Back on Track

1	Back on Track 3:32
2	Get You Next to Me / B.B. King 4:52
3	Who Does She Think She Is? 3:31
4	The Long Haul / B.B. King 4:21
5	No Big Deal 3:57
6	Jumpin' the Gun 4:08
7	You Really Got It Going On 4:44
8	Good, Good, Good 3:29
9	Rehabilitation Song 4:20
10	Honda Betty 4:17
11	Backup Man 3:46

Barnes & Noble

What do the Jackson 5, Henry Mancini, and Sonny Bono have in common? Not much, but they all record with guitar whiz Arthur Adams. A gospel singer who turned to the blues as a teenager, Adams became a prolific L.A. studio guitarist from the late '60s through the '70s while also recording his own sophisticated funk sets. Now Adams returns to those blues with BACK ON TRACK, a set of oh-so-soulful tunes that evokes the Southland warble of Little Johnnie Taylor and the Dallas growl of Z. Z. Hill. Adams is also a terrific songwriter -- he copenned "Truckload of Lovin'" for Albert King -- and his originals "Rehabilitation Song," "Honda Betty," and "Backup Man" update the blues themes of lovin', leavin', and doin' wrong for this set. As for the guitar playing on BACK ON TRACK, Adams is a stellar graduate of the B. B. King school. In fact, he so impressed his mentor that the King of the Blues plays and sings on two cuts, one of which, "The Long Haul," seems destined to become a classic. Roberta Penn

All Music Guide

Tennessee-born, Los Angeles-based singer/guitarist Adams, who has been a sideman for the better part of four decades, is billed to sing like an angel (he is from that City) and play guitar like a man possessed. It's not hard to buy. His vocalizing has a sweet, soulful quality ala Robert Cray or at times Bobby Bland. And his electric six string takes definite cues from his idol, B.B. King, who employs Adams at his L.A. club and shows up on two of these tracks.

Adams wrote 3/4 of these slick tunes, typically ranging from straight mid-tempo to downhearted blues about women. "Honda Betty" is as contemporary a theme as you'll find, and there are some T-Bone Walker-like shuffles as on "Jumpin' The Gun" and the cookin' "Good, Good, Good." Some fine horn charts punctuate five cuts, back-up vocals on two, and B.B. cameos on "Get You Next to Me," and the signature slow "Long Haul." A personal "Rehabilitation Song" speaks of being in a halfway house and the abuse that preceded it, pleading for forgiveness.

The final selection "Backup Man" could be a double entendre, expressing frustration about being a part time lover or a star in the shadows. Adams has many redeeming qualities on a restrained blues and contemporary pop level. Perhaps a live recording will reveal more from this gifted musician who perfectly reflects the carefree attitude of his adopted home. Michael G. Nastos