Reviewed by Martin Emerson

Like Vol 1 this features an all star studio group put together by Lanny Cordola and featuring such talents as Daryl Mansfield and Crystal Lewis. A selection of ancient blues gospel classics with one or two originals thrown in, these are given impeccable old time blues arrangements. If your tastes veer towards the blues end of music or you enjoy the impeccable vocals talents of Crystal Lewis listen out for "Don't Wanna Go Down There, I'm Going To That City". Also of note is Lanny's "Won't Be Long Till Paradise" from his album 'Of Riffs And Symphonies'. On the downside, like Vol 1 this CD is quite short and I find it difficult to understand why these albums were not released as one volume, especially since there was very little time between the release of the two albums. Unfortunately, Metro One does not have a UK distributor at the moment, but if you are a keen blues fan Vol 1 and Vol 2 are both worth seeking out on import.

Also reviewed in CR40:
Funny that an item called 'Shack Of Peasants' should be recorded at the Hall of Supreme Harmony... it could only happen in California! Vol 1 wasn't made available in the UK. What producer/guitarist Lanny Cordola has done is get some of his friends in to sing gospel blues. This is all more than competent, not surprisingly with a line up of artists like this. Crystal Lewis leads off with the jangling, stomping "Don't Wanna Go Down There", "there" being Hell and Crystal enumerating her reasons for wishing to avoid it. Oddly enough, track five is titled "I'm Going To That City" and has a very similar feel and, yep. it's Crystal again tellin' us where she would like to go when she kicks the bucket. Other outstanding bits - some astounding Michael Jacksonish squeaks and squeals from Philip Bardowell. who normally sings like a gravel pit with bronchitis. "One More River To Cross" is the entire shack of peasants enjoying themselves enormously and why not when the dobros are janglin" and Gary T Griffin's wondrous bass harmonica is chuffin' away. Excellent stuff. Even the less brilliant tracks were only so by comparison with the real stellar stuff.
8
Sue Rann

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