A 1991 collection of
Albert King's recordings for Stax,
Roadhouse Blues doesn't quite live up to its title, as it isn't down and dirty like the blues played at an out-of-the-way juke joint. Instead, this is slick, funky soul-blues that emphasizes the blues somewhat but certainly has a bit of the slick, keyboard-and-horn-fueled funkiness of the '70s. There are a couple of oddities here -- a version of "Killing Floor" that has a vocal, a live version of "Match Box Blues" from Wattstax -- but this is best thought of as a nice sampler of
Albert King's somewhat unheard and definitely underrated early-'70s work. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine