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Pops Walker - Who is this guy? There are many independent artists out there today, just waiting to be heard. With the loss of total control by the music industry tycoons, we've had the good fortune to be exposed to a multitude of independent recording artists, songwriters and performers. Pops Walker is one of these heretofore (but probably not much longer) 'unknown performers'. His music is made of the freshest sounds and the most honest songs I've heard in years. And trust me when I say that I'm not the first to say this. I've found over the years that some music is immediately comfortable, and instantly familiar, like an old friend. On the other hand, some music has to grow on you - much like an acquired taste. After listening to Walker's latest CD, 'Cuttin' in Line at the Karmic Buffet' it dawned upon me that this CD fits nicely into both of those categories. The songs on this CD are as comfortable to the ear as an old friend's kind words. But even with that familiarity, for the discerning listener, there are phrases wrought with revelation. And upon subsequent listening, the CD just gets better. Opening with a seriously mean bottleneck slide on one of his several acoustic guitars, and ending in a dreamy tribute to an old mentor, 'Cuttin' in Line at the Karmic Buffet' is a treat to the ear of any acoustic guitar afficionado. Songwriters (the few that know of him) simply love his stuff. If you like Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Robert Johnson, John Prine, or any of the mix that might fall between these well-known folks, you'll like Walker. He's hard to categorize, but easy to identify with. I suppose acoustic blues is probably the best description of his stuff (indeed one his favorite homegrown tunes is called 'Coustic Blues). But one could also categorize it as folk, folk-rock, acoustic-rock, country-blues, country-jazz-blues, eclectic acoustic, or as Walker once flippantly described it, 'southern-fried-zen-mojo-soul. But it's probably best not to categorize it at all. No, it's best just to listen to it, and color it, as you will. But no matter how you color it, I'll buy you something nice if you don't like it. Glenville Kedie, Honolulu Hawaii, November 2000.