Ellis' shimmering, intricate finger picking is reminiscent of John Fahey, the master... one of the most welcome acoustic blues albums of 2006.

The most hauntingly atmospheric and concise distillation of Ellis' sound yet... recalls Ry Cooder in his prime. Ellis is one of today's finest roots singer-songwriters, one capable of painting broad soundscapes rather than just picking out variations on a "dead" ethic.

A subgenre of his own creation... equal parts pre-war blues and gospel, flavored by Appalachian country. This is acoustic music with real guts.

This is Americana roots music like no one else is making ... sacred and secular, personal yet universal.

I've been fishing for names for this sub-sub-genre of audible American art. The secular stuff I call Deep Southern; the more spiritual stuff might be described as Progressive Pentecostal...

Another stunning piece of American music that, like its predecessor [Conqueroo], gets better with each subsequent listen... an exceptional release that will appeal to fans of all music genres, most especially blues and roots music fans.

One of the best releases I have heard in years… How many times have you read "haunting" in a review and wondered what was meant? It means God's Tattoos.

Distills American music to its essence and creates something from them that bears Ellis' distinct image... this disc deserves the W.C. Handy Award for Album of the Year.

In conjuring his distinctive brand of blues and gospel-inspired Americana, Memphis guitarist and singer William Lee Ellis stands on the shoulders of tradition instead of letting it weigh him down...

….abounds with compelling stories and imaginative sounds…

A unique and innovative album... may often cause listeners to scratch their heads and ask, "How did he do that?"

Ellis and Dickinson head for the cosmic side of the road, a place both know well, and show us just what a groovy spot that can be...

Ellis' best album yet… So strong is the identity of this sound that, in time, it can simply be defined as William Lee Ellis music.

An Americana gem that sparkles with blues invention and country soul...

Ellis teams up with Jim Dickinson for a slice of Americana that exists in a place all it's own... A remarkable set that really stands apart.

There is something inescapably “Southern” about this atmospheric rhumba of brushed drums, wheezing accordion and slightly twangy guitar... A fascinating track.

A set of lovely, rootsy songs... as natural as a bad mood.

Ellis is so fully mature in every way, and not just as singer and guitar player, that he simply does not have bad music, misconceived art, or half-baked ideas as available options.

Crisp and driving slide guitar played on a beautifully toned metal resonator instrument.... well worth searching out.

A completely original, masterful mix of American music... clearly one of the standout releases of 2003 in any genre of music.

Ellis has largely flown under the radar, but just may break out with this release.

His guitar speaks back to him... like a burning bush. They're not songs about faith, but songs written to express the beauty of visions Mr. Ellis has had...

The distance between high and low, here and the hereafter never seemed too great in the back country mountain tradition, and though Ellis lives in Memphis, his heart is clearly in the hills...

Fresh, delicate but powerful... His lyrics are thoughtful, playful and even poetic. Conqueroo on Yellow Dog Records is a beautiful album.

Delivers on all fronts: recording, arrangements and accompaniment as well as stellar songwriting and musicianship.

God's Tattoos is the best kind of American roots music record: respectful of tradition, but dedicated to moving that tradition forward.

There's no one else playing exactly the same sort of music as William Lee Ellis. It's as if he's invented his own sort of 'holy blues' genre.

When Ellis does a religious piece by Mississippi John Hurt his picking is like a sweet sounding hurdy gurdy...

Ellis is more like an example of what Gatemouth Brown was referring to when he stated his preference to describe his music as “American Music.”

Witness a collison of American folk, ragtime, bluegrass, prewar blues, country, gospel and more. Roots music may have a new poster boy... frighteningly fresh and refreshingly tasty!

Ellis not only is a superb player on various types of guitars but also is a fine lyricist, able to recast familiar observations so that they seem new to the listener.

Has the warm, eclectic, and attractive feel of early Ry Cooder...

Ellis' music is firmly rooted in the blues tradition, but he also incorporates other elements of American music along the way...

Ellis is a smoking slide artist... an experience and exploration that grows with each listen.

Because its power is not all on the surface, Conqueroo gets better every time you hear it...

Successfully combines the music of the masters with his own unique style to create a sound that is fresh, and all his own...

It's original, its roots sink deep into Americana, and it's organically acoustic - at least most times...

It was one of the best shows we did all year... As president of the Boise Blues Society I found William Lee Ellis to be an exceptional talent with the ability to impress any audience with his ability to bring the blues to life.

If the opening "Snakes in My Garden" sounds like Memphis guitarist William Lee Ellis is the next deft acoustic bluesman to hit the scene, that's just part of the picture....

This is American music, played beautifully and with great feeling.

Almost too uplifiting to be blues - but also a little too gritty and real-world to be gospel.

With one foot in the 21st century, the other in the timeless magic haze of the Mississippi Delta, William Lee Ellis leads us into a world steeped in life’s mysteries and double-crosses.

At times I hear similarities to Eric Clapton's acoustic work and wish that Clapton would release an album up to these standards...

A phenomenal slide guitarist... Ellis comes out of the tradition of bluesmen who want to share the gospel while sliding a broken beerbottle neck over the strings of their guitars.

His special fondess for Rev. Gary Davis reflects the combination of heavenly and the hellish...

Roots music of the highest order... this is spectacular!

Originally envisioned as a song cycle -- "a gospel record with Buddhist intent," Ellis says -- God's Tattoos was produced by Memphis legend Jim Dickinson...

Flashes dark, introspective songwriting with a myriad of styles...

William Lee Ellis carries on the tradition of American originals. His guitaristry and voice are richly colored with the water from the well that nourished him. His art however is original and contemporary... timeless.

Any album with a song called "When Leadbelly Walked The River Like Christ" is worth a listen as far as we're concerned...

"Conqueroo" by William Lee Ellis is the utmost in contemporary blues!

"When you come to Memphis to hear the blues, there are three words you need to know: William Lee Ellis."

One of the best picking blues guitarist I’ve heard in a long time... no matter how fast the tempo gets, Ellis makes every lick cleaner than a whistle and pulls off the most soulful lyrics with complete sincerity.

The deft guitarist and spirited vocalist is masterful at lifting listeners up to gospel skies in both exalting and reflective selections, and ripping the roof off a revival in the barnburning "Rider on Your Soul."

A superb set of original songs, informed by an uncommonly deep & wide embrace of “roots” Americana.. & other things.

"God's Tattoos" has got to be one of coolest album titles ever...

Behold! It is this guitar that has arisen from the Memphis melting pot and from it flows the rhythms of Gospel, Blues, Folk, Country and Rockabilly. This is indeed a regal roots CD that belongs in your collection.

Ellis weaves a tapestry and then some...

Powerful passionate acoustic blues full of chromatic beauty... a very gratifying piece of work.