Cold Snap is an album by the American blues musician Albert Collins, released in 1986.[1][2] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Traditional Blues Recording" category.[3] Collins supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
Production
The album was produced by Albert Collins, Bruce Iglauer, and Dick Shurman.[5] Mel Brown, Jimmy McGriff, and the Uptown Horns played on Cold Snap.[6]
Critical reception
Robert Christgau called the album an obvious attempt by Alligator to win for Collins a Grammy.[8] The St. Petersburg Times deemed it "a hefty dose of Texas-style blues, augmented by the sounds of Chicago's south side."[14] The Globe and Mail wrote that "Jimmy McGriff and the Uptown Horns contribute more smooth edges to music that has the usual Collins power but not the usual Collins urgency."[15]
The Chicago Tribune wrote: "The skeptical should head directly to 'Too Many Dirty Dishes', where Collins' riffs seem to be literally scrubbing the pots and pans."[16] The Providence Journal-Bulletin declared that "what really strikes the listener this time is the masterful, ice-blue singing—tasty as a snow cone and brutal as frostbite—and the wry, semi-detached lyrics."[6]
AllMusic opined that Collins is "at his best when he's just playing the blues, not when he's trying to sing."[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cash Talkin' (The Workingman's Blues)" | Odell McLeod | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Bending Like a Willow Tree" | Lowell Fulson | 4:23 |
| 3. | "A Good Fool Is Hard to Find" | Gloria Houston, Nina Shackleford | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Lights Are On but Nobody's Home" | Albert Collins | 5:59 |
| 5. | "I Ain't Drunk" | Joe Liggins | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Hooked on You" | John George Brady | 4:23 |
| 7. | "Too Many Dirty Dishes" | John Newton | 6:52 |
| 8. | "Snatchin' It Back" | Clarence Carter, George Jackson | 3:33 |
| 9. | "Fake I.D." | Albert Collins | 3:46 |
Personnel
- Albert Collins – guitar, vocals
- Mel Brown – rhythm guitar
- Johnny Gayden – bass
- Jimmy McGriff – organ
- Allen Batts – keyboards
- Morris Jennings – drums, percussion
- Uptown Horns – horns
- Arno Hecht – tenor saxophone
- Crispin Cioe – alto and baritone saxophone
- Hollywood Paul Litteral – trumpet
- Bob Funk – trombone
References
- ^ "Albert Collins | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Watrous, Peter (November 25, 1993). "Albert Collins, Guitarist, Dies; Influential Blues Stylist Was 61". The New York Times.
- ^ "Albert Collins". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2020.
- ^ Schuetz, Barbara (6 Nov 1986). "Rock 'n' blues". Best Bets. Columbia Daily Tribune. p. 2.
- ^ "Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 51. Dec 20, 1986. p. 64.
- ^ a b Angell, Bob (December 28, 1986). "Albert Collins". The Providence Journal-Bulletin. p. I8.
- ^ a b "Cold Snap - Albert Collins | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 28". Robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 480.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 130.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (4 Jan 1987). "Albert Collins, Cold Snap". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. G4.
- ^ Burke, Tony (October 2022). "From the Vaults". Record Collector. No. 536. p. 119.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 152.
- ^ Hall, Ken (18 Jan 1987). "Albert Collins' 'Cold Snap' turns toasty Series". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2E.
- ^ Miller, Mark (29 Jan 1987). "Cold Snap Albert Collins". The Globe and Mail. p. D3.
- ^ Brogan, Dan (26 Dec 1986). "Some Worthy Releases Hot Off the Guitar". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 74.