Album Review: Albert King – I’ll Play the Blues for You

After a decade of releasing singles for Parrot, King and Bobbin, Albert King had only one chart success – 1961’s “Don’t Throw Your Love on Me So Strong” (R&B #14) – to his credit. But his fortunes changed when he signed with Stax Records in 1966. Once he began recording and releasing for the Memphis label, King landed seven singles on the Top 40 of the R&B charts, even making inroads on the mainstream Billboard Hot 100.

Prior to his Stax days, King had released only one album, a 1963 singles compilation titled The Big Blues. His debut LP for Stax, 1967’s Born Under a Bad Sign didn’t sell but would soon earn status as one of the greatest albums in the blues canon. He went on to make a steady string of studio (and live) albums for the label, and his appearance at Wattstax in August 1972 was a high point of that historic, all-star festival.

Less than two months after his Wattstax set, King released his seventh studio LP, I’ll Play the Blues for You. For the album, King was backed by members of The Bar-Kays, the Memphis Horns and The Movement (Isaac Hayes’ band). Key players included guitarist Michael Toles, bassist James Alexander and horn players Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love.

But as the recorded results make plain, Albert King was very much the star of the show. And while most of the songwriting would come from outside writers, King made each and every one of the tunes his own. The album highlights not only his peerless fretwork on Lucy (his left-handed Gibson Flying V), but also his masterful, ultra-cool vocal delivery.

The album opens with “I’ll Play the Blues for You,” released as two sides of a Stax single a few months earlier. Alternately sung and spoken, King’s soulful and, assertive yet controlled vocals mesh perfectly with his tasty, economical guitar fills. The simmering backing features understated wah-wah guitar, electric piano, low-mixed sax work and a spare rhythm section.

The funky “Little Brother (Make a Way)” answers the (perhaps unasked) question: What would it sound like if Albert King teamed up with the Staple Singers? The answer is soulful and alluring. Alexander’s rock-solid bass lines are a highlight of the seven-minute “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.” The Memphis Horns excel here as well with a taut arrangement. But King still reigns as master of ceremonies, serving up a searing solo. “Breaking Up” was released as the A-side of a Stax single (in an edit that shears it to half its run time), backed by “Little Brother.”

The brief “High Cost of Loving” delivers a cinematic feel within a smoldering, economical arrangement. King’s pleasingly busy guitar fills punctuate the vocal lines more actively than elsewhere on the record. “I’ll Be Doggone” shines a light on the Memphis Horns and a super-funky rhythm section to good effect. While King’s lead guitar work is admirable here, his vocals are oddly submerged in the mix. But the solo – sparring with the horns – that dominates the song’s second half more than justifies its inclusion on the record.

It’s back to traditional electric blues for “Answer to the Laundromat Blues.” King opens his original tune with a fiery solo, then raps while the band vamps. A guitar showcase, the track effectively captures the feel of a live performance. “Don’t Burn Down the Bridge (‘Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)” combines the soulful Stax aesthetic with another taut blues performance from King. His extended lead guitar solo is nothing short of thrilling, with plenty of shade and light. The hypnotic blues of “Angel of Mercy” closes the album by adding a bit of gospel feel to King’s blues.

This new all-analog remaster of I’ll Play the Blues for You is pressed on 180g vinyl in a sturdy tip-on sleeve.

NOTE: As it happens, I reviewed this album — in its CD reissue configuration — more than 14 years ago. That review, complete with some different observations —  is here.