Well, it's time again. I'm gonna try something different this time. I'm gonna write as I listen to the songs, so my thoughts will be in real time. Last time I listened to the album while I was writing the intro. I had to remeber my thoughts and I don't like the way it turned out. This should be more fun. Let's see what's up next. Let It Flow by Elvin Bishop... I don't think I have ever played this one before. I remember getting it, it was at the going out of business sale at the local record store. By the time I got a chance to get by there it was pretty much picked clean of the good stuff. I was scouring through the piles of crap when this caught my eye. The artist seemed familiar, I believe he used to be in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. It was 25 cents so what the hell. Let's see what the interbutts has to say about this one.

OK, not much to work with here. It was released in May 1974 and it has an ass load of guest musicians. That's about it. Let's move on to the cover I guess.

The front cover is pretty simple. Just a photo of him sitting on a dock at a pond. Basic title in white and black letters. The back cover is even simpler. A photo of 4 guys with the same trash 'stache and 3 of the 4 have Kentucky waterfalls. I'm sure one of them is Elvin Bishop, not sure which one. Scratch that, they all have Kentucky waterfalls. The photo is cropped pretty tight so they can fit a ton of small black print on the right part of the cover. Is it a wall hanger? Nope. Song time! This is first time playing it so here goes nothing.

Side one starts with 'Sunshine Special'. Hey wait a minute, it says this song was written by Applejack! Dafuq? What a hell of a way to start off an album. Mmkay, it's a song about a train. Very similar to Midnight Special, another train song. It's got lots of honky tonk piano and steel guitar, a good combo. It's countryish and bluesy, I like it.

'Ground Hog': Kind of sounds like Jeff Beck. Jazzy and groovy with a dash of blues. Some clavinet and slide guitar, works really well. More honky tonk piano. The breakdown kind of sounds like Yakety Sax. I like this better than the first.

'Honey Babe': Now there's acoustic guitar, yep it's a country song. I didn't expect a bluesman to play this. I'm not much of a county fan, but I'll give it a chance. It's not like I can press next. Meh, didn't care for it.

'Stealin' Watermelons': Strange title, who the hell steals watermelons? How can you hide them? Good lord, it's like a blues song mixed with a cheesy porn soundtrack. Cheesy porn with a slide guitar playing over it. What more could I expect from a bunch of guys in the 70's with porn staches? Pass.

'Travelin' Shoes': Starts off like a soul song. It sounds very familiar. Like a mix of a bunch of popular songs at the time, not very creative. The guitar solo is alright. It's probably the most original part of this song. Now there's a piano solo. And a horn solo. Now back to piano. Solos! Solos everywhere! I think the songs about a guy realizing he's a strong independent black woman that doesn't have to take shit from no woman and leaves her ass. A little long but it's an OK song. Well that does it for side one.

'Let it Flow': OK, the title track. This should be promising. What the shit? It sounds like they're testifying in church! It has a backing church choir and everything. My man! You were in one of the best blues bands in history, what are you doing?! This was disappointing.

'Hey Good Lookin': Hey. It sounds like an old jazz song. Oh, the back cover says this one was written by Hank Williams. That explains why it sounds old, even for this record. It fits his style more than the last song but it just sounds old and outdated. Movin' on.

'Fishin': A song about fishing. How original. I sure love fishing though, maybe it won't be so bad. Ah damn it, it's another country song. Sigh. This album has gone downhill fast. It's telling me how to fish, thanks. I totally forgot how. Oh now you're telling me how to cook and eat catfish. Prick.

'Can't Go Back': Asssss! Country!!!! I'm seriously, you are a blues musician! You lied to me! Bring back the first 2 songs, they were actually good. I should have realized when Elvin, Mud Dobber, Skeeter, and Jim Bob were on the back cover. Ugh.

'I Can't Hold Myself in Line': Country... Again... I'm about to bang my head against the wall. It says this was written by Merle Haggard. I swear to Luna, if the next one is a country song...

'Bourbon Street': That's it. I give up.

So that was a disaster. I figured that a member of one of my favorite blues rock bands would play blues rock. I was sorely mistaken. Let's see what the book says it's worth... $12 in near mint condition. Screw that. The only reason I gave it a shot was because it was a quarter. And that's pushing it. OK, should you buy it? Let's see... Unless you're a record collector who wants to own every album out there, just keep on walking. The first 2 songs were alright, but it went full country after that. Country fans need not apply either, the only decent ones were the covers. No singles, no hits, pass on this one guys.

I like it this way better, it was a hell of a lot more fun to do it this way too. See ya later.