Consumer Guide Album

Fenton Robinson: Somebody Loan Me a Dime [Alligator, 1974]
Blues devotees wonder why Robinson, originator of what is now regarded as Boz Scaggs's classic and clearly a blues musician of courage, imagination, and skill, remains unknown off the circuit. Let me suggest some reasons: 1) He's so smart he gets a lot of mileage out of his voice, but the voice itself lacks power as an instrument and a dramatic vehicle. 2) His songs are well-written but hardly catchy; the closest this comes to a hook is the chordal ascent on "Gotta Wake Up." 3) His formal extensions are stylish and thoughtful, but he rarely lets loose and just has a good time. B+