Outlaw Blues Band - Breaking In 1969

The Outlaw Blues Band And The People brought the band a certain amount of acclaim, and they would score high-profile gigs playing with artists as diverse as Canned Heat, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Spirit, Taj Mahal, the Jefferson Airplane, and others. The truth is, however, that the album didn't sell especially well. The long delay between its recording and release (over a year) had found the band evolving towards an even more eclectic sound, while rifts caused by poor management would change the band's musical chemistry as members left and new ones didn't quite fit in the same way.

Remarkably, ABC/Bluesway Records requested a second record from the OBB, the label insisting on a much more blues-oriented set of material. Recorded over a mere two days, by the time of its release a year later in 1969, Breaking In was supported by a band that included only Aleman and Whiteman from the original line-up. Still, since the band had cut its teeth on the blues, the performances on Breaking In are fresh, original, and masterful while still bringing the trademark OBB eclecticism to the material. New OBB bassist Lawrence "Slim" Dickens does a fine job of singing the Big Joe Turner soul-blues number "Plastic Man," his smoldering vocals laying smoothly atop a loping groove created by his walking bass line, Aleman's rhythmic beats, and Diaz's razor-sharp leads.

Tracklist:
01.Plastic Man - 5:17
02.Stormy Monday Blues - 6:41
03.My Baby's Left And Gone - 4:22
04.Day Said - 3:20
05.Mamo Pano Shhhh - 6:13
06.You're the Only One - 2:10
07.Deep Gully - 5:47

Outlaw Blues Band:
Lawrence Dickens - Bass, Organ, Vocals
Joe Whiteman - Flute, Percussion, Soprano, Tenor Sax
Phillip John Diaz - Lead, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
Leon Rubenhold - Harmonica, Timbales, Vocals
Victor Aleman - Drums, Percussion, Vocals