This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
No one is going to accuse John Hammond of being a perfectionist. Not after listening to In Your Arms Again, anyway.
The singer-guitarist’s umpteenth disc is a decidedly loose affair, with the singer-guitarist leading a rhythm section through a dozen country-blues tunes with all the laissez-faire spontaneity of a back-porch jam. The set includes a couple of Ray Charles classics (I Got A Woman and Fool For You), some Howling Wolf (I’m Leaving You and Moanin’ For My Baby), John Lee Hooker (Serve Me Right to Suffer), Bob Dylan (I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight) and the like. All come with the odd missed note, buzzing string or flubbed cue intact — so if you’re looking for immaculate performances, look elsewhere. If, however, you’re after a thoroughly enjoyable (if unremarkable) batch of laid-back blues, In Your Arms Again will be as close to perfection as you need to get.
