Genre: blues
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Ice Pickin'
Company: Alligator
Catalog: AL-4713
Year: 1978
Country/State: Leona, Texas
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4754
Price: $20.00
Cost: $2.00
Albert Collins had been recording since the late 1950s, but until the late 1970s he'd never attracted much of an American audience outside of blues circles. Luckily that changed in 1977 when he was signed to the newly formed Chicago-based Alligator Records.
Co-produced by Bruce Iglauer, Richard McLeese and Dick Shurman, "Ice Pickin'" marked Collins' first studio set in six years. The layoff was apparently quite beneficial. Backed by a first rate band, Collins returned to the recording scene with what may have been his strongest and most consistent studio collection. While instrumentals like the title track and 'Avalanche' aptly displayed Collins' mastery of the telecaster and alternative tunings (Steve Ray Vaughan's debt to this man is beyond calculation), to my ears the biggest surprises were Collins' voice and his sense of humor. His vocal performances were simply great on tracks like 'Honey Hush!' and 'Cold, Cold Feeling' . Hard to believe the man had a thing about his voice for many years ... He also exhibited a mean sense of humor on material such as 'When the Welfare Turns Its Back On You', 'Master Charge' and 'Conversation with Collins' - a great slice of talking blues with a moral that you shouldn't let your wife have a night on the town with friends. For goodness sake, even rock critic Robert Christgau gave this release an A- !!!
"Ice Pickin'" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Honey Hush! (Lowell Fulson - Washingron) - 4:28
2.) When the Welfare Turns Its Back On You (Thompson - Weaver) - 5:26
3.) Ice Pick (instrumental) (Albert Collins) - 3:37
4.) Cold, Cold Feeling (Robinson) - 5:19
(side
2)
1.) Too Tired (Watson - Davis - Ling) - 3:00
2.) Master Charge (Albert Collins) - 5:14
3.) Conversation with Collins (Albert Collins) - 8:50
4.) Avalanche (instrumental) (Albert Collins) - 2:37
Sadly Collins passed away from cancer in November 1993.