The Earthshaker

The Earthshaker is a blues album by Koko Taylor, released as an LP on March 1, 1978 by Alligator Records.[1] The album has since been released on CD by Alligator Records,[4] and digitally on iTunes[1] and Spotify.[5]

The Earthshaker
Studio album by Koko Taylor
Released	March 1, 1978[1]
Genre	Electric Chicago Blues[2] Blues Electric Blues[1]
Length	36:47
Label	Alligator[1]
Producer	Koko Taylor, Bruce Iglauer, Richard McLeese[3]
Koko Taylor chronology
Southside Baby (1975) The Earthshaker (1978) From the Heart of a Woman (1981)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[6]

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "Considering its size, Taylor's voice has never been what you'd call rich—she flubs the pitch quite a bit, and on the slow ones she's often sounded flat emotionally as well. But it retains amazing presence—by now it's deepened and roughened so much that her late work for Chess sounds girlish by comparison. Two or three of the slow ones here really drag, always a crippling flaw in Chicago blues, but the uptempo stuff is exemplary—the songs are fun as songs, and the guitar on her latest remake of 'Wang Dang Doodle' is ace."[6]

Track listing

Side One[3]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Let the Good Times Roll"	Moore,[lower-alpha 1] Theard	3:00
2.	"Spoonful"	Dixon	3:00
3.	"Walking the Back Streets[lower-alpha 2]"	Jones[lower-alpha 3]	6:45
4.	"Cut You Loose"	London	3:24
5.	"Hey Bartender"	Terry[lower-alpha 4]	2:51

Side Two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I'm a Woman"	McDaniel, Taylor	4:36
2.	"You Can Have My Husband (But Please Don't Mess With My Man)"	La Bostrie	2:45
3.	"Please Don't Dog Me"	Taylor	5:16
4.	"Wang Dang Doodle"	Dixon	4:51
Total length:			36:28

Personnel

• Koko Taylor - vocals[3]
• Johnny B. Moore - guitar
• Sammy Lawhorn - guitar
• Pinetop Perkins - keyboards
• Mervyn "Harmonica" Hinds - harmonica
• Abb Locke - saxophone
• Cornelius "Mule" Boyson - bass
• Vince Chappelle - drums

References

1. "The Earthshaker (iTunes USA)". Apple Inc. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
2. Keepnews, Peter. "Koko Taylor, Queen of Chicago Blues, Is Dead at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
3. The Earthshaker (Media notes). Chicago: Alligator Records. 1978.
4. "The Earthshaker". Alligator Records. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
5. "The Earthshaker". Spotify. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
6. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

Notes

1. Fleecie Moore
2. Walking the Back Streets and Crying
3. Sandy Jones, Jr.
4. Dossie Terry