When a Guitar Plays the Blues
Roy Buchanan · 1985
42 min · 9 tracks · blues
Raw guitar mastery intertwines with soulful blues grooves, creating a gripping narrative of heartache and resilience.
Top tracks — play these first
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When a Guitar Plays the Blues — The title track encapsulates Buchanan's signature style, blending intricate guitar solos with heartfelt lyrics that embody the essence of blues music.
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Chicago Smokeshop — This track showcases Buchanan's ability to fuse traditional blues with contemporary elements, highlighted by its engaging rhythm and soulful expressiveness.
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Country Boy — With its infectious groove, this song highlights Buchanan’s storytelling prowess, painting vivid imagery of rural life while delivering captivating guitar riffs.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
Buchanan's guitar work is central, but the album's flow and pacing are uneven.
What we noticed
- Several tracks incorporate a call-and-response structure between the guitar and vocals, enhancing the conversational quality of the music.
- The tempo varies significantly across the nine tracks, with some songs maintaining a steady groove while others shift to more frenetic rhythms.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- heartfelt storytelling through solos
- evocative melodies for reflection
- soulful expression in every track
- intimate late-night listening experience
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of upbeat tempos
- prefer short, standalone tracks
Where this album fits
- Career context
- By 1985, Roy Buchanan was an established figure in the blues scene, having released several albums since his debut in 1972. 'When a Guitar Plays the Blues' marked his return after a four-year hiatus, showcasing his virtuosic guitar work and emotive storytelling. This album came during a time when he was seeking to revitalize his career amidst changing musical landscapes.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Albert King· Freddie King· Stevie Ray Vaughan
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 When a Guitar Plays the Blues 6:38
- 2 Chicago Smokeshop 4:59
- 3 Mrs. Pressure 4:39
- 4 A Nickel and a Nail 4:29
- 5 Short Fuse 3:31
- 6 Why Don’t You Want Me? 6:06
- 7 Country Boy 3:46
- 8 Sneaking Godzilla Through the Alley 6:16
- 9 Hawaiian Punch 1:53
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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