Stace England and The Salt Kings "Salt Sex Slaves" (Rank Outsider Records 2007)

A hugely entertaining and dark tale of slaves and salt in Illinois, over a wash of Stones riffage

This record is a follow up to Stace England’s impressive 2005 concept record “Greetings From Cairo Illinois”, that record told the less than glorious history of mid western town that didn’t fulfil the potential its geography gave it. Once again Stace has taken the concept route, this time focussing on slavery, and the story of the Old Slave House near the ironically named Equality, Illinois. In the mid of the nineteenth century John Crenshaw, the ‘Salt King’, managed to somehow lease 800 slaves even though slavery was illegal in the state at that time, there was a loop hole that allowed slaves to be used for salt production. The Old Slave House was the centre of that activity, and there’s also a suggestion that the practice of kidnapping freed slaves to sell back into slavery went on here.

So what would we expect musically? A lot of country folk-blues, miserable wailing, and tales of woe? Well we get little or none of that, the first track ‘Salt Sex Slaves’ sets the tone, starting off with a thumping beat, buzzing slide guitar and a whole lot of Stones swagger, similarly on the well titled ‘Inequality In Equality’. ‘Salt King’ too has a definite ‘Brown Sugar’ sense about it. Jason Ringenberg turns up (as he did on “Greetings From Cairo Illinois”) for a rather subdued Hank styled vocal on the gentle ‘Freedom’s Star’. ‘Kidnapping Venus’ is another Stones style number, but more restrained this time, think ‘Wild Horses’, it’s the story of the kidnap and sale of a former slave Venus Davenport. ‘Ode To Uncle Bob’ tells another strange story of a travelling preacher born into slavery but used as a ‘stud slave’, he was rumoured to have fathered 300 children. ‘Muscle and Bone’ tells how an aggrieved slave hacked off the leg of the Salt King, with an axe! Musically ‘Muscle and Bone’ is a not too distant cousin of Slobberbone’s ‘Lumberlung’.

As with his last record, Stace has taken on an interesting and dark part of local history and endeavoured to enlighten and reveal. There just aren’t enough people that dare to do something as adventurous as this. A Stones template was an appealing choice, though this is not a major label-big production deal, so sadly not everything leaps from the speakers quite how you feel it should! Overall this is a stunningly entertaining project.

Date review added:  Sunday, January 06, 2008
Reviewer:  Patrick Wilkins
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  www.staceengland.com