by Bill Dahl
One of the few lousy recordings of this determinedly eclectic multi-instrumentalist's lengthy career. He's stuck going the superstar cameo route a la John Lee Hooker (there's less Gate on this disc than on any other Gate set), welcoming Eric Clapton aboard for some amazingly generic guitar solos; vocally duetting with frog-voiced Leon Russell and chirpy Maria Muldaur, and backing Loudermilk as he sings his own composition "Tobacco Road" (where's Lou Rawls when you need him?). A handful of acoustic numbers add depth, but there's not much here at all that's likely to satisfy Gate's legion of blues fans.