Sunday, February 09, 2014

King Cockroach


I’ve found a few good B sides lately. It all started with the Ujima 45 I featured before Xmas. A couple more 45s from the same source have found their way into the collection since, which I will feature soon; and then there is this one from Albert King.

I love everything about this record, from the obvious merits of the constituent parts of Albert King’s performance, to the quirky lyrics, to the insistent bass riff, to the irresistible piano motif.

In fact you could imagine a big cockroach making a sound – bullfrogesque - like that bass guitar as it sits on the porch. And at the end of the evening, as it’s a big cockroach, it maybe ambles – even sashays - rather than scuttles away, and in the process makes a sound just like that piano. 

With all this wind and rain about it’s good to escape, if only in mind, to a porch in the deep south on a summer’s evening, even if your only company is a big brown fella (and I’m not talking about AK!)…


From the album Years Gone By.


NOTE: The song is co-credited to Bettye Crutcher,  a prolific songwriter for Stax. This is a playful lyric and not one I would immediately associate her with. It reminds me there is an album of hers I have that I really must share with you soon.  

4 comments:

Charity Chic said...

That's a belter of a B-side Darcy

Anonymous said...

The best blues guitarist, imo. with a great tune I haven't heard up to now. Thanks.

george said...

Great guitar, great song. Does this belong in the Insect Genre of your collection?

ally. said...

being prone to an amble and the occassional sashay this sounds ideal...
x