Burglar | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1974 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Blues | |||
Length | 37:38 | |||
Label | RSO | |||
Producer | Mike Vernon | |||
Freddie King chronology | ||||
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Burglar is an album by the American musician Freddie King, released in 1974.[1][2] King signed with RSO Records on the advice of Eric Clapton.[3] King supported the album with a North American tour than included shows with Rush, among others.[4] Burglar charted on Billboard's Soul LPs chart.[5] In 2023, Lurrie Bell recorded an interpretation of the complete album.[6]
The album was produced primarily by Mike Vernon, with Tom Dowd doing some work at Criteria Studios.[7][8] Clapton played guitar on "Sugar Sweet"; he and his band recorded three other songs with King during the session, which were released later.[8][9][10] Bobby Tench also contributed on guitar.[11] King, who wrote two of the songs, added elements of pop and funk to his Texas blues sound.[12][13] "Pack It Up" is a cover of the Gonzalez song.[14] "She's a Burglar" was written by Jerry Ragovoy.[15] "Pulp Wood" is an instrumental.[16]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [17] |
The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues | [18] |
Billboard wrote that "King sings in his usual rough vocals but continues to let his fluid and graceful guitar do most of the talking."[19] The Bracknell and Ascot Times praised King's "incomparable wailing, bending and soaring electric guitar and superb voice."[20] The Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush Gazette deemed the album "an exciting mixture of the traditional slow blues and the wilder, more extroverted rhythm 'n' blues."[21] The Lincoln Journal Star stated that "King can fool you because he plays with such a big beat, but he is a sensitive guitar player when he gets down."[22]
AllMusic wrote that "Burglar is one of those gems that journeymen can put together in their sleep."[8] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings noted that King's "guitar solos rarely descend below the eighth fret."[17] The Plain Dealer included the album on its list of the "100 greatest guitar albums from Rock & Roll Hall of Famers", concluding that "King puts it all together as artist, creating a mix of blues and funk with his guitar and voice."[23]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Pack It Up" | 4:09 |
2. | "My Credit Didn't Go Through" | 4:09 |
3. | "I Got the Same Old Blues" | 3:23 |
4. | "Only Getting Second Best" | 3:48 |
5. | "Texas Flyer" | 3:45 |
6. | "Pulp Wood" | 3:11 |
7. | "She's a Burglar" | 3:51 |
8. | "Sugar Sweet" | 2:51 |
9. | "I Had a Dream" | 4:59 |
10. | "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" | 3:32 |
Total length: | 37:38 |