Mark “Muleman” Massey

Been A Long, Long Time

Muletone Records

Mark “Muleman” Massey grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi; the cradle of the Delta. At 19, he found himself in Parchman Prison, modeled after a slave plantation. Like Leadbelly, R.L. Burnside, and Bukka White who preceded Muleman’s time there, he was living an unimaginable prison life. David Kimbrough, the son of legendary bluesman Junior Kimbrough took Muleman under his wing and taught him the basics. It earned Muleman a spot in the Parchman Prison Band, and they wound up opening for B.B. King. He has played every venue from juke joints to main festival stages, and recorded with Bobby Rush, Eric Gales, and Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery. He opened for B.B. again, no longer clad in prison stripes, and has been recognized and recorded by the Library of Congress. He even returned to Parchman Prison to help other inmates find inspiration.

Muleman recorded his debut album 2014’s “One Step Ahead Of The Blues” on Icehouse Records. This new album “Been A Long, Long Time” was recorded and produced by Billy Lawson at Wishbone recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The eleven songs include eight originals, co-written by Massey and Lawson, some with the addition of Hill; and three selected covers. Guitarists include Muleman, Lawson, Travis Wammack, and Kevin Holly; the bass is played by Bob N. Weaver, and the drums by Roger Starr.

Opening with the title track “Been A Long, Long Time” Massey sings “it’s been a long, long time comin’, since I felt this good, it’s been a long time baby, welcome to the neighborhood”; while Robert Fossen plays some great harmonica. On “Baby’s Gone”, “my sunshine’s gone and it ain’t comin’ back, left last night in a big black Cadillac, baby’s gone, she’s gone for good, my baby’s gone. She left the pictures and the memories, a big empty bed where she used to sleep, my baby’s gone, gone, gone, she’s gone for good, my baby’s gone. “Let me tell you something you ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing About The Blues”. “Give Me Your Love” includes the lyric “I know I need you, don’t do me like that…give me a chance, just like you gave me before you gave up on us”.

“Hey Good Looking” is the Hank Williams classic first recorded in 1950 and re-arranged by Muleman. The second cover is another classic, this time from Tom T. Hall first recorded in 1972. “She’s Married To The Streets”, “you can’t help but love her, but she never will, she’s always out there chasing them pills, but you can’t compete, she’s married to the streets”; included are The Webster Street Horns. The third cover “I’m Sorry About That” written by Bobby Womack and recorded by Wilson Pickett in 1967; feature Jim Whitehead, Wurlitzer; and Clayton Ivey, Hammond B-3. “My Used To Be”, “when I see her walking down the street, I turn the corner cause I don’t wanna see my used to be, my used to be used to be everything to me”. On “Going Back To Memphis”, another great vocal from Muleman he croons, “I’m going back to Memphis where the women treat me good, I’m going back to Memphis, where the women know how to rock n’ roll” with more great harmonica from Fossen. “Your Good Stuff” closes this fine album, with the lyric “go on and leave, take your good stuff with ya’, the other night I met somebody, she had a good body, I got more cats, take your good stuff with ya'”. The very prison where Muleman was shackled for years now proudly recognizes him with his own Mississippi Blues Trail marker. Muleman honors those before him with traditional Blues standards, but his renowned songwriting has earned him great respect, as you will hear in this inspired recording out of the legendary Muscle Shoals studio.

Singer, songwriter, and producer Dan Penn calls Muleman the best R n’ B singer today. Give a listen to this fine album from Mark Muleman Massey.

Richard Ludmerer

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