Reviews (55)

Fine primer on SRV, but there's a better offering available.
Stevie Ray Vaughan might have been the only man alive to approach the cosmic heights reached by the legendary Jimi Hendrix. He had the soulful voice, the second-to-none (but tasteful) chops, and the uncanny talent of taking blues standards and making them his own in a way that a second-tier blues guitarist like Eric Clapton can only attempt to emulate. Stevie was the real deal. His unfortunately short career began in 1980 and ended in 1990 with the sad helicopter accident that took his life. Throughout that career, Vaughan reinvented the world of blues guitar and bridged the gap between 12-bar blues and rock 'n' roll. While he wasn't the first to perform this feat, few did it as well.

The two single-disc Greatest Hits compilations available today do a pretty good job of rounding up his best material (both live and studio)--that is, if you don't mind buying them both. However, if you want all of this material without having to buy both discs separately, there's a better way to go. Look for a collection titled "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble" locally. This is a 2-disc compilation not offered on Amazon that basically bundles together the two Greatest Hits discs. It has almost all the same songs (chronologically ordered too). Of course, you miss out on the rarity Pipeline featuring Dick Dale, but that isn't a huge loss to the casual fan.

Now that I've let you in on that little secret, go forth and add some SRV to your collection. If you're really hooked, seek out the individual studio albums (Texas Flood, Couldn't Stand The Weather, Soul To Soul, In Step) and also check out the several live albums available. Actually, go for the live albums first. Stevie was amazing live, as this compilation's versions of Shake For Me, Willie The Wimp, and Superstition (way better than the Stevie Wonder original!) prove. Also marvel at the phenomenal cover of Hendrix's Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Let's see any living guitarist try topping THAT.

So, in summary, your collection isn't complete without at least one Stevie album. Next to B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and (yes) Jimi, he was the greatest blues guitarist ever. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

"Excellent Follow-Up to 1995's Hits collection"
This 16-track compilation of SRV hits recorded from 1980 to 1990, is an excellent follow-up to the critically acclaimed 1995 collection "Greatest Hits." All of his 4 studio albums are equally represented here, as well as some of his live releases, and compilations that were released after his death. As for the rarities, the tracks "Leave My Girl Alone (from the "Live in Austin Texas" DVD)" & "Pipeline (1987, out of print)" were previously released as part of film soundtracks and DVD releases, but are presented here as audio tracks. This is a strange marketing strategy, but the tracks are still excellent. "Love Struck Baby" serves as the opening track, followed by the slow blues of "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love", the instrumental "Scuttle Buttin'", and "Wall of Denial", an obscure track from the award winning album, "In Step." My personal favorite is track 15, "Voodoo Chile (slight return)",
a remake of the 1968 hit by Hendrix. This 8 minute version features awesome soloing, vocals, and precision by Double Trouble. Get this CD, and enjoy a selection of hits by this late great guitarist, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Don't forget to check out "Voodoo Chile" & "Leave My Girl Alone (live)."

A good but imperfect companion volume to "Greatest Hits"
Stevie Ray Vaughan's original Greatest Hits album was far too short at just 11 not particularly well chosen tracks, but this 1999 addition goes a long way towards making up for that. It is not a hits package per se, since most of these songs were never released as singles, but it features lots of excellent songs like "Willie The Wimp", "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love", "Empty Arms", and Vaughan's magnificent rendition of Doyle Bramhall's acoustic survivor story "Life By The Drop".

That still doesn't make it a definitive career retrospective, though, even when coupled with "Greatest Hits" vol. I, and the inclusion of tunes like "Pipeline" and "Superstition" is suspect considering what has been left out.
At 27 songs, these two albums are trmped by the superb double-disc collection "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble", which is cheaper than "Greatest Hits" vol. I and II together, yet features a stronger selection of songs, and six more of them as well.

Go get that one. Go, go!

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - The Real Deal: hits 2
I love working out to this CD--it makes me think Austin . ..Rockabilly . . good times . . .Great CD and great work out alternative

Great Intro to SRV
This is the first Stevie Ray Vaughan CD I picked up, and while it may be considered a lesser album by some die-hard fans, I keep finding this thing in my CD player. It's got some great songs, and pretty good diversity, considering Vaughan's tragicallly abbreviated career.

Several live tracks, including the classic "Willie the Wimp" and the rocking update of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," give you a sense of what a blast it must have been to watch Vaughan roar through a set -- almost as good as watching a rerun of "Austin City Limits." The combination of rocking fury and melancholy blues is just astounding.

Instrumentals ("Pipeline," "Scuttle Buttin'") also allow the listener to just kick back and marvel at Vaughan's virtuoso playing ability. Vaughan's voice, apparently criticized by some, is fine, but it pales in comparison to his ability to a guitar.

My two favorite tracks are the thumping "Shake For Me" and the bittersweet "Life by the Drop." It's tough to pick favorites on this loaded album, though, and I've never met two people who have the same two top picks on this album.

