eMusic Review 0
This third album by the renegade modern bluesman, and the first produced by Jim Dickinson, is arguably still Hart's best. If there was ever any question, he makes clear with "Fightin Hard," the defiant, guitar-shredding opener, that he is nobody's purist. But with the raunchy, deep-blues closer "Will I Ever Get Back Home," he leaves no doubt that he could be, if he wanted.
In between, he and his power trio — expanded to four or five players and a couple backup singers for some tracks, shrunk to Hart alone for the solo blues "A Prophet's Mission — brings an arena-rock aggression to a blues-rock sound, with a bit of the garage thrown in for good measure. He transforms the bubblegum soul of Cornelius Brothers and Rose's "Treat Her Like a Lady" into rocking r&b with Detroit guitar and Memphis horns, disguises the rage of "Once Again" with sly talking/singing, shows his mettle as an experimental/improvisational guitarist with "Porch Monkeys' Theme" and the surfish "Electric Eel," rechannels Chuck Berry on "Back to Memphis" and salutes country corn with "Cowboy Boots."
