by Bruce Eder
Out of the Blue marked Chris Farlowe's return to American soul music and blues, after a decade-long hiatus caused by a road accident injury and a series of gigs with other players. It was as though he'd picked up right where he'd left off at Immediate Records in 1970, without skipping a beat -- opening with Willie Dixon's &I Ain't Superstitious,& he sounds so American and so black that listeners could still do double-takes after 20 years in the spotlight for the singer. &The Thrill Is Gone& and &Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City& are among the best cuts, but the whole album is worthwhile and then some.