Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon - Gulity! (1971)

Guilty! (called "Black & White Blues" in re-releases) is a 1971 album by Eric Burdon and Jimmy Witherspoon. It was the first release by Burdon after he left his band War.

In September 1970, Jimi Hendrix died after a jam session with Eric Burdon & War at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. After that, Burdon often broke down on stage. On 5 February 1971 he finally left the band in the middle of their European tour, allegedly due to exhaustion. After returning home and taking time off, the bulk of the album was recorded in summer with Witherspoon. The backing band, called Tovarish, consisted mainly of members from War.

"Going Down Slow" was recorded live in May 1971 in the San Quentin State Prison, with backing from Ike White and the San Quentin Prison Band. "Home Dream" was taken from Eric Burdon & War's back catalog; the song's title refers to the John Phillips Studios in Los Angeles. "Soledad" was released as a single. It was inspired by Burdon's experience driving down the freeway nearby Soledad State Prison. "There were blue skies and I was feeling good -- maybe I was high", he recounted. "Then I saw all that barbed wire and walls. I knew nothing about Angela Davis or the Soledad Brothers, but that doesn't matter. I just stopped at the nearest cafe and wrote the way it hit me, the way I felt." He further explained the song as a reflection of his horror, that "anyone can be driving down the freeway, listening to their stereo tapes, smoking dope and be free when, on the other side of the wire, there are guys who are being beaten up and treated like animals for doing the same thing".

"Guilty!" was released in 1971 to poor sales. In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave it a B-plus grade and found it "good in the casual dumb Burdon way, with sloppy interpretation balanced out by brilliant song choice (Chuck Berry's 'Have Mercy, Judge'), sloppy arrangements saved by a brilliant young guitarist (John Sterling)."

Review by NN:

"This album originally came out in 1971 on Far Out Productions, an MGM label. It was titled "Guilty". Eric Burdon of "The Animals" fame teamed up with the blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon. When I first heard this in 1971 I was blown away, and it's still knocking me out. My favorite song is "Have Mercy Judge". I was probably under the influence at the time but damn was that song powerful. Well I haven't been under the influence since that time period and you know what? That song still kicks my .... The price of the cd is worth it for just that one song, but of course there is so much good music here. The band is good and the two blues men compliment each other nicely on vocals. If you like Eric, like I like Eric, you'll say, oh my god, Have Mercy on me Eric I can't stand it if it gets any better. Buy this cd and you'll be driving to work in the morning singing, "Have mercy, I'm in a world of trouble, being held by the Highway Patrol"."


Tracklist:

1 I've Been Driftin' / Once Upon A Time 3:47

2 Steam Roller 4:23

3 The Laws Must Change 4:55

4 Have Mercy Judge 3:47

5 Going Down Slow 6:24

6 Soledad5:077Home Dream 7:18

8 Headin' For Home 4:33

9 The Time Has Come 5:55

Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon - Gulity! (1971)

(320 kbps, cover art included)