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I Was Warned
Studio album by Robert Cray
Released	April 1992
Recorded	Fantasy Studios, L.A.
Genre	Blues
Length	48:30
Label	Mercury
Producer	Dennis Walker
Robert Cray chronology
Midnight Stroll (1990) I Was Warned (1992) Shame + A Sin (1993)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Chicago Tribune
Christgau's Consumer Guide	A−
DownBeat
Entertainment Weekly	B+
Los Angeles Times
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings
Q
Rolling Stone

I Was Warned is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released in April 1992 through Mercury Records. Like Cray’s previous album, it features his regular backing band playing alongside the Memphis Horns.

Critical reception

In AllMusic, Daniel Gioffre wrote of the album:

the tracks are devoid of any kind of dirt whatsoever, which prevents them from really kicking the listener the way that they should. Granted, Cray isn't R. L. Burnside or even Buddy Guy, but a little more grit to the band performances, arrangements, tones, and recording would go a long way toward aiding the emotional kick of his admittedly great set of pipes. Cray is also not aided by the writing, which is hit or miss throughout. His playing is powerful and idiosyncratic, but his intensity and focus are unfortunately not matched by other aspects of this recording. I Was Warned is not a bad Cray album by any means; it just lacks the sort of fire that would make it really take off.

Track listing

1. "Just a Loser" (Tim Kaihatsu) – 4:23
2. "I'm a Good Man" (Cray, Dennis Walker) – 4:12
3. "I Was Warned" (Cray, Dennis Walker) – 7:15
4. "The Price I Pay" (Cray, Dennis Walker) – 5:06
5. "Won the Battle" (Jim Pugh, Dennis Walker) – 3:53
6. "On the Road Down" (Cray, Steve Cropper) – 4:02
7. "A Whole Lotta Pride" (Cray, Dennis Walker) – 4:34
8. "A Picture of a Broken Heart" (Boz Scaggs, Dennis Walker) – 5:22
9. "He Don't Live Here Anymore" (Jim Pugh, Dennis Walker) – 5:13
10. "Our Last Time" (John Hanes, Jim Pugh) – 5:10

Personnel

• Robert Cray - vocals, guitar
• Jim Pugh - keyboards
• Karl Sevareid - bass
• Kevin Hayes - drums
• Tim Kaihatsu - rhythm guitar

Memphis Horns

• Andrew Love - tenor saxophone
• Wayne Jackson - trumpet, trombone

References

1. ^ "I Was Warned - Robert Cray, Robert Cray Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
2. Kot, Greg (September 24, 1992). "I Was Warned (Mercury)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
3. Christgau, Robert (2000). "The Robert Cray Band". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. p. 189. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
4. ^ "Robert Cray - I Was Warned CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
5. Boehm, Mike (September 20, 1992). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
6. Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.

External links

• Review by Robert Christgau for Playboy

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