”Slim’s extreme stage persona has become legend: his habit of wearing a blue suit and blue shoes, topped off by a blue hair rinse; his audience walkabouts with an extended guitar lead; his cranked-up volume and distorted amp sound. He was a terminally competitive performer. Born down in Mississippi as plain Edward Jones, Slim’s career was painfully short. He started recording in 1951, but after indulging in too much fast and hard living, was deep in the grave by 1959, buried with his axe. The core of a small but significant output was recorded for the Speciality label between 1953 and 1955. Slim’s eponymously named theme tune lays down the manifesto, with its trebly, tooth enamel- scraping guitar, wired vocals and driving beat. His voice always came out tense, coiled with aggressive intent, his succinct solos replying argumentatively to each lyric line. ”Well I Done Got Over It” has horns smeared across a finger-snapping beat, a rugged tenor solo emerging briefly, giving way to Slim’s curt guitar scribbles. Ray Charles received an early break, playing piano on the album’s brilliant title track, the tune by which Guitar Slim is most often remembered today. -Martin Longley”