Various Artists, Eisenhower Blues (Empire Musicwerks)


It’s no coincidence that this title would surface at a time when contemporary artists are pushing each other out of the way to sound off on Bush. This is a reminder that “The Decider” isn’t the first president to inspire protest music. Eisenhower Blues is a fabulous post-war blues anthology of mainly Chicago blues, but really only two tracks—J. B. Lenoir’s title track and John Brim’s “Tough Times”—are politically motivated. Highlights include Willie Egan’s Demon-ish “Wow Wow,” Lenoir’s bragging “Fine Girls,” Jody Williams’ bouncy “Lookin’ For My Baby,” Little Willie Foster’s chilling “Falling Rain Blues,” and the shuffling “Fool No More” by Eddie Hope and the Manish Boys. The common thread here is that all the tracks are brilliant, and there’s really not any more a blues fan could ask for.