This is a sad album. It's even more sad knowing the biography of Jackson C. Frank. He is able to make his sorrows felt in a way that not many others can. His voice is filled with the experience of a man who actually knows what the blues are. He doesn't take a "woe is me" approach to his sadness but rather sings objectively about depression. You can tell how tired his troubles make him and how helpless he is against them. The guitar playing is good. It's not too flashy but it's not too basic. His performance on "Kimbie" is the highlight of the album for me and the best original song is the closer, "You Never Wanted Me".

From Mercury 10/19/2017 20:30

This is such an amazing record. Basically the definitive example of an excellent artist coming along, dropping a unique and timeless masterpiece then disappearing. He just never got the credit he deserved in his career or in his day which is sad. This album is a stunner. Outside of maybe Pink Moon is there another album as absolutely vulnerable, honest, melancholy and transfixingly real as this?

The album is full of perfect gems, from the classic opener "Blues Run The Game" to the end, you are just let in this room and this space with this lost soul expressing himself directly to you.

I notice my enjoyment of this album has a lot to do with mood. Usually I don't gravitate to this intensely lost and down an album. But last night after work I just felt a need and I listened to it 2 times through and every chord and word and aspect rang true.

Listening now I still adore it and all, but it doesn't have the same earth shattering effect that it does when I'm more on the wavelength of the record. Also listening now and its interesting that the whole album isn't truly sad and blue. Some songs especially on "side 1" such as "Don't Look Back" and "Yellow Walls" aren't straight up tear jerkers. But all amazing songs... But really side 2 takes the vibe to a new level of intense. Maybe its just that the second half songs are more distinctly in the minor key...? IDK. Its amazing though listening to the run of perfection that is track "Milk And Honey", to "My Name Is Carnival" to (especially these next 2) "I Want To Be Alone" and finally "Just Like Anything". I swear listening to "I Want To Be Alone" last night was an out-of-body experience. It struck a nerve so deep and blue that i was all shook up. Follow this by the insanely unique and almost chirpy depression at the heart of "Just Like Anything" and you have something truly special.

So you may ask why is this not number 1? Well there was an album I heard for the first time last week that I absolutely fell in love ith. And its so incredibly different from Jackson C Frank's debut and only album, that it is gonna be a laugher listening to them back to back.

But enough about that. For now, I say this album is awesome. And everyone should listen to it.

Grade: 9.4/10

A very human and honest piece of work, hard not to like.

"Blues Run the Game" is simply a perfect song.