Tony Joe White - The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings (2015)

71 years old and still going strong, Louisiana-born Tony Joe White is nothing short of a national musical treasure. White first gained fame mainly through his songwriting; 1969 s Polk Salad Annie was his only Top Ten hit, but artists such as Dusty Springfield ( Willie and Laura Mae Jones ), Brook Benton ( Rainy Night in Georgia ) and Elvis Presley ( For Ol Times Sake ; I ve Got a Thing About You Baby ) took his songs to the charts. But White has always been a singular performer in his own right; the honeyed burr of his baritone, his alternately tough and tender vocal delivery and liberal use of his whomper stomper wah-wah pedal lend him a completely distinctive sound, Simply put, nobody, but nobody, sounds like Tony Joe White, and on this 2-CD collection, we ve rounded up all three of the classic albums he recorded for Warner Bros. in the early 70s all of which are out of print and costing a mint online plus non-LP singles to create The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings. Recorded in Memphis (partly at Ardent Studios of Big Star fame), 1971 s Tony Joe White paired him with producer Peter Asher (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt) and shifted the focus slightly from the fuzz-drenched swamp rock of White s Monument recordings to a more introspective style, though They Caught the Devil and Put Him in Jail in Eudora, Arkansas and My Kind of Woman could blow the doors off any roadhouse south of the Mason-Dixon line. White s next album, 1972 s The Train I m On, continued this gentler, more vulnerable style to great effect; produced by the legendary team of Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd, with the mighty Muscle Shoals sessioneers in support, Train s set of songs tackled complex themes of dislocation, alienation and loss with a blend of blues, soul and folk highlighted by some beautiful acoustic guitar work by White and Tippy Armstrong. It s a masterpiece. And 1973 s Homemade Ice Cream might be even better; White s original version of For Ol Times Sake is just devastating, and I Want Love ( Tween You and Me), Taking the Midnight Train and the title track are every bit as good. Co-producer Tom Dowd and a crack band of guitarist Reggie Young, bassist Norbert Putnam, drummer Kenny Malone and keyboardist David Briggs (of Neil Young fame) catch every nuance of these deceptively simple songs. Real Gone s presentation of this essential material features liner notes by Ben Edmonds featuring fresh quotes from Tony Joe White himself. Not to be missed

TRACKLIST

Disc 1
1. They Caught The Devil And Put Him In Jail In Eudora, Arkansas 3:50
2. The Change 5:53
3. My Kind Of Woman 3:46
4. The Daddy 4:45
5. Black Panther Swamps 3:05
6. Five Summers For Jimmy 3:47
7. A Night In The Life Of A Swamp Fox 4:39
8. Traveling Bone 2:55
9. I Just Walked Away 4:44
10. Copper Kettle 4:15
11. Voodoo Village 3:08
12. Lustful Earl And The Married Woman 3:20
13. Delta Love 3:24
14. That On The Road Look 4:21
15. I've Got A Thing About You Baby 2:42
16. The Family 3:31
17. If I Ever Saw A Good Thing 3:21
18. Beoul River Road 3:21
19. The Train I'm On 3:11
20. Even Trolls Love Rock And Roll 4:56

Disc 2
1. As The Crow Flies 3:50
2. Take Time To Love 3:02
3. 300 Pounds Of Hongry 2:43
4. The Migrant 4:00
5. Sidewalk Hobo 3:54
6. The Gospel Singer 3:31
7. Saturday Night In Oak Grove Louisiana 2:13
8. For Ol' Times Sake 3:48
9. I Want Love ('tween You And Me) 2:43
10. Homemade Ice Cream 3:13
11. Ol' Mother Earth 3:09
12. Lazy 3:50
13. California On My Mind 3:46
14. Backwoods Preacher Pan 2:48
15. Talkin' The Midnight Train 4:07
16. No News Is Good News 3:04
17. Did Somebody Make A Fool Out Of You 4:17
18. Sign Of The Lion 3:04
19. Don't Let The Door (Hit You In The Butt) 3:07
20. Wishful Thinking 3:03