Bad For You Baby marks a welcome return to a more energised Moore than on his last outing Close As You Get, a somewhat indifferent affair. In fact, this is the closest he’s got in a long while to touching the glory that was Still Got the Blues. Its content, a mix of originals and covers, rarely strays from standard 12-bar boogie guitar blues-rock, but there’s more fire in Moore’s soloing than we’ve heard in a while. There’s a dirtier sound from his Les Paul too, especially on Muddy Waters’ ‘Walkin’ Thru the Park’ and the title track, which also shows Moore in grittier vocal mode. And he also delivers a couple of trademark ballads with the smouldering ‘Did You Ever Feel Lonely?’ and ‘Trouble Ain’t Far Behind’ on which his fret-melting wizardry shines through – as it does again through the 10-minutes of Al Kooper’s ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’. JB Lenoir’s ‘Mojo Boogie’ should get the lower digits moving, and on ‘Holding On’ the female backing voice adds a soulful tone to the album’s basic formula. ‘Umbrella Man’ is truly funky, and ‘Down the Line’ is a speedy blues shuffle.
All in all, it’s reassuring to know that the white man can still play, and sing, the blues. On occasion here, he does it sublimely.