Don't Let the Bossman Get You Down! was produced by Bishop, who also wrote half of the album's songs.[5][6] The title track was inspired by a dispute Bishop had with his label head, Bruce Iglauer.[7] "Stepping Up in Class" is a cover of Jimmy McCracklin's "Steppin'".[8] "Devil's Slide" is an instrumental, while "Rollin' with My Blues" is a tribute to Freddie King, Albert King, and B.B. King.[9][10]
The Calgary Herald noted that there is "lots of leftover nuance from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band days to remind you that this was once a pair of hands equated with Hendrix and Clapton."[12] The Chicago Tribune praised the "serious playing here, adding some potent slide guitar to 'Come On in This House' and some razor-sharp licks to 'Stepping Up in Class'."[13]
The Houston Chronicle thought that "a little slide action and tasty arrangements on several cuts open the door for Bishop's considerable and road-hardened guitar work, which is as focused on record as it has been in years."[16]The San Diego Union-Tribune determined that, while the album "features the trademark Bishop humor and the occasional dash of funk, it is, for the most part, a straight blues effort."[17]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Elvin Bishop; except where noted