Junior Wells • It´s my life baby

Review by Richie Unterberger

Although It's My Life, Baby! was decent mid-'60s electric Chicago blues, coming so soon after Junior Wells' 1965 classic Hoodoo Man Blues -- one of the greatest blues LPs ever -- it was something of a disappointment. Wells' chief right-hand man for Hoodoo Man Blues, guitarist Buddy Guy, was still on board for these recordings, but the band arrangements weren't quite as tight. More crucially, the material wasn't as good or innovative, giving far more weight to slow blues with standard progressions, and relatively little attention to the funk-soul-Latin influences that had supplied several of Hoodoo Man Blues' finest moments. Finally, the decision to mix studio recordings with live tracks (recorded at Pepper's Lounge in Chicago) could be questioned, as it lent the record an inconsistency, particularly as different bands were used live and in the studio. Taken on its own terms, however, it's certainly respectable, at times revving up the energy for an infectious bounce. "Country Girl," for instance, stands in peppy contrast to the relatively sleepy slow tunes; "Shake It Baby" revives some of the soul feeling of the Hoodoo Man Blues sessions; and "(I Got A) Stomach Ache" is funky in a silly but fun way.

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Reseña por Richie Unterberger

Aunque es mi vida, bebé! era un blues eléctrico de Chicago de mediados de los sesenta, muy poco después del clásico Hoodoo Man Blues de Junior Wells de 1965, uno de los mejores discos de blues de la historia, fue una decepción. El jefe de la mano derecha de Wells para Hoodoo Man Blues, el guitarrista Buddy Guy, todavía estaba a bordo para estas grabaciones, pero los arreglos de la banda no eran tan ajustados. Más importante aún, el material no fue tan bueno o innovador, y le dio mucho más peso a los blues lentos con progresiones estándar, y relativamente poca atención a las influencias del funk-soul-latín que habían provocado varios de los mejores momentos de Hoodoo Man Blues. Finalmente, la decisión de mezclar grabaciones de estudio con pistas en vivo (grabadas en Pepper's Lounge en Chicago) podría ser cuestionada, ya que le dio al disco una inconsistencia, particularmente porque diferentes bandas se usaron en vivo y en el estudio. Sin embargo, asumido en sus propios términos, es ciertamente respetable, a veces acelerando la energía para un rebote infeccioso. "Country Girl", por ejemplo, contrasta con las melodías lentas relativamente somnolientas; "Shake It Baby" revive parte del sentimiento del alma de las sesiones de Hoodoo Man Blues; y "(Tengo A) Dolor de estómago" es funky de una manera tonta pero divertida.

 Tracklist:
1 It's My Life Baby   
2 It's So Sad To Be Lonely   
3 Country Girl   
4 You Lied To Me   
5 Stormy Monday   
6 Shake It Baby   
7 Checking On My Baby   
8 Early In The Morning   
9 Stomach Ache   
10 Look How Baby   
11 Slow, Slow   
12 Everything's Going To Be Alright


Credits:
    Bass – Leroy Stewart (tracks: A1 to B6)
    Drums – Fred Below (tracks: A1, A2, B2, B4, B5 ), Little Al (tracks: A3 to A6, B1, B3, B6)
    Guitar – Buddy Guy (tracks: A1 to B6), Walter Beasley (2) (tracks: A3 to A6, B1, B3, B6)
    Photography By – Joel Brodsky
    Vocals, Harmonica – Junior Wells (tracks: A1 to B6)

Notes:
A1, A2, B2, B4, B5 - Recorded live in Pepper's Louangevon Chicago south side
A3 to A6, B1, B3, B6 - Studios
https://www.discogs.com/Junior-Wells-Its-My-Life-Baby/release/7940023

Label: Vanguard ‎– VMD-73120
Released: 1966
Genre: Blues
Style: Chicago Blues






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