Denise Lasalle : Pay Before You Pump

I love the queen. She gives us another stellar soul blues workout. Not only is she a fine singer, but a great songwriter.
- Charles Ralston, 06/18/2007, Canada

Full title is: Pay Before You Pump

It comes as no surprise the Denise LaSalle CD opens with a cheeky, double-entendre filled track ('Pay Before You Pump') being for the past decade she's had success with similar songs like 'Lick It Before You Stick It', 'Snap, Crackle & Pop', 'Smokin' In Bed' to name a few. The first single, however, is a re-working of Floyd Hamberlin's 'Mississippi Boy' (re-titled 'Mississippi Woman'), which has already been a regional hit for Will T and Charles Wilson. It'll no doubt hit again but better is the alternate 'Delta Blues Mix' version of the song which adds honking harp and guitar that'll appeal to more mainstream Blues markets. Overall, LaSalle wrote seven of the ten cuts, most notably the Memphis Soul ballad 'Hold On Tight' and the up-from-the-bottom slow Blues 'Walking On Beale Street On Crying'. LaSalle is one of those rare Blues singers that seems to appeal equally to female and male fans. The ladies cheer when she talks smack, putting men in their place but the menfolk simply eat it up too because she's got the chops.