Smith was so far outside the domestic blues loop that this Chicago-cut set only found release on a British logo, JSP. It was our loss — Smith is typically brusque and ominous, threatening to “Play the Blues on the Moon” and “Addressing the Nation with the Blues” as only he can. Nothing derivative about his lyrical muse — he’s intense to the point of allowing his words not to rhyme to make his points, while his lead guitar work is inevitably to the point. – Bill Dahl