Texas Cannonball
| Texas Cannonball | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 24, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | February 2–27, 1972 | |||
| Genre | Electric blues, Texas blues | |||
| Length | 36:31 | |||
| Label | Shelter | |||
| Producer | Leon Russell, Denny Cordell | |||
| Freddie King chronology | ||||
| ||||
Texas Cannonball is the ninth studio album by American blues guitarist and singer Freddie King, released on January 24, 1972 by Shelter Records.[1] It is the second of three albums King recorded for Shelter Records, produced by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell, and showcases a dynamic mix of electric blues and blues rock.
King's reinterpretation of blues standards, along with his powerful performance, contributed to the album’s critical acclaim and solidified his role in the early 1970s blues revival.[1]
Texas Cannonball remains one of King's most celebrated works and is often cited as a key influence on subsequent generations of blues and rock musicians.[1]
Background
[edit]Following the success of his 1971 album Getting Ready..., Freddie King continued his collaboration with Leon Russell and Denny Cordell at Shelter Records to produce Texas Cannonball.[2]
The album features a mix of covers and original compositions, including songs by John Fogerty, Lowell Fulson, Leon Russell, Bill Withers, and King's own "You Was Wrong".
Texas Cannonball includes contributions from Don Preston on guitar, Carl Radle on bass, and Jim Gordon on drums.[2]
Artwork
[edit]The album cover of Texas Cannonball was created by American artist Jim Franklin, a prominent figure in the Texas counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Known for his surreal illustrations featuring armadillos, the cover features a dramatic depiction of Freddie King erupting from a field of bluebonnets with armadillos leaping from his guitar—a recurring motif in Franklin's work.[3]
The illustration also serves as a tribute to Texas landscape painter Porfirio Salinas, whose works were favored by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.[2] Franklin’s blending of psychedelic imagery with regional visual traditions helped define the visual identity of blues and rock albums associated with Shelter Records during this period.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Texas Cannonball received generally positive reviews from music critics upon its release. Reviewers praised Freddie King's dynamic fusion of traditional blues and contemporary rock elements, as well as his fiery guitar work and emotive vocal delivery.
In a 1991 retrospective, The Commercial Appeal described the album as "a masterpiece" and highlighted it as featuring some of King's finest vocals since the late 1950s and early 1960s.[7] The review emphasized King's ability to reinterpret the blues through a modern rock lens that appealed to a broader audience.
In 2007, the Houston Chronicle listed Texas Cannonball among the "75 essential Texas blues albums," further cementing its status as a landmark record in the genre.[8]
Modern evaluations continue to acknowledge the album's influence. AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger wrote that the album was "similar to his first Shelter outing (Getting Ready), but with more of a rock feel," noting its successful blend of blues grit and rock energy.[1]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lowdown in Lodi" | John Fogerty | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Reconsider Baby" | Lowell Fulson | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Big Leg Woman (With a Short Short Mini Skirt)" | Israel Tolbert | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Me and My Guitar" | Chuck Blackwell, Leon Russell | 4:02 |
| 5. | "I'd Rather Be Blind" | Russell | 3:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Trust Your Neighbor" | Isaac Hayes, David Porter | 3:54 |
| 2. | "You Was Wrong" | Freddie King | 3:45 |
| 3. | "How Many More Years" | Howlin' Wolf | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Ain't No Sunshine" | Bill Withers | 3:15 |
| 5. | "The Sky Is Crying" | Elmore James | 3:24 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Album Search for "texas cannonball"". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Freddie King - Texas Cannonball". Elemental-music.com. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Hollern, Madeline (July 28, 2021). "How Jim Franklin Turned the Armadillo into Texas' Counterculture Mascot". Austinmonthly.com. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 849.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 633.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 398.
- ^ "The Legend of Freddie King". The Commercial Appeal. 1991. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "75 Essential Texas Blues Albums". Houston Chronicle. 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Texas Cannonball at Discogs (list of releases)