Tales from the Austin Motel

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Tales from the Austin Motel
Studio album by
Debbie Davies
Released1999
RecordedJanuary 1999
GenreBlues
LabelShanachie
Debbie Davies chronology
Homesick for the Road
(1999) 		Tales from the Austin Motel
(1999) 		Love the Game
(2001)

Tales from the Austin Motel is an album by the American musician Debbie Davies, released in 1999.[1][2] Davies supported the album with a North American tour.[3]

Production[edit]

The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, over the course of two weeks in January 1999; its title refers to the motel where Davies stayed.[4] Davies was backed by the Double Trouble musicians Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon.[5] She was inspired by the Austin bluesman W. C. Clark.[6] Davies wrote or cowrote seven of the songs.[7] "I Just Want to Make Love to You" is a cover of the Willie Dixon song.[8] "Astras de Tus Ojos (Behind Your Eyes)" is an instrumental.[9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[11]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[12]
The Press of Atlantic City[7]

The Chicago Tribune concluded that "neither her deep, strong voice nor her barrage of slide solos distinguishes Davies from dozens of similar blues singer-guitarists.[13] CMJ New Music Report called Tales from the Austin Motel a "landmark of an album [that] is certainly one of the best blues records of 1999."[14] The Independent said that the "mostly enjoyable set of shuffles evokes the Texas tradition."[15] The Telegram & Gazette wrote that "a fine balance is struck between the bawdy and the mournful."[16] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that "her economical guitar solos have plenty of bite."[12]

AllMusic noted that "some may quibble that the recording is a little too crystal clear to really capture the nasty Austin sound they strive to achieve, but the trio does have a dynamic interplay."[10]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Just Stepped in the Blues" 
2."I Want to Be Loved" 
3."Bald Headed Baby" 
4."Watch Out What You Do" 
5."I Just Want to Make Love to You" 
6."As the Years Go Passing By" 
7."I'm a Woman" 
8."Half Caf-Decaf" 
9."Astras de Tus Ojos (Behind Your Eyes)" 
10."When You Were Gone" 
11."Percolatin'" 
12."Walking By Myself" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Music". Dayton Daily News. 15 July 1999. p. 2C.
  2. ^ Novak, Ralph (Aug 16, 1999). "Tales from the Austin Motel". People. Vol. 52, no. 6. p. 44.
  3. ^ Guarino, Mark (23 July 1999). "Debbie Davies". Time Out. Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. p. 4.
  4. ^ McGuinness, Jim (8 Oct 1999). "A 4-in-1 Shot at Success". Lifestyle/Previews. The Record. Bergen County. p. 15.
  5. ^ Komara, Edward, ed. (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 251.
  6. ^ Wallace, Bob (July 15, 2000). "Blues". The Morning Call. p. A42.
  7. ^ a b Fine, Eric (Aug 27, 1999). "'Tales from the Austin Motel', Debbie Davies". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. pp. 26, 28.
  8. ^ Johnson, Jeff (23 July 1999). "Slick guitarist has paid her dues to play the blues". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 6.
  9. ^ Danton, Eric (26 Aug 1999). "Tales from the Austin Motel". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 7.
  10. ^ a b "Tales from the Austin Motel Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  11. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 152.
  12. ^ a b Cristiano, Nick (Sep 12, 1999). "Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F15.
  13. ^ Knopper, Steve (15 Aug 1999). "Recordings". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune. p. 9.
  14. ^ Lien, James (Jul 26, 1999). "Debbie Davies Tales from the Austin Motel". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 59, no. 628. p. 28.
  15. ^ Trapp, Roger (25 Sep 1999). "Jazz & Blues". Features. The Independent. p. 39.
  16. ^ McLennan, Scott (30 Sep 1999). "An A student: Debbie Davies has done her blues homework". Telegram & Gazette. p. C1.
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