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Son of Skip James
Studio album by Dion
Released	November 6, 2007
Studio	Sounds Great Production
Genre	Blues
Length	43:35
Label	Verve Forecast
Producer	Dion
Dion chronology
Bronx in Blue (2006) Son of Skip James (2007) Tank Full of Blues (2011)

Son of Skip James is the thirtieth album by American singer/songwriter Dion. It was released on November 6, 2007, on the Verve Forecast Records label. The album stayed on the Billboard Blues Albums chart for twelve weeks, peaking at No. 4 on November 24, 2007.

The album serves as a follow-up to Dion's 2006 Grammy-nominated blues album, Bronx in Blue. The majority of tracks on Son of Skip James are cover versions of well-known blues songs, some of them classics. The album's title references blues legend Skip James, a friend of Dion's. Dion described the use of James's name for the album as "a kind of mission statement for the project".

Critical reception

Son of Skip James

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
PopMatters
Standard-Speaker
The Philadelphia Inquirer

The album was generally positively received by critics, who called out its authenticity, simplicity, and emotional depth. The original tracks, particularly "The Thunderer", were considered to stand on equal or even superior footing to the cover tracks. Most critics agreed that Dion had effectively personalized the covers, although Tony Sclafani of PopMatters disagreed, calling the track selection "too familiar", and his recordings "too reverent" to bring the project fully to life. Martin Halo of JamBase highlighted Dion's dedication to researching the origins of the cover songs as part of what made the album distinctive among other blues cover albums.

Joel Selvin of SFgate.com called it "another landmark in a career littered with them". Thom Jurek, writing for AllMusic, called it "one of the best records of the year". Chris Jones of BBC Music called it "every inch the equal of its predecessor". Nick Cristiano of The Philadelphia Inquirer found it "exceptionally warm and intuitive". Despite his criticism of the track selection, Sclafani said the album "does not fall short when it comes to ass-kicking". Halo felt that the album featured "master musicianship and stunning vocals", but called it "nothing we haven’t heard before."

Track listing

Except where noted, credits are adapted from AllMusic.

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.

Musicians

• Bob Guertin – audio engineer, organ, percussion
• Dion DiMucci – audio production, guitar, harmonica, producer, vocals
• Rick Krive – piano

Additional personnel

• Bill Bush – photography
• Susan DiMucci – photography
• Michael Friedman – photography
• Richard Gottehrer – executive producer
• Hollis King – art direction
• Emily Lazar – mastering
• Kazumi Matsumoto – graphic design

References

1. ^ "Son of Skip James - Dion | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
2. "Dion Son Of Skip James Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
3. ^ "Dion: Son of Skip James". PopMatters. 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
4. "'The Wanderer' Has Got the Blues". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
5. ^ Tarone, L.A. (13 Jan 2008). "Soul-baring 'Skip James' helps Dion add to legacy". Standard-Speaker. Hazleton, Pennsylvania. p. 33. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
6. ^ Cristiano, Nick (25 Nov 2007). "New recordings: Country/Roots". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
7. ^ Jones, Chris. "BBC - Music - Review of Dion - Son Of Skip James". Retrieved 2018-11-19.
8. ^ "Dion: Son of Skip James". JamBase. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
9. "CD review: 'Son of Skip James'". SFGate. 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2018-11-19.

• 2007 albums
• Blues albums by American artists
• 2000s covers albums
• Dion DiMucci albums
• Verve Records albums