Scandalous (Deluxe Version)

Black Joe Lewis’ main influences are classic ‘60s-era soul, funk, and R&B yet Scandalous is much more than a retro experience. No slavish imitator, Lewis adds his sound to a rich tradition with the aid of a powerhouse band and the result is raw and raucous fun. Gritty, chicken-scratch guitars, throbbing bass lines, crisp, funky drumming, and an airtight four-piece horn section back up the feral yowls and mush-mouthed grunts of Lewis. Picking up where their energetic debut Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! left off, Lewis and the Honeybears offer more diversity this time while keeping the intensity high throughout. “Messin’” gets into John Lee Hooker country blues territory, “What Love Is” is a searing blast of garage rock, and the bawdy boasts of scorchers “Booty City,” “She’s So Scandalous,” and “Mustang Ranch” are tempered by the love song vibe of “Since I Met You Baby” and penitent mood of “Jesus Took My Hand.” Lewis and the Honeybears know how to lay down a greasy groove, and that never gets old.