All personal information aside, Leon delivers the goods with this great album.  He continues with his standard style which makes you want to play bingo and dance with your grandmother.  The overall theme seems to be centered around love and heartache.  The lead track “Champagne Charlie” was recorded actually by Blind Blake (whom he said he supposedly lead around the South and the reason for his sunglasses).  The song basically describes a drunk man that met a lady who done treat him wrong.  “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” is a great tune basically telling his lover to go her own way and to not talk about him behind his back.  “Sweet Sue (Just You)” has a tuba solo.  How often do you hear that?

He does take some new avenues with this album.  First, he does take a stab at a country style ballad called “The One Rose (That’s Left In My Heart)”.  This time instead of telling his lady to leave, he tells her to stay.  This bitter heartache ballad song goes:

“Oh we ought not to part
I have said from the start
You’re the one rose that’s left in my heart.”

Leon also does a blues cover called “T.B. Blues” ironically by the country singer Jimmie Rodgers.

He does a wonderful cover of “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)” which is about a rough and tough guy who falls in love to become a gentle giant.  Van Halen did a cover of this song on their Diver Down with a clarinet solo featuring Eddie Van Halen’s father.

There’s also two wonderful covers of “Jelly Roll” Morton tunes.  The first is a straight forward instrumental with some humming called “If Someone Would Only Love Me”.  The second cover is the one I recommend listening to called “I Hate a Man Like You”.  The vocal melody works really well here.

Overall, this album is great with very few points of disappointment.  The only negative thing about this album is how short it is.  Considering this was released in 1978 and I’m listening to it more than 30 years later says something.

Grade:  A

Suggested Tracks:  Everything (except maybe Alabama Jubilee or the instrumental If Someone Would Only Love Me).

Suggested Listening:

• On the Track
• Double Time