Taj Mahal
The Natch'l Blues
 Original Cover Art  2000 Edition Cover Art |
Taj Mahal has gone a long way since the release of his second album, "The Natch'l Blues", in 1968. When putting this record on, don't expect to listen to the Blues entertainer he has become during the 1990s. This is plain, mainly acoustic, serious Soul-Blues. The album contains (only) 9 tracks, including Taj Mahal's well-known "She Caught The Katy", as well as some other Soul acts, that could fit in an Otis Redding album ("A Lot Of Love", "You Don't Miss Your Water"). "The Natch'l Blues" also provides more bluesy moments with "Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue" and "Done Changed My Way Of Living". Taj Mahal's performance is calm, with simple accompaniment and sober arrangements. The sound of this Taj Mahal debut recalls Keb' Mo's own (released 26 years later) in a smoother style. Allthough there are some valuable works in Taj Mahal's later releases, "The Natch'l Blues" remains his best release. A new edition of it was released in 2000, with a new cover art, and three bonus tracks. |
TRACKS
| 1. | Good Morning Miss Brown (Mahal) - 3:13 |
| 2. | Corrina (Mahal/Davis) - 3:00 |
| 3. | I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll (Mahal) - 3:13 |
| 4. | Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue (Mahal) - 3:35 |
| 5. | Done Changed My Way Of Living (Mahal) - 7:01 |
| 6. | She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride (Mahal/Rachell) - 3:27 |
| 7. | The Cuckoo (Traditional) - 4:14 |
| 8. | You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry) (Bell) - 4:24 |
| 9. | A Lot Of Love (Parker/Banks) - 3:59 |
(Audio snippets in Windows Media format)