There comes a time in every artist’s life when it is time to take stock on all you have done. After three decades of working the highways and byways of the Northwest, recording 18 albums, garnering a legion of fans and winning a place in the Halls of Fame of three regional blues societies, Tim ”Too Slim,” Langford made his way to Nashville, TN. In Music City, Langford forged a partnership with Grammy winner Tom Hambridge, who produced his last studio album Blue Heart in 2013. The pair has joined forces to assemble a two-disc album, Anthology, released June 2014 as a collection of 31 select songs from Too Slim’s storied career and three new songs.
The swamp rock tune “Wishing Well” boldly kicks off what can’t really be called a Greatest Hits album, but rather a set of favorites, milestones, and magic moments. The two other new tunes, a four-on-the-floor rocker called “Little Gun Motel,” and the piano ballad “Big Ole House,” are woven seamlessly into the fabric of Too Slim’s discography. Langford’s signature take-no-prisoners slide playing, genre fusing songwriting, and the many incarnations of his power trio the Taildraggers are well represented in the song selection. These tales of blues, hard times, and heartache range from full-tilt rockers like “Wash My Hands” and a light-hearted cantina song called “Mexico,” to R&B groover with horns “She Sees Ghosts.”
Disc two gives us a bit more depth, as Langford chose to include several songs from his solo album Broken Halo, on which he played all the instruments and showcased his acoustic guitar, mandolin, and dobro skills. Two guest vocalists are also featured with the iconic Curtis Salgado leading the congregation on “Everybody’s Got Something,” and Jimmy Hall confessing the blues while Too Slim rips during “Good to See You Smile Again.”
Rick J Bowen
