Ice Pickin'

Ice Pickin' is a studio album by Albert Collins, released in 1978.[7][8] It was Collins's breakthrough album.[4] Ice Pickin' was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award.[9]

Ice Pickin'
Studio album by
Albert Collins
Released1978
RecordedBy Freddie Breitberg at Curtom Studios, Chicago, Il.
GenreBlues
Length36:48
LabelAlligator ALCD 4713[1]
ProducerBruce Iglauer, Richard McLeese & Dick Shurman
Albert Collins chronology
Alive & Cool
(1972)		 Ice Pickin'
(1978)		 Albert Collins and Barrelhouse live
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings + “Crown”[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

Production

The album was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago.[10] The Guardian wrote of Collins's guitar technique: "Collins had developed a highly distinctive approach to the guitar, tuning it to a D minor chord and using a capo high up the neck to achieve a sharp, brilliant effect, his 'ice-cold, sheet-metal sound' that was mirrored in the name of his band, The Icebreakers."[11]

Critical reception

The Bay State Banner thought that "when Collins cooks, with fluent riffs and humorous vocals plus innovative tuning and incorporation of minor blues keys, the result is masterful."[12] The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the album "burrows down to the real nitty gritty of urban existence ... it's one of the best '70s blues albums."[6] The Chicago Tribune called the album "a classic."[10] The Iowa City Press-Citizen called it "a cool, invigorating blast across the era's barren blues landscape."[13] The Dayton Daily News wrote that Collins "made several other stellar releases before his untimely demise in '93, but none match the muscle and depth of this certifiable classic."[14]

Melody Maker deemed it the best blues album of 1978, as did the Montreaux Jazz Festival.[15]

In addition to a four stars out of four rating, the authors of The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings awarded the album a “Crown”, indicating that they considered it to be an exceptional CD, and one that should be part of any blues collection.[5]

Liner notes

According to the inside cover of the album:

Albert King names Collins as his favorite guitarist, and John Lee Hooker declares, "I'm an Albert Collins freak!"

Track listing
  1. "Honey, Hush! (Talking Woman Blues)" (Lowell Fulson, Ferdinand Washington) - 04:28
  2. "When the Welfare Turns Its Back on You" (Lucious Porter Weaver, Sonny Thompson) - 05:26
  3. "Ice Pick" (Collins) - 03:08
  4. "Cold, Cold Feeling" (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 05:19
  5. "Too Tired" (Saul Bihari, Maxwell Davis, Johnny "Guitar" Watson) - 03:00
  6. "Master Charge" (Gwen Collins) - 05:12
  7. "Conversation with Collins" (Collins) - 08:52
  8. "Avalanche" (Collins) - 02:39

Personnel

References
  1. Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Psychology Press. p. 220.
  2. "AllMusic Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 479–480.
  5. Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  6. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 152–153.
  7. "Artist Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  8. "Albert Collins; Award-Winning Blues Guitarist, Recording Artist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  9. "GRAMMY Award Results for Albert Collins". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  10. "BLUES FANS IN A DEEP FREEZE OVER LOSS OF ALBERT COLLINS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. Russell, Tony (30 Nov 1993). "Ice-cold blues straight from the hip Obituary: Albert Collins". The Guardian.
  12. "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner: 14. 21 Dec 1978.
  13. Weber, Tim (9 Dec 2004). "Ice Pickin' Albert Collins". Iowa City Press-Citizen: D2.
  14. Thrasher, Don (25 Apr 2006). "25 blues CDs worth shouting about". Dayton Daily News: D7.
  15. "Guitar Wizard Albert Collins To Perform With Icebreakers". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
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