Revered as one of the originators of swamp rock, Tony Joe White has recast a number of his classic songs on Deep Cuts, proving that time has no jurisdiction over funky. His signature groove, starting from his 1969 hit “Polk Salad Annie,” is what he uses to paint a vivid picture of the world he experienced growing up, where poverty provided unity between otherwise divided races and bad-news women were sometimes too good to pass up.
Tony Joe cut the tracks with his son Jody providing a rich palette of beats and loops, utilizing both digital and live drums, strings, organs, and the unmistakable timbre
of his guitar. White’s time-worn baritone is positively haunting, like a restless spirit conjured by the funk that was always the core of his music.
As a collective work, Deep Cuts portrays the complications of living on the cusp of impending danger — be it an encounter with a brutal country sheriff or a poisonous snake — through the eyes of a master songwriter who has seen and lived all of it. Deep Cuts not only updates a cache of classic songs for a contemporary audience, it reframes them, revisiting his timeless imagery in a new, modern context. With Deep Cuts, Tony Joe reveals that there is still plenty to be gleaned from his irresistible, timeless groove.
DEEP CUTS hit the stores June 10, 2008, with the following track listing:
1. Set The Hook
2. As The Crow Flies
3. Willie And Laura Mae Jones
4. Soul Francisco
5. Run With The Bulls
6. High Sheriff of Calhoun Parrish
7. Aspen, Colorado
8. Homemade Ice Cream
9. Swamp Water
10. Roosevelt and Ira Lee
Deep Cuts in the Media
4 out of 5 stars!
Swamp-rock auteur Tony Joe White is best known for "Polk Salad Annie", so it's surprising it's not on this set of revisitations.
But the rest of his Louisiana characters reappear, from the vengeful "High Sheriff (of Calhoun Parish)" to hapless "Roosevelt & Ira Lee" and downhome chums "Willie and Laura Mae Jones", in new arrangements framing White's baritone and distorted fuzz-wah guitar lines in beats and loops furnished by his son Jody.
The result is a series of evocative grooves, like the dark "As the Crow Flies" and the strangely sinister instrumental "Homemade Ice Cream". "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" becomes a sort of trip-hop swamp-funk, while his ambivalent celebration of hippie culture, "Soul Francisco", is a haunted miasma of organ, strings and fuzz guitar.
Pick of the album:'Soul Francisco', 'Willie and Laura Mae Jones', 'Swamp Water'
-Andy Gill
The venerable swamp-rock auteur Tony Joe White — whose songs have been covered by Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. — roars back into town not only with an impeccable four-decade musical pedigree but also a positively brain-pulping new album. A master of dirty-toned electric-guitar eloquence and off-kilter, ultra-maxi groove mongering, White has consistently explored forbidding musical territory, areas fraught with menace and passion, and he has an abiding insight when it comes to matters of human folly. On the just-released Deep Cuts, the singer-guitarist’s perspective is as resolutely insightful and deeply funk-informed as ever; produced with tastefully apocalyptic doses of severe techno-distortion by his son Jody, it’s a kaleidoscopic mixture of instrumental thrillers and some startling remakes (“Soul Francisco” becomes an ominous, symphonic fuzz and wah-wah workout thrilling in its audacity and execution), all perfectly framing White’s richly muddy, near-subsonic vocals and lowdown, incendiary guitar style. White remains a fabulously individualistic artist, and one who rocks with a vengeful intensity that’s nothing short of wondrous.
Thanks for being a friend. Finding out that you had a myspace profile, was great. I tip my chapeau as an admirer. Seeing you calmly walk out on stage with nothing more than a small amp and a guitar, then produce more music than most bands, was a tremendous thrill. That was on TV of course, Ed Sullivan I think. Although I don’t remember which program it was exactly, I do remember you. It is a very good thing making the acquaintance of a living legend. Thanks again. May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.
Thanxxx Tony for adding me but most of all for the Deep Cuts, it gave me good oldfashion goosebumps. The "Home Made Ice-cream'-track is 10 mimnutes too short. I love it, your son did a great job and you must be really proud of him. I can't wait to see you in Amsterdam in november. I hope we can do a duet of "did somebody make a fool outta you", (my version is on my Myspace.) For now I send you Love & Happiness, also for your beautiful Lean, Saskia
Cool thing about dogs is thier keen sense of hearing, or maybe they just know what to listen for like the definate cool vibe of your timeless music. Have a great week Tony Joe :) Know you have been busy, but if you get a chance, we recently posted a couple new songs. Ashley
Tony Joe White! The legendary swampy blues rock man! I first heard you when I was a kid ridin' in my uncles Freightliner 18 wheeler down the interstate! I was hooked!! I later recorded some tunes, one about you! Titled: "Back in 68'" Check it out! Johnny Owens
Hello Tony, Thank you for the invitation. Splendid emotion in your music and your guitar… We are met in France in Arles with the concert of the Cargo liner. Very a good moment of blues. You inspire to me in my music. So long on the roads… PORTELLI
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