This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Fiery blues guitarist Robert Cray downshifts for his soul-powered 11th album, laying back and sliding into a mellow Memphis groove.
And it’s an authentic treat; Take Your Shoes Off has all the burbling organ, gleaming guitar, funky R&B vibe and finger-popping rhythm of a Stax-Volt greatest hits collection. This slick, smooth hour-long affair could use a bit more grit at times — Cray’s voice is more Sam Cooke than, say, Wilson Pickett — but there ain’t no shame in his game here.
