j blackfoot ** 1995 ** reality

The album is called Reality, even though there isn’t a track with such a title on it. “The songs are the reality. Listen to the words of `I Messed Up'. There's the person that courted his old lady's best friend. That’s reality, that happens in real life.”

The set opens with Times Like This, a swaying mid-pacer that attacks you with an unexpectedly heavy soul-burst, and is followed by Storyteller, an impressive and captivating jogger with a fine story line, which, in irresistible How Could You, finds its equal.

Next we are surprised by an interesting mid-tempo arrangement - by Lester Snell - and a new angle with a light Caribbean touch to a tune we all know from a way back, Let It Be Me. "Homer Banks and Lester Snell wanted to record this tune. Jerry Butler (who together with Betty Everett had a top-ten hit with the song in '64) has been a friend of mine for years back when he and The Impressions were doing `For Your Precious Love'. I always loved Jerry Butler’s songs, and that was a great song for me to do."