Sinner's Blood Dark Horizons

Blood, Sweat & Tears didn't get around to cutting an official live album until they were well past their prime years - in this case, 1975, long after every original member (and even most of their first-generation successors) except for drummer Bobby Colomby (a true founding member, going back to the Al Kooper lineup) and vocalist David Clayton-Thomas, was gone. But, as Clayton-Thomas was back for the accompanying album, New City, and was with the group on this tour, one supposes that Columbia Records decided to take advantage of its good fortune by taping several shows. For his part, the singer is more mannered and pretentious than ever on most of this album, his singing powerful enough but his instincts pushing him more toward loud, ultimately over-the-top soul strutting, lacking any hint of subtlety…

This effort from controversial guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer sticks to a harsh blues-rock groove, with many of the one-chord vamps sounding like they are leftovers from John Lee Hooker's repertoire. There are no harmolodics (and little jazz) to be heard on the CD, and this music is to be recommended only to fans of Ulmer's shouting vocals.

Vocalion Ltd repackaged and re-released two Blood, Sweat and Tears LPs originally on Columbia – Mirror Image (1974) and New City (1975) – as a SACD Hybrid Multi-channel. Included on these mid-'70s releases are "Look Up to the Sky," "Are You Satisfied," "Ride Captain Ride," "One Room Country Shack," and "Got to Get You Into My Life." All tracks available in stereo and quadraphonic mixes.