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In the aftermath of the well-known 1990 helicopter accident that deprived the world of the crystal-clear talent of a Stevie Ray Vaughan at the peak of his career, some of the major American labels specializing in blues-rock immediately set out in search of someone who could at least partially fill the void left by the Dallas guitarist, axemen capable of satisfying the growing number of "hard-blues" enthusiasts that developed during those years, thanks especially to the lightning career of Mr. SRV. Among the many names signed in the early '90s, none came as close to fulfilling that demand as this blond teenager from North Dakota who emerged from nowhere around the middle of the decade, going by the name of Jonny Lang.
At the time of writing, Jonny Lang, though barely in his thirties, has been considered a recording artist on the decline for several years now. Yet, the guy had talent, and this is demonstrated by his second album "Lie To Me" from 1997. Despite being only sixteen, the prodigy from Fargo showed through this album that it's not essential to carry decades of suffering of all kinds on your shoulders to play credible blues, or at least not as much as having the right intention and attitude along with knowledge of the genre's tradition and the style of the greats from the past.
In this album, Lang's voice and guitar appear very close to those of a seasoned bluesman: his guitar phrasing, although tightly linked to the typical clichés of blues-rock, manages to embrace its many facets, resulting in a varied, visceral, and unfussy sound, but by no means sloppy. Lang's major stylistic influences at the time of recording can be identified not only in the aforementioned SRV but also in some fathers of electric blues like Albert King and Albert Collins rather than the style of the eccentric funky-blues guitarist Hiram Bullock.
The title track "Lie to Me" can be considered the classic radio single whose video was also in heavy rotation for several weeks on major American and European music TV channels, a track based on a compelling funk rhythm and catchy chorus with R'n'B choirs. Also excellent are the reinterpretations of the blues standard "Good Morning, Little School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson and the energetic boogie "Matchbox" by Ike Turner; while "A Quitter Never Wins" is an intense slow blues ballad style "The Sky is Crying" where Lang unveils a great hyper-saturated Telecaster sound. Also noteworthy is the reassuring "When I Come To You", which can remind one of some of Clapton's more pop works. The 12 tracks of the album succeed each other pleasantly, also thanks to a well-curated production and the excellent performances of the backing band musicians, particularly that of pianist Bruce McCab, the author of most of the tracks. From this point on, Jonny Lang would not be able to replicate this level again, except partially in the subsequent album, which the author considers less inspired, "Wander this World", a quick descent towards an "excellent niche" with some sporadic reconsecration (the 2006 Grammy obtained, however, in the Gospel field). Jonny Lang remains today an eternal promise of the six-string blues, an unfulfilled talent who, being still young, may still have many arrows in his quiver.
Nothing original and innovative in terms of content in this "Lie to Me", simply a nice record to listen to and listen to again, perhaps on the porch with a couple of ice-cold beers.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Lie to Me (04:11)
Lie to me and tell me everything is all right
Lie to me and tell me that you'r stayin' the night
Tell me that you'll never leave,
and I'll just try to make believe
that everything you tell me is true
Come on baby won't you just
Lie to me, go ahead and lie to me
Lie to me, it don't matter anymore
It could never be the way it was before
If I can't hold on to you
leave me with somethin� I can hold onto,
for just a little while won't you let me dream
Anyone can see
that you love him more than me
But right now, baby, let me pretend
that our love will never end
Lie to me, go ahead and lie to me
02 Darker Side (05:07)
Look at the man with the smile on his face
Looks like he's always feelin� good
Sometimes you might want to take his place
and sometimes I think that you would
When the sun is goin� down
and there is no place to hide
Even in the brightest light
you might lean toward the darker side
Look at the people, they learn how to lie so easy
They learn how to lie to get what they need
and after they got what they needed
It turns into a simple case of greed
When they no longer feel ashamed
and they've lost all sense of pride
Misery loves company
and it's lonely on the darker side
And when the party is over
and the music has died
You'll be dancin� to the music, baby
somewhere on the darker side
Somewhere on the darker side
05 Matchbox (03:29)
Well I'm tired of sighin'
Tired of worryin' too
Well I've made up my mind baby
What I'm gonna do
I've got my clothes in a matchbox
Gonna forget about you
Well I tried to tell ya many times
But I never could do it
Well I've made up my mind baby
And this time I'm through
I've got my clothes in a matchbox
gonna forget about you
(guitar solo)
I've got my clothes in a matchbox
Gonna forget about you
07 A Quitter Never Wins (05:56)
Seems like now days ain't nothing meant to last
one day you've got it all and then it disappears so fast
and you know our love is on and off again
well I know you wanna quit me, baby
but a quitter never wins
Well, you've walked out on our loving
but I've stayed through thick and thin
and you know our love is on and off again
I know you want to quit me
but a quitter never wins
Seems like now days love is a word that no one means
ya said you'd never leave me
then ya upped and walked right out on me
and now our love is on and off again
well, I know you wanna quit me
but a quitter never wins
Well, I know you wanna quit me baby
but a quitter never wins
a quitter never wins
08 Hit the Ground Running (03:31)
I'm the biggest fool there ever was
I let you go
Now I can't survive without your touch, I need you so
Now baby all you've got to do
Is tell me that you need me too
I hit the ground runnin�
Back to you
Well, I'd rather die a thousand deaths
Than lose your love
But now I'm drowning in my loneliness
I can rise above
Well, just forgive this one last time
And tell me baby you're still mine
I hit the ground runnin�
Back to you
09 Rack 'em Up (04:07)
I used to hang out, down at Jack's Pool Hall
You go down there, don't do nothin' at all
You wanted to play some cards there was a game in the back
You wanted to shoot of somethin', you went and talked to Jack
If you had a little money you was a grade A fool
There was a guy down there who used to shoot a little pool
Rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up
Till the day he was dead,
that all they ever said was rack ‘em up
He didn't own a TV set, he didn't own no car
He ate whatever Jack was makin' back behind the bar
They said he had a wife but, she left him in tears
He hadn't been home once in twenty-five years
Rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up
They come from all over thinkin' they were pretty hot
They put the money on the table, wanna play the best we got
Nine in the corner, five in the side
Take a hundred dollar bill and just, let it ride
I'd tell him, "listen hear sonny, there ain't no disaster
there ain't no shame in bein' beaten by a master"
Rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up
Yea, rack ‘em up
Rack ‘em up, rack ‘em up
Til' the day he was gone, they said it all day long rack ‘em up
11 There's Gotta Be a Change (04:11)
Oh, there's gotta be a change
things just can't stay the same
if I got any worse off
I'd have myself to blame
I've played the blues so long now
there ain't nothin� left for me to do
I just can't give it up
if I do my life would be through
Well now I've been to Kentucky, Chicago too
all over St. Louis, ain't nothin� left to do, baby
but I'll play the blues for you, yes I will
well I've been down to Texas
to the international revenue
I ain't got no money now, honey now
ain't nothin� left to do
well I'll play the blues for you
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