Slow Down

by Keb' Mo'

Overview

SLOW DOWN - Keb' Mo' Keb' Mo' rode back to the music of the Mississippi Delta from his Southern California upbringing on a fast train, with Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt as his spiritual engineers. On the way he made a stop at A&M to work as a staff songwriter, and though he didn't write any hits for the label, Mo' honed his skills down to the bone of the blues and came out on his own as a neo-folkie for the '90s. The 1999 Grammy-winning CD SLOW DOWN reverberates with Mo's mature and memorable lyrics. "Muddy Water," "A Better Man," and "Soon as I Get Paid" are bright and catchy, perfect for those new fans who like to sing along at Mo's concerts. Balancing out the feel-good stuff is the touching tale "I Don't Know," written in the midst of his crumbling marriage. As tribute to Mahal, Mo' offers up "Henry," which tells how the blues have affected his own life. To acknowlege another influence, he covers Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain." All told, SLOW DOWN is as pleasant as a summer breeze, revitalizing the blues without freezing out the pop world.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/25/1998
Label:	Sbme Special Mkts.
UPC:	0886977026225
catalogNumber:	770262
Rank:	5937

Tracks

1. Muddy Water
2. I Was Wrong
3. Everything I Need
4. Henry
5. Soon As I Get Paid
6. A Better Man
7. I Don't Know
8. A Letter To Tracy
9. Slow Down
10. Rainmaker
11. Love In Vain
12. God Trying To Get Your Attention
13. I'm Telling You Now

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Keb' Mo'   Primary Artist

Editorial Reviews

At the beginning of his career, Keb' Mo' appeared to be a clever update of the acoustic bluesman, one that managed to recall country-blues but offer a contemporary spin on tradition -- sort of like a '90s version of Taj Mahal. With each new album, however, it became clear that authenticity was not a concept that troubled Keb' Mo'. He was more concerned with offering a nice, smooth bluesy pop that was perfect for the House of Blues, not for seedy roadhouse. That's not necessarily a bad thing -- it's just the kind of thing that would irritate blues purists who may have placed hope in him in the first place. Slow Down, Mo's third album, will nevertheless be the kind of album that will please listeners who like laid-back, polished blues, not gritty Chicago or Delta blues. Approaching Slow Down with this knowledge is helpful, since it isn't a bad album -- it's well-constructed and professionally performed, emphasizing Keb' Mo's ability to craft good, slick blues-rock. If you like that sound -- the sound of post-Robert Cray blues, with no trace of Stevie Ray Vaughan pyrotechnics -- Slow Down may be just your pace.

All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine