Issued as follow-up to the classic 1968 "Super Session" album (see earlier post), but without the renowned participants Stephen Stills, Carlos Santana and Mike Bloomfield. Instead you get Al Kooper presenting 15 y.o. guitar prodigy Shuggie Otis, son of US r&b legend Johnny Otis, and backed by relatively unknown studio musicians. Album sequels can be tricky as they often lack some of the quality or originality of the first, but to my ears this is as good and partly even better. Side two - subtitled "The Blues" - consist of two long blues jams with lots of flashy Kooper organ and amazing guitars, plus a short acoustic number mimicking a twenties style blues recording with electronically produced scratch noise. Side one - "The Songs" - takes off with a wild gospel, credited to Kooper but building on classic gospel melodic figures, and continues with an instrumental organ/guitar ballad. Next - "One Room Country Shack" - is my album favorite. A Mercy Dee Walton cover with a riff so insistent once you get it in your system it'll stay. Side ends with a soul cover - "Lookin' For A Home" - starting soft with flowing organs and ending with a powerful guitar solo. Audio tophole all the way with lots of presence. Premiere US on Columbia (CS 9951). Also reissued on vinyl and CD by Sony, Repertoire, Acadia, CBS and Columbia. First UK had label as shown here, SBPG matrixes, thick vinyl and matt sleeve with record number above logo on front and back. (ÄLCÖ*)
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