Asie Payton never released a record in his life, despite the best efforts of Fat Possum. The label spent nearly two years in the middle of the '90s trying to convince the Mississippi bluesman that he should record or gig outside of his home of Washington County. Eventually, the coaxed him into two recording sessions, one at their old studio, the other at
Junior Kimbrough's club. This music was never released during
Payton's lifetime, but it provides the basis for
Worried, Fat Possum's posthumous 1999 release. For anybody that complains that modern electric blues sounds too clean and careful,
Worried is the perfect antidote -- this is gritty, dirty electric blues, sounding every bit as greasy as the classic recordings of the '50s and '60s. What's even more impressive is that the songs are rarely predictible blues standards -- they're traditional songs (only "Can't Be Satisfied" and "Skinny Legs & All" are crossover favorites), given original, idiosyncratic arrangements by
Payton. Usually, he's simply performing with drummer Sam Carr, but they're as raucous, loud and overpowering as a full band (as proven by the few tracks that are augmented by other musicians, which are no less chaotic than the stripped-back cuts). In an age when most blues albums sound canned, this is vibrant, exciting and real, reminiscent of the golden age of blues. And that's a pretty powerful last testament. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine