Watermelon Slim - Escape From the Chicken Coop - NorthernBlues Music 2009

Bill Homans, a.k.a. Watermelon Slim, has left his band "The Workers" for his latest NorthernBlues Music release, Escape From the Chicken Coop. It's not a slight against his bandmates, but a change in gears as Slim embarks on an adventurous chapter of his music career.

Homans not only made a Country album with Escape From the Chicken Coop, but also went so far as to make a concept record (whether intentionally or unintentionally). Many of the songs, and the title of the CD itself, deal with the truck driving trade; and Homans included a tribute to truckers in the liner notes of the disc saying "...this CD is dedicated to all of those men and women who, by the grace of God, and by their skill and constant vigilance on the roads of this country, keep this country moving." It's no surprise, either, as the trucking industry is one that is close to Watermelon Slim's heart, being a former driver himself.

The 13 track disc starts off with "Caterpillar Whine (Long Line Skinner)," a tune that could easily be the son of Dave Dudley's "Six Days On the Road," "the all-time truckers' anthem" Homans mentions in the liner notes. After that, you'd better have your seat belt tight, because Escape From the Chicken Coop takes you for a ride throughout America from behind the steering wheel of that 18-wheeler.

It's a project he's been wanting to tackle for some time now according to several interviews Homans has done recently; and with his sheer dominance of the Blues landscape, including 10 Blues Music Awards nominations in 2008 and '09, Homans has more than earned the creative freedom to see the job through. Don't be surprised when several of the tracks hit the airwaves on Blues radio shows across the globe, either, considering Slim's stature in the genre.

Homans either wrote or co-wrote all but three of the tracks on Escape From the Chicken Coop, sharing the writing credits with frequent Delbert McClinton songwriter Gary Nicholson on "You See Me Like I See You," a duet with Jenny Littleton in the tradition of great country collaborators such as George Jones and Tammy Wynette, as well as "Should Have Done More," an incredibly well written song about helping your fellow man (a real standout on this disc for me).

Homans also pays tribute to recordings by Roy Acuff ("Wreck On the Highway"), Merle Haggard (the Sonny Throckmorton penned "The Way I Am"), and Moe Bandy (Paul Craft's "Hank Williams You Wrote My Life"). "Friends On the Porch" is a spoken word piece dripping with emotion, in which you can hear Watermelon Slim begin to choke up as he completes his poetry.

The players on Escape From the Chicken Coop were well selected, being referred to as the best in Nashville. And, don't forget the instrumental talents of Watermelon Slim, who brought his skill with the harmonica, dobro, and slide guitar into the studio alongside his new cohorts. There's not as much harp as you're used to with a Watermelon Slim record, but Homans more than has his hands full with slide guitar duties on most all of the tunes.

Escape From the Chicken Coop is an excellent addition to the Watermelon Slim library, and a daring departure into Country music by a Blues giant. It's funny that it takes someone from outside the genre to come in and make a real Country record (take that Taylor Swift!), and with only 13 of the 21 recorded songs from his Nashville sessions used here, you can expect Watermelon Slim to cannonball into Country territory again in the future.

Standout Tracks: All of them

Preview and purchase tracks from Escape From the Chicken Coop by Watermelon Slim.