by Bill Dahl
Uncommon wit runs through the lyrics of this varied set, certainly one of the more intriguing Chicago blues albums of the late '70s. Johnson's high-pitched vocals are particularly soulful on the impassioned &I Need Some Easy Money& and &Ashes in My Ashtray,& while &The Twelve Bar Blues& and &Poor Boy's Dream& are upbeat entries that don't sound as comfortable for the guitarist. Johnson gets away with a honky-tonk reprise of Ernest Tubb's country classic &Drivin' Nails in My Coffin,& but his rehash of Dave Brubeck's &Take Five& should have stayed on the bandstand.