That's All I Need
Reviews
Mason
Reviewed 2010-06-13
Reviewed 2010-06-13
Andre Williams/That's All I Need - reviewed by Mason
Basic bluesy garagey rock with the tough, charismatic, streetwise 74-year-old Williams singing and talking from his dubious wealth of life experience. Very direct, stripped-down, and emotionally raw both lyrically and musically. One of those albums where the song titles pretty much sum up the whole of the song lyrics. Music ranges from subdued after-hours blues to growling garage rock and bumping funk, executed with flair by veterans of the Detroit rock and soul scene (members of Outrageous Cherry, the Dirtbombs, Electric Six, and guitarist Dennis Coffey of Motown's Funk Brothers). Williams got his start in the mid-50s in Detroit doing wild novelty R&B numbers like "The Greasy Chicken" and "Jailbait"; in the 60s produced some monster soul and funk tracks; in the 70s and 80s living on the streets with a bad drug habit; finally coming back in the 90s with some roaring garage rock and a crazy dirty old man persona, partnering with younger rockers like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Apparently his addictions became bad again in the 2000s and this is his first album since coming clean; it shows, being straighter, more serious, and full of pain, compared to previous work.
No FCCs. My favorites are 1,5,6.
1. * Slow, haunting, late-night feel, stripped-down arrangement, beautiful guitar riff, reflective lyrics.
2. Rocking disco beat with dirty guitar riffing, topped off with handclaps, defiant lyrics.
3. Quiet, 2 chord song with bluesy guitar and spoken lyrics about making it out of the ghetto.
4. Steady pounding drumbeat, squealing blues guitar, and some very desperate begging. Stripped down to bare essentials.
5. * Andre talking about being a badass, pretty convincingly. Nice brain-melting guitar solo.
6. * Growling Stooges-esque guitar, insistent two-note riff, Andre being like "oh shit, guess you're screwed" with deadpan delivery.
7. Just acoustic guitars and tambourine, spoken rhymes wryly weighing the consequences of cigs versus women.
8. Funky guitar riff, made me dance. Andre singing about the end results of addiction, something he knows a lot about.
9. Basic 1-chord blues shuffle.
10. Slow quiet song, poignant spoken lyrics about regret.
Basic bluesy garagey rock with the tough, charismatic, streetwise 74-year-old Williams singing and talking from his dubious wealth of life experience. Very direct, stripped-down, and emotionally raw both lyrically and musically. One of those albums where the song titles pretty much sum up the whole of the song lyrics. Music ranges from subdued after-hours blues to growling garage rock and bumping funk, executed with flair by veterans of the Detroit rock and soul scene (members of Outrageous Cherry, the Dirtbombs, Electric Six, and guitarist Dennis Coffey of Motown's Funk Brothers). Williams got his start in the mid-50s in Detroit doing wild novelty R&B numbers like "The Greasy Chicken" and "Jailbait"; in the 60s produced some monster soul and funk tracks; in the 70s and 80s living on the streets with a bad drug habit; finally coming back in the 90s with some roaring garage rock and a crazy dirty old man persona, partnering with younger rockers like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Apparently his addictions became bad again in the 2000s and this is his first album since coming clean; it shows, being straighter, more serious, and full of pain, compared to previous work.
No FCCs. My favorites are 1,5,6.
1. * Slow, haunting, late-night feel, stripped-down arrangement, beautiful guitar riff, reflective lyrics.
2. Rocking disco beat with dirty guitar riffing, topped off with handclaps, defiant lyrics.
3. Quiet, 2 chord song with bluesy guitar and spoken lyrics about making it out of the ghetto.
4. Steady pounding drumbeat, squealing blues guitar, and some very desperate begging. Stripped down to bare essentials.
5. * Andre talking about being a badass, pretty convincingly. Nice brain-melting guitar solo.
6. * Growling Stooges-esque guitar, insistent two-note riff, Andre being like "oh shit, guess you're screwed" with deadpan delivery.
7. Just acoustic guitars and tambourine, spoken rhymes wryly weighing the consequences of cigs versus women.
8. Funky guitar riff, made me dance. Andre singing about the end results of addiction, something he knows a lot about.
9. Basic 1-chord blues shuffle.
10. Slow quiet song, poignant spoken lyrics about regret.
Recent airplay
When Love Shoots You In The Foot
down in the basement — Apr 18, 2024
When Love Shoots You In The Foot
down in the basement — Apr 20, 2023
Cigarettes And My Old Lady
Buford J. Sharkley Presents: As Told to Hervey Okkles — Oct 03, 2014
Tricks
Hangtime — Mar 20, 2011
Too Light To Fight
Sunshine . . . in the Afternoon — Aug 12, 2010
Just Call Me
Elite Syncopations — Aug 12, 2010
Charting
2010-06-13 — 2010-08-15
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Aug 15 | 2 |
| Aug 1 | 1 |
| Jul 18 | 1 |
| Jul 11 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | My Time Will Come | ||
| 2. | America | ||
| 3. | That's All I Need | ||
| 4. | Just Call Me | ||
| 5. | Tricks | ||
| 6. | When Love Shoots You In The Foot | ||
| 7. | Cigarettes And My Old Lady | ||
| 8. | There Ain't No Such Thing As Good Dope | ||
| 9. | Too Light To Fight | ||
| 10. | Amends |