Editorial Review:

Album Description:
Skin Deep is the 2008 release by Buddy Guy. The album features The Memphis Horns, Willie Mitchell,Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph and Quinn Sullivan.

Amazon.com:
It’s erroneous to characterize this 2008 Buddy Guy release, his first in three years, as a comeback, since he’s never been gone. But between a spotlight stealing performance in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert flick Shine a Light in the same year and the appearance of Skin Deep, Guy has returned to the crossover arena as the magnetic and dynamic blues journeyman he has always been. Drop the laser anywhere on these dozen tunes, all but five authored or co-penned by the Chicago guitarist, and it’s like a blast of hot wind in the face. Even with drummer Tom Hambrige’s somewhat slick production, Guy is in your face, spitting out words with strutting swagger and peeling off molten licks that leave smoldering scars. Guests such as Derek Trucks and Eric Clapton seem like an afterthought, yet the former’s sensitive slide work on the titular ballad brings a crying gospel quality to the song. Trucks’ wife, Susan Tedeschi, makes a vibrant vocal foil on the mid-tempo 'Too Many Tears,' an obvious single. Roots guitar fans will thrill at the six-string intensity of the ferocious slow blues 'Out in the Woods' where Guy unleashes torrents of raw sound that make this disc so consistently riveting and a highlight in the legend’s extensive catalog. --Hal Horowitz









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Disc 1:

1. Best Damn Fool - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy
2. Too Many Tears - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
3. Lyin' Like a Dog - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
4. Show Me the Money - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy
5. Every Time I Sing the Blues - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
6. Out in the Woods - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy
7. Hammer and a Nail - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy
8. That's My Home - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
9. Skin Deep - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy
10. Who's Gonna Fill Those Shoes - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
11. Smell the Funk - Buddy Guy, Hambridge, T.
12. I Found Happiness - Buddy Guy, Guy, Buddy

Rating: - Back to the roots
A well produced album with classic bluestracks that make You want to hear more and more. Should be own by all blues fans.

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Rating: - Awesome Skin Deep
* Just like fine wine, Buddy Guy keeps getting better and better. The new Skin Deep, which all the songs were written by Buddy is awesome. If you're a blues fan, this CD is for you. ...

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Rating: - Buddy Digs Deep
Five-time Grammy winner Buddy Guy's latest album is titled Skin Deep. Checkout the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who has created a disc of twelve tracks and enlisted fellow guitar contemporaries Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks on his tenth studio release on the Silvertone/Zomba label. But luminaries aside, drill down and checkout the top-notch supporting session players here, including Willie Mitchell's horn arrangements on the opening track; the extremely talented bassist Willie Weeks; keyboard ace Reese Wynans, who has played alongsideSRV and others, regally grace every track; plus Texas superman guitarist David Grissom is on board for eleven of twelve tunes. Add to the mix stellar names likeBonnie and Bekka Bramlett, Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward, eight-year-old guitar prodigy Quinn Sullivan, and the wonderful production work of Tom Hambridge, who also doubles as the most often used drummer on this excellent recording. So what we have here is one disc that should garner its share of Grammy votes.

Skin Deep kicks off at near full throttle on the Guy/Hambridge "Best Damn Fool" co-write wherein Guy is explosive (and a bit reminiscent of the sorely missed Son Seals) in front of Willie Mitchell's superb horn charts and stellar backing band. It's just too bad they did not employ Mitchell's services on any other tracks though, but not to worry, as there is plenty else to like here.

Other highlights include Hambridge's "Too Many Tears," which has the album's first guest spot by the husband and wife team of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Guy trades vocal duties with a very sharp sounding Tedeschi, then jams with the always fascinating Trucks, thus making this track my second favorite on Skin Deep. The songwriting team of Guy/Hambridge strikes again on "Show Me The Money," this time aided by the good-time backing vocals of Bekka Bramlett and Wendy Moten.

Okay, here's my favorite track, the Hambridge/Gary Nicholson-penned "Every Time I Sing the Blues," which features not only the superlative guitar work of Eric Clapton, but Clapton also adds strong vocals. After a nice vocal intro, the fireworks ignite first with an expansive guitar solo by Guy that slowly simmers, then boils up before winding down to a sweet exquisite crawl, clocking in at nearly eight minutes. It's noteworthy to mention that Guy's guitar offers some of the most creative work I have heard on record from him.

After observing Guy and Robert Randolph work so perfectly late last year at the Jimi Hendrix Experience show in New York City, it's no wonder to see them team up on the rocking "That's My Home," authored by Hambridge and Richard Fleming. The gorgeous "Skin Deep," by Guy and Nicholson, brings back Derek Trucks for his second appearance and shows a rare emotional side of Guy's writing skills and the sweet background vocals by Bonnie and Bekka Bramlett put this track over the top.

In a career spanning more than forty-five years the seventy-two-year-old Buddy Guy has not sounded this sharp in years, both vocally and on guitar. Kudos to producer Tom Hambridge for his outstanding work making this album work as well as it does and to all the featured stars and sidemen, who seemingly gave their all for Guy. Earlier on I mentioned about Skin Deep garnering its share of Grammy votes, but upon multiple listens I smell a well-deserved Grammy victory here for Guy's Skin Deep, and a big win for the Blues community!

Bob Putignano: [...]

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Rating: - Buddy always amazes
* Buddy Guy plays with a wide-open huge smile which you can hear thru his CD. His licks are right on, his collaborators are up to speed, his own song-writing is compelling, & I hope he can keep this up. His generation of blues players is thinning, & EC, eg, doesn't work as hard, & hasn't.
This is an excellent blues guitar player playing really well! ...

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Rating: - This is Buddy's Best
This new CD from Buddy Guy is outstanding. Not only his talent but the people he uses to complete the selection of songs is worth every penney!