Ice Pickin'
Studio album by
Albert Collins
Released1978
RecordedBy Freddie Breitberg at Curtom Studios, Chicago, IL.
GenreBlues
Length36:48
LabelAlligator ALCD 4713[1]
ProducerBruce Iglauer, Richard McLeese & Dick Shurman
Albert Collins chronology
Alive & Cool
(1972)		 Ice Pickin'
(1978)		 Albert Collins and Barrelhouse live
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings + “Crown”[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

Ice Pickin' is a studio album by Albert Collins, released in 1978.[7][8] It was Collins's breakthrough album.[4] Ice Pickin' was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award.[9]

Production

The album was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago.[10] The Guardian wrote of Collins's guitar technique: "Collins had developed a highly distinctive approach to the guitar, tuning it to a D minor chord and using a capo high up the neck to achieve a sharp, brilliant effect, his 'ice-cold, sheet-metal sound' that was mirrored in the name of his band, The Icebreakers."[11]

Critical reception

The Bay State Banner thought that "when Collins cooks, with fluent riffs and humorous vocals plus innovative tuning and incorporation of minor blues keys, the result is masterful."[12] The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the album "burrows down to the real nitty gritty of urban existence ... it's one of the best '70s blues albums."[6] The Chicago Tribune called the album "a classic."[10] The Iowa City Press-Citizen called it "a cool, invigorating blast across the era's barren blues landscape."[13] The Dayton Daily News wrote that Collins "made several other stellar releases before his untimely demise in '93, but none match the muscle and depth of this certifiable classic."[14]

Melody Maker deemed it the best blues album of 1978, as did the Montreaux Jazz Festival.[15]

In addition to a four stars out of four rating, the authors of The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings awarded the album a “Crown”, indicating that they considered it to be an exceptional CD, and one that should be part of any blues collection.[5]

Liner notes

According to the inside cover of the album:

Albert King names Collins as his favorite guitarist, and John Lee Hooker declares, "I'm an Albert Collins freak!"

Track listing

  1. "Honey, Hush! (Talking Woman Blues)" (Lowell Fulson, Ferdinand Washington) - 04:28
  2. "When the Welfare Turns Its Back on You" (Lucious Porter Weaver, Sonny Thompson) - 05:26
  3. "Ice Pick" (Collins) - 03:08
  4. "Cold, Cold Feeling" (Jessie Mae Robinson) - 05:19
  5. "Too Tired" (Saul Bihari, Maxwell Davis, Johnny "Guitar" Watson) - 03:00
  6. "Master Charge" (Gwen Collins) - 05:12
  7. "Conversation with Collins" (Collins) - 08:52
  8. "Avalanche" (Collins) - 02:39

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Psychology Press. p. 220.
  2. ↑ "AllMusic Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 479–480.
  5. 1 2 Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  6. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 152–153.
  7. ↑ "Artist Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Albert Collins; Award-Winning Blues Guitarist, Recording Artist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "GRAMMY Award Results for Albert Collins". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 "BLUES FANS IN A DEEP FREEZE OVER LOSS OF ALBERT COLLINS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Russell, Tony (30 Nov 1993). "Ice-cold blues straight from the hip Obituary: Albert Collins". The Guardian.
  12. ↑ "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner: 14. 21 Dec 1978.
  13. ↑ Weber, Tim (9 Dec 2004). "Ice Pickin' Albert Collins". Iowa City Press-Citizen: D2.
  14. ↑ Thrasher, Don (25 Apr 2006). "25 blues CDs worth shouting about". Dayton Daily News: D7.
  15. ↑ "Guitar Wizard Albert Collins To Perform With Icebreakers". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
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