AAW: Truckin’ With Albert Collins

(Originally posted 04 March 2022)

In 1969, lots of things happened. We went to the moon. We threw bricks in front of a saloon. The first SALT treaties were worked on. And all the while, Albert Collins was just Truckin’ along. And truck he did. This album is just blues. Spectacular. Albert’s guitar is great, the organ is tasteful (Which for me means there isn’t enough.), and I think it does a great job of exploring the breadth of a pretty specific blues space. Dyin’ Flu, maybe a little on the nose these days, has a really predictable narrative and musical structure so central to a blues jam. This is the only track with lyrics, and it’s the only one that needs them. Don’t Lose Your Cool runs into a different structure, making use of some brass and an organ instead of just a guitar and a bassline you can feel. It’s all a good time, it’s all really blues, and it’s all a good time. Maybe not the best blues album I’ve heard, but it’s there and it’s worth a listen. Truckin’ is maybe not a great name for an album where 9 of 12 tracks refer to cold, and it caught the tail end of winter (Or what feels like it. This is Michigan, you never really know.) quite well.

Tracks to note: Hot ‘N Cold, Backstroke, Icy Blue, which is just captivating, and Sno-Cone - Pt. 2.

Top choice? The opening track, Frosty - Single Version. I usually end up disliking the opening track after hearing it so many times, but this is still a banger.

Cheers all! Next week’s album is the brand-new Multitude, by Stromae. Stromae is a French rapper I listened to sometimes in high school. My French has not improved since then.