Although he had been playing for years, it wasn't until the 1990s that
R.L. Burnside
's raw electrified
Delta blues
were heard by a wide audience. His new fans celebrated his wild, unbridled energy, so it made sense for him to team with
the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
, the warped
indie rock
band that's all about energy. However, the very purists who celebrate
Burnside
hate
Spencer
, believing that the latter mocks the
blues
. As the blistering
Ass Pocket of Whiskey
proves,
may not treat the
with reverence, but he and his band capture the wild essence of juke-joint
. And that makes them the perfect match for
, who knows his history but isn't burdened by it. Together,
and the
Blues Explosion
make raw, scintillating, unvarnished
that positively burns. ~ Thom Owens