Oh, man, here we go again. Isn't this guy boring? NO! After branching out on his last few albums, collaborating with Tom Waits to record his own and Waits's songs in diverse rather than exclusively blues idioms, John Hammond once more delivers his distinctive approach to classic acoustic country blues. Sure, there is an update on Elvis Presley's rendition of Ray Charles's "I Got a Woman," and a tasty version of Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," but most of these 12 songs are the blues, no mistake about it. And that's fine, because in his 5th decade of recording Hammond is as good as ever. His finger picking and slide guitar playing are impressive, his harmonica playing evocative, and his husky, plaintive singing is as moving and sexy as ever. Hammond deserves the many accolades he has received over the years. He has never made a bad album, and this one continues his tradition of excellence.