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  Jun 03 2008, 07:42 PM

  "I’m Nobody’s Fool" CD Review by Brian Campbell Chicago At Home

  

  Chicago At Home

  Michael Charles is just like a bottle of fine wine since he just gets better with time. Somewhere between 1999's Keep Walking and the recently released 2006 I'm Nobody's Fool, Charles got better; a lot better.
  
  I'm Nobody's Fool is a venerable blues clinic, full of big sounds and wailing guitars. The grooves are better on this record, and so is the overall vibe. There isn't any filler, just solid guitar riffs and some smooth backing music to go along with it. The guitars are so special on I'm Nobody's Fool; they are sweet, subtle, massive, churning, and every other adjective in-between. Not to mention that Fool is a sexy record; the vocals, the guitars, the drumming, everything. This record has a definite swagger to it that few may be able to match.
  
  Take the title track for example. This song leads the early charge of the record with talented soloing and a singable hook. Charles is good at crafting first-rate blues tunes, but also delves into some jazz and jam work as well, with tracks Rag, Addition and Jumbo. The instrumentations are silky smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, and offer a good break from the traditional blues rock on this album. Gave It All Away is one of the better tracks because of how musically flowing the song is, and it might just have the best chorus on the record.
  
  Above all else, it's the guitars that are really at the forefront on I'm Nobody's Fool. Don't get me wrong, the vocals and the drums should not be overshadowed. He is so good at writing full songs that employ the use of vocals, but he is equally as good writing straight acoustic tracks.
  
  You will get into I'm Nobody's Fool, that is a given. Charles is sincere and real, and it is clearly evident that his guitar riffs and his words come from his heart, and aren't pre-processed or over-produced in any way. Charles is real and so is his music. It's that simple.