Alabama 3 - Blues album review

Last gang in Brixton celebrate 20th anniversary with career peak

By Kris Needs
( Classic Rock )
published
Alabama 3 Blues album cover

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Alabama 3 achieved immortality when Woke Up This Morning, from their Exile On Coldharbour Lane debut, provided the perfect theme song for The Sopranos. Now the debauched “chemical country” revival troupe led by Larry Love and Rev D Wayne Love is currently promoting their twelfth album on their 20th anniversary tour.

Kicking off with the ingenious I’ll Never Be Satisfied, which places Love as a Sympathy For The Devil-like character staging music’s landmark deaths, the album pushes an inspired blues-hued blend of their irreverent moonshine gospel romps – ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition’ sings Love on Exodus (Movement Of War People) – comedown confessionals (Nothing To Lose But Your Chains) and gutbucket reflection (Rattlesnake Woman), all crucially spiked with the blackest humour.

Kris Needs
Kris Needs

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!