Albert Collins – Don’t Lose Your Cool – Alligator Records ALCD 4730

Across the vista of this 1983 collection, Collins’ guitar offensive remains as glacial, lacerating, and deeply affecting as ever, and his singing, in that half-vocalized, half-sung method, is assertive and absolutely expresses the account at the core of each song.  This was Collins’ fourth outing for Alligator Records.

A combination of originals and delicious covers by the likes of Oscar Brown, Jr., Big Walter Price, and Guitar Slim, this is polished contemporary blues embodied.

The expansive scopes of capabilities of each backing studio artist brings a deepness of emotion and resolved course to every song laid down.  Collectively, they’re a weighty lot.

Speaking of Collins’ supporting cast here, perhaps mentioning them in such abrupt words as above is selling them short.  How about this group of blues associates?  A.C Reed, Abb Locke, and Dino Spells on sturdy, rollicking saxophones, Larry Burton on excellent second guitar, Johnny B. Gayden on fine low-end bass chores, Chris Foreman on great keyboard forays, and Casey Jones doing superb double-duty on drums and backing vocals.

In ten quick years, Collins would be forever departed, but his lineage with Alligator Records is one of unvarying eminence.

Essential?  No.  Highly recommended?  You bet!  Collins was a force of nature, and this collection continues to hold up very well as time goes on.  It’s a masterclass of Telecaster-infused blues artistry.

Song Titles

• Get To Gettin’
• My Mind Is Trying To Leave Me
• Broke
• Don’t Lose Your Cool
• When A Guitar Plays The Blues
• …But I Was Cool!
• Melt Down
• Ego Trip
• Quicksand