A Bothered Mind
John Lennononce claimed that "the blues is a chair…the first chair," explaining the music's primacy in the grand scheme of things. That notion is richly underscored on this follow-up to late-blossoming North Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside's initial1998 remix collection. WhileKid Rock's rollicking duetcumroadhouse free-for-all on "My Name is Robert Too" further grounds his rootsy reinvention, Bay Area hip-hopperLyrics Bornlays a lugubrious guitar groove on "Goin' Down South" and kicks up "Someday Baby" with a word-tripping nod toDylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." But those flashy guest turns shouldn't distract from the real attraction here: Burnside's own earthy, rhythmically propulsive acoustic (the moody "Bird Without a Feather" source recording dates to 1968) and electric performances, as deftly refocused and punched up by producers Mike E. Clark and Tino Gross. Listeners familiar with Burnside's re-worked contributions to the hitSopranossoundtrackand itsfollow-upwill find this collection a rewarding shotgun wedding of something borrowed and something new--a smart, modern take on the blues.--Jerry McCulley