Who's Been Talkin'
Who's Been Talkin' is the first album by the Robert Cray Band, released in 1980.[2][3] It received little initial notice due to Tomato Records' bankruptcy.[3] It has been rereleased a couple of times, including under the title Too Many Cooks.[2]
| Who's Been Talkin' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1980 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Tomato Records[1] | |||
| Producer | Bruce Bromberg, Dennis Walker | |||
| The Robert Cray Band chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
Produced by Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker, the album was recorded in two sessions.[4][5][6] Cray wrote four of its songs.[7]
Critical reception
Robert Christgau wrote: "Cray can recite his catechism without kowtowing to orthodoxy--guitar like Albert Collins only chillier and more staccato, voice like B.B. King only cleaner and, well, thinner."[9] The New York Times, in a review praising the artistic growth of Cray's Strong Persuader, from 1986, thought that his first three albums "variously recalled the Stax/Volt and Atlantic soul sounds, big-city funk, and bar band rock-and-roll."[13]
The Globe and Mail commended "the winning confidence, the cool reserve, the sense of pure style and the respectful curiosity about the blues tradition."[14] The Toronto Star thought that "even as a young and impressionable guitarist, Cray had amazing strength and versatility, and no appreciation of his work would be complete without this excellent album."[15]
The Rough Guide to Rock deemed the album "raw and teeming with promise."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Too Many Cooks" | 2:49 |
| 2. | "The Score" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "The Welfare (Turns Its Back on You)" | 3:19 |
| 4. | "That's What I'll Do" | 2:37 |
| 5. | "I'd Rather Be a Wino" | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Who's Been Talkin'" | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Sleeping in the Ground" | 3:19 |
| 8. | "I'm Gonna Forget About You" | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Nice as a Fool Can Be" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "If You're Thinkin' What I'm Thinkin'" | 4:26 |
Personnel
- Robert Cray - Guitar, Vocals
- Richard Cousins - Bass
- Nathaniel Dove - Keyboards
- Buster B. Jones - Drums
- Tom Murphy - Drums
- Dave Olson - Drums
- Curtis Salgado - Harmonica, Vocals
- Nolan Andrew Smith - Trumpet
- David Li - Tenor Saxophone
- Bruce Bromberg - Producer
- Dave Stewart - Producer
- Dennis Walker - Bass, Producer
- Dave Crawford - Engineer
- Bill Dashiell - Engineer
References
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 608.
- "Robert Cray | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- Harrington, Richard (26 Aug 1988). "Robert Cray & the Rebirth Of the Blues". The Washington Post. p. B1.
- Fong-Torres, Ben (January 12, 1986). "He Breathes Hot, New Life Into the Blues - Robert Cray's future may be now". San Francisco Chronicle. SUNDAY DATEBOOK. p. 37.
- Gwinn, Mary Ann (October 23, 1988). "BLUESMAN OF HIS OWN PERSUASION - SHY IN LIFE, ON THE STAGE ROBERT CRAY TOUCHES THE HEART WITH HIS SONGS". The Seattle Times. Pacific. p. 6.
- Buckley, Peter (July 10, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
- Racine, Marty (February 22, 1987). "Records". Houston Chronicle. Zest. p. 11.
- "Who's Been Talkin' - Robert Cray Band, Robert Cray | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- "Robert Christgau: CG: The Robert Cray Band". www.robertchristgau.com.
- MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 287.
- The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 143.
- The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 165.
- Freedman, Samuel G. (November 16, 1986). "ROBERT CRAY'S BLUES EMBODY A DIFFERENT, MODERN IDEA" – via NYTimes.com.
- Miller, Mark (23 Apr 1987). "INSIDE THE SLEEVE JAZZ Who's Been Talkin' Robert Cray". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
- Quill, Greg (20 Mar 1987). "Pop Reviews". Toronto Star. p. D14.