Eat at Whiteys (25th Anniversary Edition)

EVERLASTのソロ3作目『EAT AT WHITEY'S』が25周年記念盤CDとして発売!!

EVERLASTのソロ名義として2作目となるアルバム『Eat At Whitey's』は2000年にリリースされた作品である。1998年作『Whitey Ford Sings the Blue』の成功を受け、本作『Eat At Whitey's』ではサウンドをより強靭にしつつ、N'dea Davenport(「Love for Real」にてセクシーでR&Bフレイヴァー溢れるヴォーカルを披露)、Goodie MobのCee-Lo、Cypress HillのB Real、そしてEverlastのGrammy受賞曲「Put Your Lights On」を提供したCarlos Santanaといった豪華アーティストを迎えている。

Everlastは依然として救済と後悔に焦点を当てていると言えよう。しかし、ギターを携えながら創り上げるその情熱と強い熱量は、彼の視点の狭さを補って余りあるものであり、聖者、罪人、仲間たちが共存する夜想的で妖艶な世界を鮮烈に描き出している。

Nobody ever would have guessed that the leader of House of Pain would come back after a bout of obscurity and a serious heart attack to reinvent himself as a hip-hop troubadour, rasping out bluesy folk-rock to a steady-rolling beat. The fact that Everlast had the vision to change his tune was surprising enough, but the fact that it worked and found a wide audience was stunning. When it came time to deliver Eat at Whitey's, the follow-up to Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, in 2000, Everlast was smart enough to expand on a good thing, turning out a sequel that built on the folk-rap-rock that rejuvenated his career, while adding slight new twists. The problem is, the new twists, particularly in the guise of cameos from rockers like Carlos Santana and Warren Haynes, don't work particularly well. Also, whenever he veers toward straight rap, such as on the B-Real duet "Deadly Assassins," the music falls a little flat -- just like it did on the predecessor. Still, these not-quite successful moments don't detract from an album that delivers on the promise of Whitey Ford. Whenever Everlast lays back and spins stories and tall tales on his own, his blend of folk, rock, blues, rap, and pop culture clicks. It can be a little silly -- his rhymes are occasionally goofy, his growl a little too raspy -- but at its best, it's evocative, catchy, and ingratiating. If he can't sustain the quality of the first three songs throughout the record, at least it connects several more times, enough to make Eat at Whitey's satisfying for listeners that want a little more of "What It's Like." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine