The sparseness of the arrangements make this album admirable and draw even more attention to the music both overall and in its subtleties. It showcases brilliantly Bill Stuve's upright bass work, and for Jimi Bott, how unusually placed but effective drumbeats prove him a blues drummer deserving greater recognition. "Since I Left St. Louis" has
MacLeod reflecting on his early adult years of fast life, women, and drinking, and the lessons painfully learned from those experiences. The title track is a realization that making the most out of life is better than a life of abuse, whether it be child abuse, substance abuse, or any other kind. Always a master on the harmonica,
Charlie Musselwhite blows on
Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home" and the
MacLeod-penned "Lost Something This Morning." A great example of Piedmont-style blues is illustrated in "Old Virginia Stomp," dedicated to mentor Ernest Banks. Backup singers Black Cherry round the album out with the uplifting gospel feel of "Ain't No Grave," which tells of the triumph of the afterlife over death. ~ Char Ham