All My Life (Charles Brown album)

All My Life is an album by the American musician Charles Brown, released in 1990.[1][2] It was Brown's first album for Bullseye Blues (and the first album released on the imprint), and part of a comeback effort that began with his previous release, One More for the Road.[3][4][5] Brown supported the album with a North American tour.[6]

All My Life
Studio album by
Charles Brown
Released1990
GenreBlues
LabelBullseye Blues
ProducerRon Levy
Charles Brown chronology
One More for the Road
(1986)		 All My Life
(1990)		 Someone to Love
(1992)

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Traditional Blues Album" category.[7]

Production

The album was produced by Ron Levy.[8] Ruth Brown and Dr. John contributed to the album.[9] Clifford Solomon played saxophone.[10] The title track is a cover of the song made famous by Helen Ward.[11] "Bad Bad Whiskey" was recorded in the style of Amos Milburn's version.[8] "Joyce's Boogie" is an instrumental.[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Robert Christgau(dud)[13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[15]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[16]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[17]

The Chicago Tribune wrote that "the album is done in classic Brown style and helped along by solid band support."[9] The San Francisco Examiner determined that "Brown's piano work is loose, melodic and rhythmically irresistible."[11] The Philadelphia Inquirer concluded that "Brown's powers of persuasion have sharpened over time."[18] LA Weekly praised Brown's "silky baritone and impeccable phrasing."[19] Entertainment Weekly opined that Brown's "whisper-soft baritone brings a wry elegance to stories of hard luck and bad love."[15]

The Los Angeles Times' Mike Boehm listed the album as the 4th best of 1990.[20] All My Life was chosen as the best blues album of 1991 by DownBeat.[21] The Washington Post deemed the album "the finest album of his second-wind career."[22]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Early in the Morning" 
2."Fool's Paradise" 
3."Bad Bad Whiskey" 
4."When the Sun Comes Out" 
5."Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" 
6."That's Pretty Good Love" 
7."A Virus Called the Blues" 
8."Seven Long Days" 
9."Joyce's Boogie" 
10."Trouble Blues" 
11."Tell Me Who" 
12."All My Life" 
13."Too Late" 

References
  1. Young, Ron (30 Dec 1990). "Brown jazzes up his 'Life' with blazing blues sound". San Antonio Express-News. p. J6.
  2. Mitchell, Rick (10 Feb 1991). "Recordings". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 11.
  3. Atkins, Clarence (3 Aug 1991). "Legendary Charles Brown Is Resurrected and Sizzling". New York Amsterdam News. p. 24.
  4. Snowden, Don (29 Sep 1990). "His Blues Get a New Audience". Los Angeles Times. p. F1.
  5. Peterson, Anne M. (15 Aug 1991). "Charles Brown lives comeback to the fullest". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 18.
  6. Bream, Jon (18 Apr 1991). "Charles Brown and other choices". Star Tribune. p. 3E.
  7. "Charles Brown". Recording Academy. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  8. Deffaa, Chip (1996). Blue Rhythms: Six Lives in Rhythm and Blues. University of Illinois Press. p. 134.
  9. Heim, Chris (31 Jan 1991). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. Tempo.
  10. "All My Life Review by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  11. Elwood, Philip (14 Dec 1990). "Still making blue eyes Brown". San Francisco Examiner. p. C18.
  12. Allen, Greg (23 Nov 1990). "Porter tribute a bomb, but Charles Brown LP a beauty". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. p. 28.
  13. "Charles Brown". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  14. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  15. Givens, Ron (January 18, 1991). "All My Life". Entertainment Weekly.
  16. The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 76.
  17. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 83, 84.
  18. Moon, Tom (16 Nov 1990). "R&B veteran Charles Brown comes to the TLA". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 28.
  19. Palmer, Don (17 Jan 1991). "The Living Is What's Counting". LA Weekly. p. 35.
  20. "Top 10 Albums". Los Angeles Times. 27 Dec 1990. p. F2.
  21. Jennings, Tom (9 Oct 1991). "Bluesman Brown knows of what he sings". San Pedro News-Pilot. p. C9.
  22. Harrington, Richard (January 7, 2004). "From Bluesman Charles Brown, a Double Shot of Sophistication". The Washington Post.
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