| What You See Is What You Get | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Lil' Ed Williams |
| Cover: | What You See Is What You Get (Lil' Ed Williams album).jpg |
| Released: | 1992 |
| Genre: | Blues |
| Label: | Alligator[1] |
| Producer: | Bruce Iglauer, Ed Williams |
| Prev Title: | Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits |
| Prev Year: | 1989 |
| Next Title: | Keep On Walkin' |
| Next Year: | 1996 |
What You See Is What You Get is an album by the American musician Lil' Ed Williams, released in 1992.[2] [3] He is credited with his band, the Blues Imperials.[4] Williams supported the album with a North American tour.[5] Following the tour, Williams temporarily broke up the band to concentrate on solo work.
The album was coproduced by Bruce Iglauer.[6] Williams wrote 12 of the album's 14 tracks; he employed a pinky slide on many of the songs.[7] [8] What You See Is What You Get includes a cover of his uncle J. B. Hutto's "Please Help".[9] [7] "Upset Man" was written by the band's bass player, James "Pookie" Young.[10] Eddie McKinley joined the band on saxophone.
The Chicago Tribune called much of Williams's music "one-dimensional contemporary blues," but acknowledged that McKinley "mercifully brightens the shuffle-heavy grooves." The St. Petersburg Times said that "the band can really dig into a stomping groove, accented by Ed's slide guitar, greasy as a just-lubricated truck axle."[11]
The Washington Post concluded that the Imperials "sound like every other baby-boomer, blues 'n' boogie bar band in the land."[9] The Los Angeles Times opined that "the Imperials are something of a detriment to Williams' purity, lacking the personality and sense of tradition that Williams so easily possesses."[12] The Houston Chronicle determined that Williams "has a seriousness of purpose that, combined with his intuitive understanding and exuberant attack, make this one of the most listenable 'classic' blues albums of recent years."[13]
AllMusic deemed the album "hard-driving good-time electric blues."