Tore Up

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Tore Up
Studio album by
Nappy Brown
Released1984
GenreBlues, R&B
LabelLandslide[1]
ProducerEddy Offord
Nappy Brown chronology
I Done Got Over
(1983) 		Tore Up
(1984) 		Something Gonna Jump Out the Bushes!
(1987)

Tore Up is an album by the American musician Nappy Brown, released in 1984.[2][3] A comeback album, it was recorded with Tinsley Ellis and the Heartfixers.[4][5] The album was reissued by Alligator Records in 1990.[6][7]

The album sold around 10,000 copies in its first three years of release.[8]

Production[edit]

Recorded in East Point, Georgia, the album was produced by Eddy Offord, with Ricky Keller and Michael Rothschild.[9][10][11] Brown decided to make an album with the Heartfixers after sitting in with them during an Atlanta show.[10]

"Hidden Charms" is a cover of the Willie Dixon song.[12] "Lemon Squeezin' Daddy" was written by Brown in the 1950s; Brown had wanted to release it as a single, but Savoy Records considered it too bawdy.[13][14]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
The Buffalo News[16]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[17]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide[11]
Orlando Sentinel[12]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[18]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[19]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[20]

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that "the Brown voice is big and raunchy on such tunes as 'Jack the Rabbit', 'Ain't My Cross to Bear' and 'Hard Luck Blues', and the Heartfixers provide solid accompaniment."[19] The Orlando Sentinel thought that "Ellis' steamy licks, Oliver Wells' soulful organ, Scott Alexander's even more soulful piano and a four-piece horn section provide the perfect setting for Brown's deep, versatile voice."[12]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution concluded that, "while it may not catch Brown at the height of his vocal powers, the sound does reflect his maturity and happiness."[9] The Buffalo News determined that Brown's "chops here are as formidable as on his classic '50s stuff."[16]

AllMusic called the album "very credible," writing that Brown "reprises his salacious blues 'Lemon Squeezin' Daddy' and rolls his R's like the good old days."[15] The Rolling Stone Album Guide stated that "Brown is an engaging performer and ebullient presence."[20] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings criticized the "generic versions of the Chicago guitar-band sound with added horns."[18]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Who" 
2."You Can Make It If You Try" 
3."Heartbreak" 
4."Lemon Squeezin' Daddy" 
5."Jack the Rabbit" 
6."Hidden Charms" 
7."Losing Hand" 
8."Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" 
9."Hard Luck Blues" 
10."Tore Up Over You" 
11."Ain't My Cross to Bear" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Popoff, Martin (September 8, 2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin. ISBN 9781440229169.
  2. ^ "Blues Fest 2007: Plenty of Juice in the Battery – Nappy Brown". River Cities' Reader. June 27, 2007.
  3. ^ V, Benjamin Franklin (May 30, 2016). An Encyclopedia of South Carolina Jazz and Blues Musicians. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9781611176223.
  4. ^ "Nappy Brown Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  5. ^ Komara, Edward M. (January 31, 2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues: A-J, index. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 9780415927000.
  6. ^ Hadley, Frank-John (January 31, 1993). The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD. Grove Press. ISBN 9780802133281.
  7. ^ Gettelman, Parry (28 Dec 1990). "Guitarist Tinsley Ellis: It's Time to Make a Video". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 36.
  8. ^ DeVault, Russ (July 24, 1987). "Night Beat – Nappy Brown, Heartfixers Europe bound". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P7.
  9. ^ a b DeVault, Russ (August 10, 1985). "Nappy Brown's blues back – European revival ends his retirement from music". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L34.
  10. ^ a b Harrison, Daniel M. (January 28, 2021). Live at Jackson Station: Music, Community, and Tragedy in a Southern Blues Bar. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9781643361468.
  11. ^ a b MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 54.
  12. ^ a b c Gettelman, Parry (4 Jan 1991). "Nappy Brown with the Heartfixers". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 20.
  13. ^ Jarvey, Paul (10 Feb 1991). "Things are finally going well for Nappy Brown". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 10.
  14. ^ Perrone, Pierre (25 Sep 2008). "Nappy Brown". Obituaries. The Independent. p. 40.
  15. ^ a b "Tore Up". AllMusic.
  16. ^ a b Esmonde, Donn (January 18, 1991). "Blues". The Buffalo News. p. G34.
  17. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 5.
  18. ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Group. 2006. p. 81.
  19. ^ a b Lloyd, Jack (28 Dec 1984). "Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F24.
  20. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 89.
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