Amos Milburn

The Best of Amos Milburn: Down the Road Apiece

by Ron Wynn review

Pianist Amos Milburn mixed boogie-woogie with vocal energy and intensity to forge a style that was among early R&B;'s most exciting and appealing. Milburn's 1940s and '50s singles were sometimes fiery and sometimes silly, ranging from drinking songs and celebratory uptempo numbers to stomping instrumentals and an occasional blues or love tune. This excellent 26-track anthology contains such classic Milburn anthems as "Chickenshack Boogie," "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer," "Let's Have A Party," and "Bad, Bad Whiskey," as well as lesser-known but just as spirited romps. The mastering bolsters the sound, but doesn't deaden it, while Joseph Laredo's liner notes clearly and completely outline Milburn's musical and cultural/historical significance.

	Track Name/Composer	Time
1.	Down the Road a Piece Don Raye	2:57
2.	Hold Me Baby Amos Milburn / Lola Anne Cullum	2:47
3.	Chicken Shack Boogie Lola Anne Cullum / Amos Milburn	2:48
4.	It Took a Long, Long Time Jesse Cryor	2:36
5.	Empty Arms Blues John Erby	2:55
6.	Bewildered Teddy Powell / Leonard Whitcup	2:56
7.	In the Middle of the Night Jessie Mae Robinson	2:39
8.	Roomin' House Boogie Jessie Mae Robinson	2:44
9.	Walking Blues Amos Milburn	2:57
10.	Real Pretty Mama Blues	2:18
11.	Sax Shack Boogie Amos Milburn	2:49
12.	Let's Rock a While Frank Haywood / Monroe Tucker	2:39
13.	Bad Bad Whiskey Thomas Maxwell Davis	2:56
14.	Tears, Tears, Tears (Tears in My Eyes) Jessie Mae Robinson	2:44
15.	Thinking and Drinking	2:24
16.	Put Something in My Hand (I Know You Love Me, Baby) Amos Milburn	3:00
17.	Roll, Mr. Jelly Florence Cadrez	2:40
18.	Let Me Go Home, Whiskey Henri Shifts	2:47
19.	One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer Rudy Toombs	2:54
20.	Let's Have a Party Eddie Mesner	2:33
21.	Good, Good Whiskey Adelia Davis	2:59
22.	Milk and Water Rudy Toombs	3:08
23.	Vicious, Vicious Vodka J. Smith	2:57
24.	I Done Done It (Don't Do It) Amos Milburn / Rudy Toombs / Chuck Calhoun	2:32
25.	House Party (Tonite)	2:26
26.	Soft Pillow J. Taylor	2:16