Back in the Game (Syl Johnson album)

On the majority of its tracks, the album marked a reunion between Johnson and the Hi Rhythm Section. It was produced by Pete Nathan. Johnson duets with his daughter Syleena on "Dipped in the Water". ==Critical reception==

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that Johnson's "vocals swoop, charge, lunge, and bark with all the mastery of a classic soul singer, but his songs are rarely melodically complex, nor do they develop linearly." The Chicago Tribune called the album "a stunning return to form," writing that "Johnson's voice is still a piercing, bittersweet instrument and his guitar-playing remains tersely eloquent"; the paper later listed Back in the Game as the second best contemporary blues album of 1994. The Washington Post thought that it "shows [Johnson's] funky blues and soul skills remain surprisingly intact, as does the sinewy sensuality of his vocals." Deeming the music Chicago R&B, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that the album "showcases the intrinsic charms of the form, recalling the days when R&B record companies like One-derful, Brunswick and Vee-Jay flourished on South Michigan Avenue." AllMusic wrote that "although the Chicagoan moves into 12-bar blues territory on 'All of Your Love' and Roosevelt Sykes' 'Driving Wheel', it must be stressed that the majority of songs on this album are soul rather than blues." MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide opined that the album "may contain the best version of the much-recorded Al Green song 'Take Me to the River'." ==Track listing==

• Syl Johnson – vocals, guitar, harmonica • Howard Grimes, Morris Jennings – drums • Charles Hodges, Fred Hodges – piano, organ • Jon Logan, Vincent Varko – organ • Leroy Hodges, Anthony Morris – bass • Teenie Hodges, Pete Nathan, Will Crosby – guitar • Ken Vandermark – tenor saxophone • Willie Henderson – baritone saxophone • Kenny Anderson – trumpet • Syleena Johnson – backing vocals, vocals on "Dipped in the Water" • Theresa Davis – backing vocals ==References==