Robert Ward - Twiggs County Soul Man (1997)

Ward's trembling, vibrating guitar sound is not as riveting as when he backed the Falcons on "I Found a Love" or recorded with the Ohio Untouchables in the early '60s. Like his guitar playing, his singing voice has mellowed, and there are too many unimaginative songs. A few are interesting, though. "Newborn Music" sounds like an old Major Lance recording -- not surprising, given that Lance and Ward befriended each other while serving time together in a Georgia prison. The material ranges from R&B to whiskey blues ditties like "Something for Nothing." The Mideastern-sounding "White Fox" celebrates the irascible Ward's love of White women. He needs some new material, though. Many of his compositions rehash his older songs, both musically and lyrically -- "I'm Tired of Wandering" was a line in "I'm Tired," an old Ohio Untouchables song. This recycling occurs on all of Ward's Black Top records, making you think you've heard it all before.