Heads Up!

Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials

Alligator
www.alligator.com

review by Tony Engelhart

Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials are one of the leading party bands to emerge from Chicago during the 80’s. Playing some of the rawest, roughest, toughest boogie and rockin’ style of Blues, the group have established themselves world wide as the #1 houserockin’ band. With Lil’ Ed Williams’ fierce and flamboyant slide guitar, he has often been compared to Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor. On their fifth record for Alligator Records, Heads Up!, the party continues.

What Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials lack in originality, they make up for with energy. Borrowing a standard Chuck Berry intro, “Woman In The Castle”, is straight ahead rock and roll to kick off the revelry which is to follow. Williams’ rough and ready slide playing is showcased on the boogie woogie instrumental “Ed Heads’ Boogie”. Old school blues manifests with a tight arrangement and Eds’ rough and ready vocals on “Natural Man”. The band pays homage to the Chicago Blues on a respectful rendition of “Black Night”.

Recorded live in the studio, as are all Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials albums, the disc has a relaxed and flowing ambience to it. If you’re not an “Ed Head” yet, Heads Up will surely convert you into one.