The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw is a 1967 album by the Butterfield Blues Band, their third release. Its name refers to Elvin Bishop, whose role shifted to lead guitarist after Mike Bloomfield departed to form the Electric Flag.[lower-alpha 1] The album marked a slight shift in the band's sound towards R&B and was the first Butterfield record to feature a horn section, which included a young David Sanborn on alto saxophone.[5]

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw
Studio album by
The Butterfield Blues Band
ReleasedDecember 1967
GenreBlues[1][2]
Length44:29
LabelElektra
ProducerJohn Court
The Butterfield Blues Band chronology
East-West
(1966)		 The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw
(1967)		 In My Own Dream
(1968)

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw generally received mixed to favorable reviews from critics, and reached number 52 in the American Billboard 200 charts in 1968.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[2]
New Rolling Stone Record Guide[6]
Record Mirror [7]
Uncut [5]

Michael G. Nastos wrote in a review of The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw at AllMusic that Paul Butterfield "really com[es] into his own" here with his vocals and harmonica, and the band are "as cohesive a unit as you'd find in this time period".[1] He described the closing track, "Tollin' Bells" as "somewhat psychedelic", adding that the guitar and the "slow, ringing, resonant keyboard evokes a haunting feeling." Overall Nastos called the album "likely the single best Butterfield album of this time period and you'd be well served to pick this one up."[1]

A 1968 review in Record Mirror stated that on this album the band's blues sound has "hardened" with "stronger" and "more confiden[t]" vocals.[7] The reviewer said the tracks' accompaniments are "clear and well recorded" with "clever" arrangements, although he preferred their own material to some of the covers they did, like "One More Heartache" and "Drivin' Wheel".[7]

In another review from 1968, Rolling Stone magazine felt that the band's newly acquired horn section is not fully utilized on this album and tends to "riff unobtrusively" in the background, letting Bishop's guitar and Butterfield's voice take the lead.[2] The solos are "short, though musically interesting", but often reduce to "mechanical-sounding, repetitive arrangements." The reviewer called "Drivin' Wheel" the album's "most successful" track, and concluded that while Resurrection "may not show the group to best advantage", they are "the most venturesome and exciting players of blues-based rock around".[2]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."One More Heartache"Smokey Robinson, Marvin Tarplin, Robert Rogers, Ronald White, Warren Moore3:20
2."Driftin' and Driftin'"Charles Brown, Johnny Moore, Eddie Williams9:09
3."I Pity the Fool"Deadric Malone6:00
4."Born Under a Bad Sign"William Bell, Booker T. Jones4:10
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Run Out of Time"Paul Butterfield, Gene Dinwiddie2:59
2."Double Trouble"Otis Rush5:38
3."Drivin' Wheel"Roosevelt Sykes5:34
4."Droppin' Out"Butterfield, Tucker Zimmerman2:16
5."Tollin' Bells"Willie Dixon; arranged by Butterfield Blues Band5:23

Personnel
The Butterfield Blues Band

with:

Technical
  • William S. Harvey – cover design, art direction
  • Kim Whitesides – cover artwork
  • Joel Brodsky – back cover photography

Charts
Year Chart Position
1968 US Billboard 200 52[8]

Notes
  1. Bishop said Pigboy Crabshaw was a nickname he gave himself, but the album's title, which referred to his promotion to lead guitarist, was Butterfield's idea.[3][4]

References
  1. Nastos, Michael G. The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw at AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  2. "Records". Rolling Stone. New York City: Penske Media Corporation (5): 20. February 10, 1968. ISSN 0035-791X.
  3. Beohm, Mike (March 16, 1988). "Blues Guitarist Bishop Sees End to Recording Drought". Los Angeles Times. sec. VI. p. 9. ISSN 0458-3035.icon of an open green padlock
  4. Deming, Mark. Elvin Bishop at AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  5. "The Butterfield Blues Band – The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw". Uncut. August 1, 2004. ISSN 1368-0722. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  6. Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John, eds. (1983). New Rolling Stone Record Guide (2nd ed.). Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 73. ISBN 0-394-72107-1.
  7. Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (March 9, 1968). "New Albums from Manfred Mann, Judy Collins, Butterfield Blues Band et al". Record Mirror. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via Rock's Backpages.
  8. "Chart History: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band". Billboard 200. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.