Booze aside, now that you mention it I am hearing the Knopfler in there pretty prominently.  So much so that I had convinced myself that he must have been playing on at least a few of the tracks but I checked the liner notes he didn’t.

Bake:  It’s nuts. Both how much he sounds like Knopfler and how much I like it. And here I thought I was turning into my dad just because I drink too much.

I also like the duet “Illusion” with Norah Jones. I don’t know how she became the go to girl for blues and jazz musicians and drugged out rockstars but she’s seemingly always there for a sultry guest appearance.  I know that she’s worked with Ryan Adams, Herbie Hancock, Billie Joe Armstrong, Dolly Parton etc. She actually released a compilation album in 2010 aptly titled …Featuring Norah Jones. I know she has her own solo career and side projects like The Little Willies, but it must be pretty badass to be the person everyone calls on when they need someone to sing with. The closest I’ve ever come to that is being the person people call when they need someone to drink with. And I wouldn’t exactly call that a talent.

Cam:  I’m pretty sure I’ve become that person as well, which is a little sad since drinking is the least marketable of the few skills I posses.   However it did lead to starting this blog… which doesn’t really out weight the many, many shameful things I’ve done while liquored up but it’s a good start right?

I’ve been really into the title track, mainly because he’s channeling the shit out of Robert Johnson.  I could listen to a whole album of him playing tunes like it.  It’s kind of amazing that a 70 year old white guy from England can play country blues like he was born in the Delta.  He’s certainly talked about how much the old time blues men influenced his playing but you don’t hear him doing anything like Crosseyed Heart very often.

Bake:  It’s true, you don’t hear real old school blues very much anymore. It’s there, not on the fringes, but maybe on the fringes of the fringes? If Keith Richards has to be the one to get people into that music then so be it.  He’s got respect and his name recognition is off the charts. Everyone from nuns to kids that saw Pirates of the Caribbean know Keith Richards. And if we know anything its that famous people call sell anything.  It’s for us to bring Keith Richards to the people so he can bring blues to the people.

Cam:  Ya I feel like we might really help break him into the main stream with this one.  Keith, I know you’re reading this and I ask nothing in return except one million dollars, you can contact us here to arrange payment.  We’ll accept pounds, dollars, gold records or pretty much anything of value.

I’m not really sure what I would rate this record.  It’s got some great tracks, some okay tracks and overall nothing that’s down right terrible.  If you like Knopfler you’ll probably love it, even if you don’t like Knopfler you might be into it.  There’s a glimmer of what made me realize I loved The Rolling Stones.   It’s a lot mellower than their classic records but worlds better than anything they’ve put out in the past few decades.   I’m not sure I can see myself listening to Crosseyed Heart a whole lot but I’ve enjoyed it so far… I’ll give it 3 beers and a swig of gin.