The formula is genius: Take a blind soul-singing homeless old guy from the streets of Detroit and pair him up with a talented retro-loving jam band. It's a combination that just cannot fail. Alright, commercially RBBS haven't exactly topped the charts, but once again great music does not equate to commercial success in this "musiconomy".This album is their debut that came out in 1996. They've since released numerous albums and I enjoy all of them, but this one is still my favorite. It's got flavors of rock, funk, soul, and blues all mixed together in a delightful dish of Blackwater Surprise.
You may have heard the song "Once Upon a Time" on the radio back in the day. It's a laid back soul song that may be my favorite on the album, but other ballads such as "Governer", "After Your Love", and "For The Night" come in close behind. "Shake It Off", "Bellybone", and "Trouble Brother" all have a funk edge to them that will get you groovin'. There is some tasty Hammond organ on this album. Enough said!
The moral of the story is if you find a talented blind homeless guy, help him out. And by "help him out" I mean get that man some nice suits and make him the lead singer of your awesome band.
Listen to this album
