Published on Jun 4, 1998
Back in 1986, people were saying they had seen the future of the
blues, and its name was Robert Cray.
Despite having been around for a few years, it was his album
Strong Persuader that opened many people’s eyes to the
blues, making his Stratocaster sing through some modern-day spins
on the old standby. And while this album is quite enjoyable, it
doesn’t quite satisfy the blues purist.
Cray is both a talented singer and guitar player, there’s no
doubt about that. His rhythm work sings almost as loudly as his
solos; his solos are meaningful, but controlled. (Unlike other
Strat “gods” like Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cray is happy
to follow in the “less is more” vein.) The songwriting on these
numbers show that Cray is a masterful storyteller, but at such a
young age, it is sometimes hard to believe that someone like Cray
has experienced all the pain and heartbreak he sings about.
And, brother, there’s enough heartbreak on
Strong Persuader to go around. Whether Cray plays the role
of the victim (“Smoking Gun,” “I Guess I Showed Her,” “Foul Play”)
or the cause of the pain (“Right Next Door”), Cray does seem to
connect on a subconscious level, drawing on a pain that,
unfortunately, a lot of us have felt at one time or another.
But if you pick up
Strong Persuader expecting to hear 12-bar blues in the
tradition of Robert Johnson, you’re going to be slightly
disappointed. Besides the blues, there are touches of R&B and
even a little gospel (at least that I detected) in the music,
making this disc a standard for the modern blues movement.
Cray’s backing band is strong enough (even though I wish David
Olsen had used his hi-hat cymbals more) to back up the powerful
guitar licks that Cray pumps out. But in the end, the sound begins
to stale a little bit on tracks like “Fantasized” and “New Blood”.
Still, that’s not bad for the big picture.
Cray has never matched the success that he had with this album,
which is a shame – from what I’ve heard of his output, he’s
constantly proven to be a talent waiting to break out fully.
Strong Persuader has some strong material that will please
you for years to come, and showed the artist in development.