Superstitious Blues
| Superstitious Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio | Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California | |||
| Genre | Country folk, folk blues | |||
| Label | Rykodisc[1] | |||
| Country Joe McDonald chronology | ||||
| ||||
Superstitious Blues is an album by the American musician Country Joe McDonald, released in 1991.[2][3] Although McDonald had played then-recent anti-Gulf War rallies, the album is made up of personal, not political, songs.[4] McDonald considered making Superstitious Blues his final album; it was his first album in 12 years to be distributed by a label other than his own.[5][6]
Production[edit]
Jerry Garcia played guitar on the album; Sandy Rothman contributed dobro.[7] "Eunecita" was written in 1971, but remained unrecorded for almost two decades.[4] "Clara Barton" is a tribute to the founder of the American Red Cross; "Blues for Michael" is about Mike Bloomfield.[8][9] McDonald was supposed to sing at the 1991 American Red Cross annual convention, but was uninvited due to his Gulf War protest.[6] McDonald, in contrast to some of his peers, was happy to employ digital recording during the making of the album.[10]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C[12] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [13] |
| The State | [14] |
Entertainment Weekly called the album "both uneven and surprising," but acknowledged that the McDonald-Garcia "guitar team-up on the pretty country-folk tune 'Standing at the Crossroads' is a blissful pleasure."[12] The Boston Globe wrote that, "in backing McDonald, [Garcia] returns to fluid acoustic musings that evoke the Dead's American Beauty and Workingman's Dead."[15]
The Sun Sentinel determined that "the shift from broader politics to personal themes reflects McDonald's maturation both as an artist and an activist."[7] The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album "poignant, pretty and powerful, yet almost understated... Its songs range from the moody, moderately psychedelic instrumental 'Tranquility' to 'Standing at the Crossroads', a country waltz."[4] The State concluded that "the beauty of this disc is its simplicity ... McDonald combines those old bay area psychedelic sentiments with deep-rooted blues."[14]
AllMusic deemed it "an excellent comeback album."[11]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Joe McDonald
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Standing at the Crossroads" | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Eunecita" | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Superstitious Blues" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Tranquility" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Starship Ride" | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Cocaine (Rock)" | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Blues for Breakfast" | 3:35 |
| 8. | "Clara Barton" | 3:34 |
| 9. | "Blues for Michael" | 6:48 |
References[edit]
- ^ Hadley, Frank-John (December 9, 1993). The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD. Grove Press.
- ^ "Country Joe McDonald Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Country Joe still gives a damn". East Bay Times. February 17, 2008.
- ^ a b c Rense, Rip (17 Feb 1991). "Country Joe Is Back, Without Anti-War Songs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. G1.
- ^ DeVault, Russ (March 16, 1991). "Country Joe's brand new rag". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L33.
- ^ a b Selvin, Joel (April 28, 1991). "Country Joe Returns to Folk". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 45.
- ^ a b Dunham, Elisabeth (4 July 1991). "McDonald Cools It with New Album". Sun Sentinel. p. 3E.
- ^ D'Agostino, John (14 June 1991). "Country Joe Revives '60s at Winston's". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
- ^ "Superstitious Blues Country Joe McDonald". Part II. Newsday. 14 Jan 1991. p. 44.
- ^ "New Music, New Vision, New Day for Country Joe". The Sacramento Bee. September 27, 1991. p. TK16.
- ^ a b "Superstitious Blues". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Superstitious Blues". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 280.
- ^ a b Miller, Michael (January 18, 1991). "Country Joe McDonald, 'Superstitious Blues'". The State. p. 14D.
- ^ Morse, Steve (24 Jan 1991). "Country Joe McDonald Superstitious Blues". The Boston Globe.
