John Mooney
Gone To Hell
Blind Pig – 5063
Release - 2000
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This disc by John Mooney stretches his boundaries without compromising his music at all. He adds some New Orleans rhythm & blues/funk to the solid deep Delta blues foundation on which his music is based. It works yet he doesn’t seem quite comfortable with it all yet even though he wrote 9 of the 13 songs ( some of his strongest songs yet). Of course he has enlisted some of the finest, such as Dr. John to plink the ivories, and some friendly familiar faces, Jeff Sarli on bass, to assist him in this endeavor. This is more a group orientated effort and it is excellent in that respect, however that means John’s guitar work is not as prominent in the mix and thus it requires more attention by the listener because he has not lost any of his ferocity at all. His guitar playing is some of the most savage and ferocious I have heard. A big plus on this disc is John’s singing because he is sounding more comfortable each time out and he has a voice perfectly matched in passion to raw and fervid nature of his Delta based material. Even his R & B is anchored in the mud of the mighty river that feeds the area. The blues are associated with the devil and passion and if you are dealing with the devil it is assumed you generally wind up down in Hell. What many people forget is that the same passion that can take you down to Hell can also raise you up to Heaven. The disc is titled “Gone To Hell”, and it is filled with the fierceness that takes you on the express train to whatever your destination. Where ever John Mooney is going he is riding that express with the type of dedication that is a force and fury that show a total dedication and must be reckoned with. A must for all interested in the Blues and honest music that is played from the heart.
Song, times, and writers -
1. Gone To Hell – 3:41 – John Mooney
2. No – 2:48 – John Mooney
3. That’s What Lovers Do – 3:18 – John Mooney
4. Dry Spell Blues – 2:49 – Son House
5. Made Up My Mind – 3:54 -– John Mooney
6. Funky Arkansas – 3:42 – John Mooney
7. Indian Lea – 2:50 – John Mooney
8. I Wonder Blues – 4:32 – John Mooney
9. Glass House 3:28 – John Mooney
10. Cypress Grove – 3:11 – Skip James (additional lyrics John Mooney and Son House)
11. How Long Blues – 3:53 – Leroy Carr
12. Grab A Hold – 3:59 – John Mooney
13. Down South Blues – Son House
Musicians
John Mooney – vocals, electric and National steel standard guitars, producer
Alfred “Uganda” Roberts – Congas & percussion
Dr. John – piano on cuts 2, 3, 11, and 12
Jeff Sarli – bass
Kerry Brown – drums and shakers
Cindy Lea – producer