Shine Eyed Mister Zen is the third album by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 artist Kelly Joe Phelps

Kelly Joe Phelps

Kelly Joe Phelps is an American musician and songwriter. His music has been characterized as a mixture of delta blues and jazz.-Career:...

, released in 1999.

Shine Eyed Mister Zen was recorded at Phelps' home with all the tracks recorded in single takes. The title relates to Phelps' own description of his way of playing.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Michael Gallucci called the album "an accomplished serving of country blues that combines the sweet and sour power of his guitar playing with the equally bittersweet charge of Phelps' wearied voice... A mystical and unaffected recording." Jim Merkel of No Depression magazine wrote "Phelps’ songwriting also deserves notice. One would be hard-pressed to tell the originals interspersed among the traditional blues tunes here without looking at the credits. He also can take an old warhorse such as “Goodnight Irene” and strip away its tired reputation to reveal its underlying sense of quiet defeatism... Although subtle and compact, his playing never sacrifices fiery tension." While praising the album, George Graham wrote "Sonically this album is respectable but could be improved upon. It's a bit odd in stereo, with the vocals slightly off to the left and the guitar tending toward the right, instead of having the guitar miked in stereo to give it some depth. The guitar sound, though pleasing, could have been a bit richer and warmer. The dynamic range is decent, though some compression was applied which is audible in spots detracting from the subtleties of this all-acoustic performance." Bill Frater of Freight Train Boogie wrote "This is peerless music that one hears with one's soul as much as with one's ears."

Track listing

All songs written by Kelly Joe Phelps except as noted.

1. "The House Carpenter
   The Daemon Lover
   "The Daemon Lover", also known as "James Harris", "James Herries", or "The House Carpenter" is a popular English ballad. It tells the story of a man , who returns to a former lover after a very long absence, and finds her with a husband and a baby...
   
   " (Traditional) – 6:43
2. "River Rat Jimmy" – 3:32
3. "Hobo's Son" – 4:07
4. "Katy" – 6:13
5. "Wandering Away" – 5:05
6. "Dock Boggs Country Blues" (Traditional) – 6:23
7. "Capman Bootman" – 4:55
8. "Train Carried My Girl from Town" (Traditional) – 4:25
9. "Piece by Piece" – 6:30
10. "Many a Time" – 4:15
11. "Goodnight Irene" (Leadbelly
    Leadbelly
    Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
    
    , Alan Lomax
    Alan Lomax
    Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
    
    ) – 5:39

Production

• Engineered and mixed by Riley Wilson
• Mastered by Toby Mountain, Northeastern Digital Recording, Southborough, MA

External links

• Discography at Kelly Joe Phelps official web site.