Where It's At is an album by the American soul group the Holmes Brothers, released in 1991.[1][2] It was the group's second album for Rounder Records.[3]
| Where It's At | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Soul, R&B | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington, Andy Breslau | |||
| The Holmes Brothers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Scott Billington and Andy Breslau.[4] It includes covers of songs written by, among others, Hank Williams and Sam Cooke, as well as originals penned by Wendell Holmes and Paul Kelly.[5] The album liner notes were written by Vernon Reid.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Calgary Herald | A[8] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
The Washington Post thought that "as singers, the brothers Holmes—Wendell and Sherman—tend to go in opposite directions, taking the high and low roads as they merge soul and gospel traditions, drawing inspiration and passion from both."[12] The Orlando Sentinel wrote that "the blend between the brothers' gritty voices and [Popsy] Dixon's celestial falsetto is pure soul."[10]
The New York Times called the album "a strange and beguiling mixture of bar-band blues, soul, funk, gospel and country music."[13] The St. Petersburg Times opined that "although it recalls Stax/Volt in spots, the disc is not a museum piece."[14] Stereo Review panned the "utterly awful, ear-wrenching voice of Wendell Holmes."[15]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's Where It's At" | 5:38 |
| 2. | "The Love You Save" | 4:09 |
| 3. | "You Can't Hold On to a Love That's Gone" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "I've Been a Loser" | 3:22 |
| 5. | "High Heel Sneakers" | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Worried Life Blues" | 3:55 |
| 7. | "Never Let Me Go" | 6:40 |
| 8. | "Give It Up" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "I've Been to the Well Before" | 3:58 |
| 10. | "I Saw the Light" | 2:38 |
| 11. | "Drown in My Own Tears" | 5:05 |
Personnel
edit- Willie "Popsy" Dixon - drums, vocals
- Sherman Holmes - bass, vocals
- Wendell Holmes - guitar, vocals
- Jon Cleary - keyboards
- Gib Wharton - pedal steel
- Hell's Kitchen Horns - horns
References
edit- ^ "The Holmes Brothers | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (7 Aug 1992). "Projecting a feeling of brotherhood: Famed blues and gospel group, the Holmes Brothers, comes calling". Edmonton Journal. p. C5.
- ^ "Music". Part II. Newsday. 9 Dec 1991. p. 40.
- ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 45. Nov 9, 1991. p. 70.
- ^ Swenson, John (Feb 20, 1992). "Recordings". Rolling Stone. No. 624. p. 45.
- ^ Kot, Greg (26 Jan 1992). "Soul-salving: Some musicians find life begins at 50 in the rebirth of the blues". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 10.
- ^ "Where It's At - The Holmes Brothers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Obee, Dave (2 Mar 1992). "Recordings". Calgary Herald. p. D8.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 339.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (10 Jan 1992). "Records The Holmes Brothers". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 8.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 325.
- ^ "R&B, Soul Brothers Deserving of Fame". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Watrous, Peter (25 Dec 1991). "The Pop Life: Blues Band's Success Is Belated but Sweet". The New York Times. p. 13.
- ^ Snider, Eric (11 Mar 1992). "Alternative Top 10". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1D.
- ^ "Popular Music". Stereo Review. Vol. 57, no. 6. June 1992. p. 87.