It's rare for me nowadays to find a record I had no idea was out or
coming out - there being so many resources to find out about any artist
you care at all about.
So imagine my surprise when I saw a Lou Ann Barton record I've never
heard of. Lou Ann BArton is a Texas legend blues singer who very rarely
ventures away from her turf (this Oakland boy is disappointed about
that). Anyway - she's got real soul and good voice chops but she's
recorded precious little. 2 good records (Old Enough and Read my Lips)
and another less successful record whose name I forget, plus a
collaboration which did rpetty well - with Angela Strehli and Marcia Ball.
I'm sure many other postcard2 folks know more about her than I do.
Anyway - I saw this record called Sugar Coated Love - copyeight 1999 so
it is very new. It's a very poorly recorded selection of songs from 1977
with her band called Rockola, but the second half has Stevie Ray Vaughan
playing lead - early in his career I reckon.
It's a strange, but fun record if you can deal with its bootleg quality
sound (we're talking real bottom of the barrel for a record you can buy
in a record store), but it's like stepping into a dive bar and hearing some
great shit
that unexpectedly knocks you out - especially the second half with Stevie
Ray. The
first half with Rockola has Lou Ann's voice going for it, but a lesser
guy vocalist sings too and it's annoying. The record has no notes,
really. No idea who the band is outside of Stevie Ray and Lou Ann.
But the last 30-40 minutes of this record are top notch and killer.
Reminds me of the days I snuck into some dives in Miami to hear some
great bar bands when miami had an interesting music scene in the early
80s (not blues like this, but the raw spirit is the same). And you get
Lou Ann singinging Teena Ne Na Nu not once, but twice!
Anyone else know about this record?
