Album of the Day

Though he had one previous solo album to his credit, it was Everlast's tenure with “Jump Around” hitmakers House Of Pain that had listeners awaiting WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES with such anticipation. The 1998 Tommy Boy collection goes way beyond standard-issue hip-hop, with heavy metal and acoustic blues thrown into the mix, and production that deftly deploys samples while maintaining a raw edge. The lyrics are as impressive as the sound on this set; if tracks like “Today (Watch Me Shine),” “Ends” or the Grammy-nominated “What It's Like” seem unusually thoughtful, it may be that the major heart surgery Everlast underwent during the making of this album served as a reality check. One of the performer's very best, the Top Ten, double-Platinum WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES has just been reissued.