Worried

Spin (9/99, pp.198-9) - 8 out of 10 - "...one of [the record label's] finest releases....features performances as priceless as the one on the back-cover photo, where Payton picks at his guitar, oblivious to the pairs of freshly washed boxer shorts hung out to dry behind him..." Magnet (8-9/99, p.84) - "...stands out as the most soulful of the lot - the only true R&B record in the catalog....If there's room for only a handful of blues albums in your record collection, make sure this obscure gem is one of them." Living Blues (7-8/99, p.58) - "...shows off Payton's voice at its most supple and emotionally expressive....it's good that we have this document of a blues journeyman who lived and died within the context of Mississippi's indigenous blues traditions." New Music Monthly (7/99, p.54) - "...In his voice and fretwork you can hear not just one lifetime of pain, but generations of it....this might as well be [Fat Possum] label's best release yet." Guitar Magazine (7/99, p.100) - "...For those drawn to the raw rhythms and earthy grace of other Fat Possum artists...this album is a must-hear..."

Asie Payton never released a record in his life, despite the best efforts of Fat Possum. The label spent nearly two years in the middle of the '90s trying to convince the Mississippi bluesman that he should record or gig outside of his home of Washington County. Eventually, the coaxed him into two recording sessions, one at their old studio, the other at Junior Kimbrough's club. This music was never released during Payton's lifetime, but it provides the basis for Worried, Fat Possum's posthumous 1999 release. For anybody that complains that modern electric blues sounds too clean and careful, Worried is the perfect antidote -- this is gritty, dirty electric blues, sounding every bit as greasy as the classic recordings of the '50s and '60s. What's even more impressive is that the songs are rarely predictible blues standards -- they're traditional songs (only "Can't Be Satisfied" and "Skinny Legs & All" are crossover favorites), given original, idiosyncratic arrangements by Payton. Usually, he's simply performing with drummer Sam Carr, but they're as raucous, loud and overpowering as a full band (as proven by the few tracks that are augmented by other musicians, which are no less chaotic than the stripped-back cuts). In an age when most blues albums sound canned, this is vibrant, exciting and real, reminiscent of the golden age of blues. And that's a pretty powerful last testament. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine