Classified (James Booker album)
| Classified | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 1982 |
| Genre | R&B, blues, jazz |
| Label | Rounder Records[1] |
| Producer | Scott Billington |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [3] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [4] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Classified is a studio album by the New Orleans pianist James Booker, released in 1982.[7][8] It was reissued in an expanded edition in 2013.[9]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Scott Billington, who recorded several sessions with Booker in 1982.[2] The sessions were at times interrupted by Booker's odd behavior or his stints in jail.[10] Classified captures both solo and quartet recordings; Booker's Maple Leaf Bar band included bassist James Singleton, saxophonist Alvin Tyler, and drummer Johnny Vidacovich.[9][11][12] The Professor Longhair medley came to an abrupt end when Booker left mid-song in order to cash a check.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
Robert Christgau wrote that "in general there's too much reliance on the left hand, with the consequent loss of dynamic subtlety compounded by a klutzy drum mix."[1] The Philadelphia Daily News praised Booker's "great stomping piano, [which is] not quite as fervent as Fats Domino or as idiosyncratic as Professor Longhair, but mightily infectious all the same."[13]
AllMusic called the album "one of the great blues albums of the early '80s."[2]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Around The World" | Titus Turner | 3:22 |
| 2. | "One For The Highway" | Fats Domino | 2:30 |
| 3. | "King of the Road" | Roger Miller | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Professor Longhair Medley: Bald Head / Tipitina" | Roy Byrd | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Baby Face" | Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby | 3:08 |
| 6. | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Traditional; arranged by James Booker | 2:05 |
| 7. | "Classified" | Booker | 3:12 |
| 8. | "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" | Lloyd Price | 3:24 |
| 9. | "Angel Eyes" | Matt Dennis, Earl K. Brent | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Hound Dog" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:26 |
| 11. | "If You're Lonely" | James, Gibson | 2:49 |
| 12. | "Three Keys" | Booker | 3:17 |
Personnel[edit]
- James Booker - piano
- James Singleton - bass
- Alvin Tyler - saxophone
- Johnny Vidacovich - drums
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Robert Christgau: CG: James Booker". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b c "Classified - James Booker | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 754.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 144.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (31 July 1983). "James Booker, Classified (Rounder)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. R10.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 73–74.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (10 Nov 1983). "James Booker, 'Piano Prince'". The New York Times. p. D25.
- ^ Komara, Edward (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 139.
- ^ a b "James Booker - Classified: Remixed and Expanded". No Depression. December 10, 2013.
- ^ Tamarkin, Jeff (25 April 2019). "James Booker: Classified: Remixed and Expanded". JazzTimes.
- ^ Lioce, Tony (September 25, 1983). "Roomful and Booker: Good Listening". The Providence Journal. p. H12.
- ^ "James Booker's 'Classified' reissued Oct. 15 in remixed, expanded version". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ Kanzler, George (8 Oct 1983). "The Blues: Flexible But Still True To Its Roots". Philadelphia Daily News. Features. p. 15.