John Campbell - Devil In My Closet

One Believer - 1991 The Elektra debut by the late bluesman John Campbell is a curious affair in more than one respect-despite it’s obvious excellence and original voice. The first is that he was signed at all. Clearly in 1990 when Campbell signed his deal, record company executives were still interested inn finding new and original talent and developing them over a period of time. One Believer was outside of virtually every trend on major labels and in pop at the time. Other than Chris Whitley’s Living with the Law, it was the only roots record issued on a major label in 1991. The other thing is that One Believer is an oddity even for Campbell. It’s a deeply atmospheric record full of subtle shimmering organs and warm guitar textures that accent the dreamy spooky side of the blues more than the crunchy stomp and roll that Campbell was known for in the clubs -- and displayed on his follow-up Howlin’ Mercy. Tracks like “Angel of Sorrow,“ “World of Trouble,“ and “W