Bringin' It All Back Home is an album by the American musician Johnny Copeland.[2][3] It was released in 1985.[4] Copeland supported the album with a North American tour.[5]
| Bringin' It All Back Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Texas blues, African folk music | |||
| Length | 35:17 | |||
| Label | Rounder[1] | |||
| Producer | Dan Doyle | |||
| Johnny Copeland chronology | ||||
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Production
editCopeland recorded the album in March 1984 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where he collaborated with African musicians.[6][7] It was produced by his manager, Dan Doyle.[8] Bringin' It All Back Home is considered the first time an American blues musician recorded an album in Africa.[9] Copeland decided to record there after his 1982 tour of the continent; many of the album's songs were inspired by the trek.[10][11] Copeland included African percussion and the kora on many of the tracks.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [15] |
| MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide | [4] |
Robert Christgau wrote that the band "finds a groove somewhere between an airborne Congolese rumba and a Gulf Coast shuffle with some tricky dance figures thrown in."[14] The Chicago Tribune noted that "African rhythms and instruments wind their way in and out of Copeland's more familiar Texas blues, sometimes seeming exotic, other times seeming perfectly normal."[16] The New York Times stated that Copeland "sings with a strong, persuasive urgency," and concluded that he "comfortably extended his reach by working with an African rhythm section."[17]
The Globe and Mail determined that "the singer-guitarist's music at its best moves, and the accompanying horn and rhythm sections here prove a cumbersome weight on the motion."[18] The Toronto Star deemed the album "compelling listening, an almost off-handed synthesis of African roots music and raw, elemental blues."[10]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Johnny Copeland except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kasavubu" | 5:20 | |
| 2. | "The Jungle" | 3:29 | |
| 3. | "Ngote" | T.P. Polyrhythmo | 8:15 |
| 4. | "Djeli, Djeli Blues" | Djeli Mousa | 1:09 |
| 5. | "Djeli, Djeli Blues" (Continued) | Mousa | 2:12 |
| 6. | "Abidjan" | 3:37 | |
| 7. | "Bozalimalamu" | 3:14 | |
| 8. | "Same Thing" | 3:53 | |
| 9. | "Conakry" | 4:08 | |
| Total length: | 35:17 | ||
Personnel
editMusicians
- Johnny Copeland – guitar, vocals
- Michael Merritt – bass
- Jimmy Wormworth – drums
- Jimmy Hyacinthe, Joel Perry, and Malina – guitars
- Halial, Jean-Claude Kungnon, and Souliman Moamed – percussion
- Koffi Assalé – alto saxophone
- Bert McGowan – tenor saxophone
- Emmet King – trombone
- Ben Bierman – trumpet
- Ken Vangel – piano
- Djeli Mousa – kora (tracks 4 and 5)
Technical
- Dan Doyle – producer, liner notes
- Émile Valognes and Pamphile de Souza – recording engineers
- Dominique Samarcq – mixing engineer
- George Peckham – mastering engineer
- Ken Vangel – arrangement
- Steve Billington – design
- Albert Loudes – photography
- Souleymane Coulibaly – technical assistance
References
edit- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 134.
- ^ "Johnny Copeland Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Dicaire, David (October 1, 1999). Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century. McFarland. ISBN 9780786406067.
- ^ a b MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 92.
- ^ Haight, Kathy (March 21, 1986). "Copeland Found Piece of Soul in West Africa". Charlotte Observer. p. 1E.
- ^ Herzhaft, Gérard (September 17, 1997). Encyclopedia of the Blues-2nd (p). University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781610751391.
- ^ Snowden, Don (2 Feb 1986). "Copeland Takes Blues 'Home' to Africa". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 74.
- ^ Snowden, Don (1986). "From Out of the Blues". The Reggae & African Beat. Vol. 5, no. 2. pp. 26–29.
- ^ Komara, Edward M. (September 17, 2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues: A-J. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 9780415927000.
- ^ a b Quill, Greg (25 Apr 1986). "Bringin' It All Back Home, Johnny Copeland". Toronto Star. p. D20.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (17 Apr 1987). "Texas Blues & the Horns of Africa". The Washington Post. p. B7.
- ^ Snider, Eric (12 Aug 1988). "Lean, Lone-Star Blues". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 22.
- ^ "Johnny Copeland Bringin' It All Back Home". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Johnny Copeland". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 543.
- ^ Brogan, Daniel (24 Jan 1986). "Johnny Copeland, Bringin' It All Back Home". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 50.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (30 Jan 1987). "Johnny Copeland". The New York Times. p. C21.
- ^ Miller, Mark (24 Apr 1986). "Bringin' It All Back Home Johnny Copeland". The Globe and Mail. p. D5.