Description
Anson Funderburgh And The Rockets Featuring Sam Miers – Rack ‘Em Up – Vinyl Record
Rack ‘Em Up is an album by Anson Funderburgh and The Rockets, featuring Sam Myers, which was released in 1989. This album is a noteworthy entry in the world of blues music, blending Texas blues with harmonica-driven sounds through the significant contribution of Sam Myers.
Anson Funderburgh is a Texas blues guitarist who has been leading his band, The Rockets, since the late 1970s. Sam Myers was an acclaimed blues singer and harmonica player, and his collaboration with The Rockets began in the mid-1980s after the departure of the band’s previous vocalist. Myers brought a deep blues feeling to the band, characterized by his strong vocal presence and masterful harmonica play.
Rack ‘Em Up is known for its classic blues guitar riffs by Funderburgh and the gritty, soulful harmonica and vocals from Myers. The album captures the essence of traditional blues while incorporating a modern sensibility that keeps it fresh and appealing. It’s a blend of slow, soulful tunes and upbeat tracks that showcase the band’s versatility and cohesiveness.
Key Tracks
Rack ‘Em Up was well-received in the blues community, appreciated for its authentic blues sound and the chemistry between Funderburgh and Myers. It solidified the band’s reputation in the blues scene, contributing to their legacy as stalwarts of the genre. The collaboration between Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers is often celebrated for bringing a refreshing energy to traditional blues, making their albums cherished by blues enthusiasts.
In recent years, Dallas-based guitarist Anson Funderburgh has taken his band the Rockets out of the clubs and onto the festival stages with his critically acclaimed recordings for the BlackTop label out of New Orleans. With Jackson, MS-native Sam Myers delivering the vocals and harmonica treatments, this band mixes up a powerful gumbo of Texas jump blues and Delta blues that can’t be found anywhere else. Funderburgh and his Rockets are a particularly hard working band, performing across the U.S. and Europe nearly 300 nights a year.
Funderburgh was born November 15, 1954, and got hooked on the blues when he got his first guitar at age seven or eight. His first musical experiences happened in the clubs in Dallas. He developed his team approach to blues music while learning from the likes of Freddie King, Jimmy Reed and Albert Collins when these great bluesmen were passing through Dallas-area clubs, but Funderburgh had already taught himself guitar mostly from listening to classic blues records. He never had the chance to see Muddy Waters, but he did get to play with Lightnin’ Hopkins in the late ’70s. Funderburgh formed the Rockets in 1978, but didn’t meet Sam Myers until 1982.
Funderburgh recorded with the Fabulous Thunderbirds on their Butt Rockin’ album, and went solo in 1981, when the New Orleans-based BlackTop label released Talk to You by Hand, the label’s first release. Funderburgh added Myers on harmonica and lead vocals in 1986. Myers had traveled for years on the chitlin circuit, where he had the chance to accompany people like Elmore James and Robert Junior Lockwood. Funderburgh admits that adding Myers on vocals and harmonica was a turning point for the Rockets, partly because of the image they project from the stage, a big towering Black man and three White guys backing him up.
Funderburgh continued his association in the 90’s with Black Top releasing Tell Me What I Want to Hear (91), Live at Grand Emporium (95), and That’s What They Want (97). After releasing 9 albums on Black Top, in 1999 Funderburgh changed record labels with the release of Change in my Pocket for Bullseye Blues. At the beginning of the new millennium, Funderburgh is just coming into his prime by way of his songwriting talents, so his career deserves close watching in the coming years. The best is yet to come from this guitarist and bandleader.
Brand new, never played, unsealed
Black Top Records / Demon Records 1989 Fiend 147
Track Listing
Tell Me What Have I Done Wrong?
Since We’ve Been Together
Rack ‘Em Up
Mama And Papa
20 Miles
Hold That Train, Conductor
I’m Your Professor
I’ll Keep On Trying
All Your Love
Are You Out There?
Lemonade
Meanstreak
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