Young Bob

Majestic soul blues on Heavy Picks - The Robert Cray Band Collection. Robert Cray made a cycle of superb albums through the middle to late eighties that threatened real mainstream success, Strong Persuader actually hitting the top twenty album chart in the US. Tagged as a blues man because of his outstanding and distinctively individual guitar style, he was always more than that. With those eighties albums his songwriting, featuring the thinly disguised Young Bob character, conjured up a dark world of unfaithful lovers, motel rooms, late night liaisons and messy consequences. The characters actions were decidedly adult but reckless and the mellow soulful voice managed to convey this world together with some scorching guitar. The chart success proved a mixed blessing when the record company became disappointed that it couldn't be repeated despite the continued excellence of subsequent releases. Constant touring, often supporting unsuitable acts, also took a toll. Robert Cray still plays and records but somehow seems to have lost his songwriting mojo and is in danger of settling into the role of respected bluesman trundling out boogie shuffles, which is a shame. He could come again though and in the meantime, this collection represents shows how special he could be.