Prozac Blues begins with "Rockin' Chair Daddy," a hot acoustic blues tune with great guitar and prominent blues harp. This is a great tone-setter for the album and it is bound to get your toes a-tappin'. It also includes the lyrics "rockin' chair daddy don't have to work." Where do I sign up?Southern doesn't just preach the blues from somewhere deep inside. He also injects a good amount of humor into his songs, particularly in "Ain't Goin' Bald Jus' Getting Mo' Head" (in which the harmonica sounds like Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and "Prozac Blues."
Eight of the twelve songs on this disc are originals. The three exceptions are "Rockin' Chair Daddy," "Hellhound on my Trail," "Goin' Back Home Blues" and "Whisky Train." Southern does a great job with Robert Johnson's "Hellhound on my Trail." He manages to capture the same sort of tortured, haunted sound that Robert Johnson made his trademark.
Ernie Southern is the real deal. He's got guitar chops, great vocals, and more than anything, this guy has S-O-U-L. The blues isn't just a style of music to Southern. It's something he clearly feels inside him. I'm willing to bet he is a great live performer. I'm sure the energy displayed on this album is multiplied a couple times when he plays live. This is a phenomenal blues CD. If you like blues, especially Delta blues, this is a CD you need to add to your collection.
