A Man Amongst Men

AMG Review of A Man Amongst Men

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

Bo's best album in maybe 20 years, a rousing, spirited rock & roll workout on which the man is joined by Keith Richards, the Shirelles, Ron Wood, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Billy Boy Arnold, and Richie Sambora. This record moves like nothing Bo has recorded since his best days at Chess (which lasted a little longer than most people think), and it shows Bo off to good advantage, doing Chicago blues-type numbers in an upbeat mode amid his more conventional numbers built on his shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits beat; the result is a record about as good as anything Muddy Waters cut for Epic with Johnny Winter helping, except that this is Bo, not Muddy, and they're not really comparable; however, Bo has achieved considerable dignity with age, as he runs through lusty numbers like "Can I Walk You Home." This may also be the most fun record that Keith Richards has worked on in years, and it's good to hear the Shirelles again as well.