt (vocals, slide guitar); John Myall, John Mayall (vocals, piano); Paul Rodgers, Travis Tritt (vocals); Marty Grebb (tenor, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano, organ, background vocals); Leslie, John Porter, Johnny Lee Schell (guitar); Jimmy Powers (harp); Joe Sublett (tenor saxophone); Darrell Leonard (trumpet); Ian McLagan (piano, Wurlitzer organ); Bill Payne (piano); John Philip Shenale (organ, synthesizer); Mick Weaver (organ); Rick Cortes (bass guitar); Richard Hayward, Joe Yuele (drums); Tony Braunagel (percussion); Mike Finnegan, Renee Geyer (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Marc DeSisto. Recording information: Battery Studios; Pacifique Studios; Red Zone Studios; The Clubhouse; The Nut Ranch. Ensemble: Texacali Horns. Photographer: Gary Spector. Arranger: Marty Grebb. 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 Buddy Guy, the God of electric Chicago blues, has been one of the single most important influences on generations of blues and rock guitarists. His fluid yet blistering style has fueled the inspiration of many, and his down-to-business vocals add to a forceful, dynamic sound. On FEELS LIKE RAIN, Guy's explosive guitar detonates from the first track, and throughout this award-winning "comeback" album he does not let up. Interpreting songwriters who aren't necessarily known as bluesmen--John Fogerty and John Hiatt among them--Buddy Guy rips into the material, fragmenting all genres with his fervent vocals and aggresive guitar work. Pugnacious tracks like "I Go Crazy" and "Country Man" hint at the fact that this is not an easy-listening blues collection. Even when the mood is tempered on cuts like the R&B/jazz-tinged "Mary Ann" and the slow-tempo'd, simmering gospel blues, "Sufferin' Mind," he bursts out with shrapnel directed at the soul. There's also a shimmering, horn-filled rhythm & roll cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man." Electric in every sense, FEELS LIKE RAIN feels like a lightning bolt to the gut.

Rolling Stone (4/1/93, p.53) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...Guy reigns supreme among flashy, high-energy blues guitarists....these songs sound tailor-made for Guy's heated, gospelish vocal turns..." Spin (5/93, pp.84-85) - Highly Recommended - "...achieves a greater cohesiveness than anything he's recorded to date....Guy's great gift is that he can create revolutions without knocking walls down..." Entertainment Weekly (4/2/93, p.53) - "...when he starts strafing the landscape, it's hard not to surrender to the blinding intensity of this living legend's white-hot blues..." - Rating: B- Q (4/93, p.82) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...an unreconstructed dude who has no qualms about cranking the axe to 10 and letting rip....Guy plays to his strengths--stringmanship and singing--while letting others take a the songwriting strain..."

Eric Clapton once called Buddy Guy "the greatest blues guitarist ever." Guy, along with contemporary Magic Sam, took the sounds of Chicago blues of the 1950s and ratcheted them up a notch, in the process creating a new form of controlled blues mayhem. Born in Louisiana, he moved to Chicago as a young man in 1957 and served an apprenticeship with Chicago blues king Muddy Waters while getting his own solo career underway. Guy's frequent collaborations with harmonica player Junior Wells are among his best work.

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