"Although music fans have this memory of Hawkins as a creepy ghoulish figure, or “the Black Vincent Price,” as many of his fans and contemporaries called him, his debut album has very little horror elements within it at all, let alone blues or rock n’ roll tracks.  Instead, it is a showcase of Hawkins’ versatility, and his ability to adapt to many genres.  He primarily performs standards from the great American songbook such as “Orange Colored Sky,” “I Love Paris,” “Ol’ Man River,” and “Deep Purple,” as well as takes a stab at the country and western standard “Give Me My Boots and Saddle” and the traditional spiritual “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”  But the Screamin’ Jay that listeners are looking for does somewhat emerge when he enters the field of “exotica” with an excellent cover of Bing Crosby’s hit “Temptation,” and the racially insensitive number “Hong Kong,” and he brings his mad antics into a strange cover of “You Made Me Love You,” which was made famous by Judy Garland.  It’s an interesting collection of music, but for the exception of “I Put a Spell On You,” it is not much of a shock rock album. Memory of his live performances of “Spell” seem to stick in the public’s recollection of Screamin’ Jay far more than the reality of his musical output."

 - Sam Tweedle's Vinyl Stories