Vietnam Blues: The Complete L + R Recordings is a compilation album by the American musician J. B. Lenoir, released in 1995. It includes Alabama Blues, from 1965, and Down in Mississippi, from 1966. Lenoir supported those albums by touring with the American Folk Blues Festival. Vietnam Blues was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for best reissue album.
Production The album was produced by Horst Lippmann and Jerry Gordon, with the recording sessions supervised by Willie Dixon. All of the album's songs were written by Lenoir, with 21 of the 24 performed as solo pieces. They were recorded in 1965 and 1966. Lenoir was influenced primarily by Blind Lemon Jefferson and Chicago blues. He took inspiration from the civil rights struggles of the mid-1960s, although he also wanted to continue to sing more lighthearted material. He dubbed his musical style "African hunch". Fred Below played drums on some of the tracks. "Tax Payin' Blues" is a reworking of Lenoir's "Eisenhower Blues". "Born Dead" and "Down in Mississippi" are about the hardships experienced by Black people in Mississippi, and the desire to move north. The title track compares the plight of Black soldiers in Vietnam with Southern Black citizens. "Good Advice" is a tribute to Lenoir's grandmother.
Critical reception
The Indianapolis Star praised Lenoir's "high energy level" and command of "social blues". Guitar Player said that "there's much to admire in his innovative chords, rumbling bass boogies, potent jabs, jangling leads, and unforgettable compositions."
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings included the album in its "core" blues collection, noting that "no blues singer has ever done anything quite like it". Rough Guides included it in the book Blues: 100 Essentials CDs.
Legacy Bonnie Raitt frequently covered "Round and Round" in concert. Wim Wenders, in his film for The Blues series, The Soul of a Man, focused on Lenoir, with "Alabama Blues" and "Voodoo Music" among the songs featured on the soundtrack; Cassandra Wilson also covered the title track.
Track listing
References