Little Milton - Reality (1991)

Some blues enthusiasts would have us believe that Little Milton's heavily arranged Malaco dates have paled in comparison to his Sun, Chess, and Stax output, but in fact, they've been consistent and generally quite enjoyable. The thing is that they have as much to do with soul and R&B as they do with actual 12-bar blues, and if you're a blues purist who isn't comfortable with the idea of Milton recording a lot of songs that would have been appropriate for the O'Jays or the Dramatics in the 1970s, it's best to pass on Reality. However, if you hold blues and '70s soul in equally high regard, you should find the CD appealing. Milton shows how gutsy a bluesman he can be on 12-bar songs like "A Right to Sing the Blues" and "I'm Jealous of Her Husband," but he's equally convincing on the '70s-type soul of "I Want My Baby Back," "I've Got to Remember," and Bobby Womack's "That's the Way I Feel About It." Milton never claimed to be a purist, and Reality points to the fact that he is anything but.