It's tough to pick up a Stevie Ray Vaughan CD these days . . . there are so many that have slightly different combos of the same limited catalog of songs. This album is a good start. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This impressive--and frankly, fun--musical document is still sending out shock waves almost 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release. The Smithsonian's six-CD reissue is painstakingly researched, annotated, and packaged (even boasting an enhanced disc for the techno-capable). Unlike field recorders, eccentric filmmaker/collector/musicologist Harry Smith assembled the Anthology from commercially released (though obscure) 78 rpm discs issued between 1927 and 1935. Its broad scope--from country blues to Cajun social music to Appalachian murder ballads--was monumentally influential, setting musicians like Bob Dylan down the path to folk fandom. The White House started its own national music library with the Anthology; anyone with more than a passing interest in American roots music should do the same. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Essential for a well-rounded pop music collection
You should buy this just to hear where all those folk and blues revivalists of the 60s got a large chunk of their material. Back then, these albums were the only way to hear these recordings unless you were willing to go to great lengths to collect old records (like the compiler of this Anthology, Harry Smith).

If you enjoy the Anthology music you can hear a lot more of the same style on Yazoo Records' various "rural music" anthologies. Nearly every disc they issue has an Anthology track or two on it, or other work by artists who appear on this Anthology. I actually find Yazoo's "Before The Blues" series more enjoyable, track for track, than this collection. It's likely, though, that there would be no Yazoo records today if the AAFM hadn't come along in the early 1950s. Also, this Anthology includes secular, spiritual and "social" music in a rather comprehensive way, so understandably there don't seem to be many people who like EVERY song. Even Harry Smith didn't like every song in the collection (read the liner notes).

The first great collection of American folk song recordings
The "Anthology of American Folk Music" put together by Harry Smith was originally issued in 1952 in three volumes of 2 LPs each, with a total of 84 tracks collected from old records. It is said that this collection played a seminal role in the folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s, influencing and inspiring the generation of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Once you listen to these songs you will have little doubt that was indeed the case. The three volumes focus on Ballads, Social Music, and Songs respectively. I did not recognize enough of these 84 songs to use all of the fingers on my guitar picking hand and I could not care less. You can look over the playlist above and see if anything looks familiar, but, obviously, that is beside the point here. These songs involve a definition of "folk" that is expansive enough to include blues singers like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Richard "Rabbit" Brown. The authenticity of these songs is overpowering, transporting you to a time and place when radio was just starting to make inroads into the backwoods of America.

The collection includes a 100-page booklet that features harry Smith's original handbook of songs, an essay by critic Greil Marcus, along with other essays, song notes, photos, graphics, and recollections by legendary artists about how this anthology inspired their own careers. The overall effect is like taking a college course on American Folk Music. Whether your interest in this type of music comes from listening to the Weavers, Peter Paul, & Mary, or the soundtrack to "Brother, Where Art Thou?" hopefully your enjoyment of folk music will lead you back to this seminal collection. Additional Note: There is also an excellent website put together by the Smithsonian Folkways that will tell you for not only alternate titles (e.g., "The Wagoner's Lad" is also known as "Loving Nancy" and "My Horses Ain't Hungry"), but other recorded versions organized by styles (e.g., traditional American Folk, Folksong revival, Post revival, Country/String Band, Bluegrass, and British). Like everyone else, I have been greatly impressed by the way the Smithsonian Institute has been protecting our nation's heritage when it comes to folk music. They take their job seriously and they are very, very good at it.

Necessary.
I dont think there is a need to go into to much detail about this *6 CD* set. If you can fork over the cash, just buy it. If you have any interest in roots music, just buy it. If you thought ol' Bobby Dylan and the Band made some great weird music in the basement of big pink in '67 .. for the love of god, BUY THIS! strange, unadorned, raw music , just buy it.

Essential
Much ink & many electrons have been devoted to explaining both Harry Smith (and a lot of explanation is necessary -- very interesting man) and this wonderful collection of recordings from the 1920's and 30's, so I won't go into too much detail here. If you'd like a good treatise on the work itself as a cultural object, and how it relates to other thematically similar items, I would reccomend Griel Marcus' book Invisible Republic.
This is the greatest mix tape ever made, and an essential cultural artifact, not only of the vernacular music of the hills & highways of pre-electrification America, but also of the folk movement ofthe fifties and sixties (the primer fromwhic all else was derived) and by extension of the hippy movement following closely thereafter.
SOme of this music is really wild...

Mysterious, Beautiful and a Kick Inside
I half heard a story about the Anthology on Natl Public Radio a few months ago while I was getting ready for work. The story kept coming back to me, until I had to buy the Anthology to get some peace. Instead of peace, I find that I am now disturbed, intrigued, and haunted.

Music is ill-suited to being described in words, so I'll use an entirely different experience to try and convey what listening to this Anthology is like.

I once knew a fellow who had grown up on Bechtel construction project sites around the world. As a kid playing in the dirt at these sites, he'd collected a box full of those stone tools that humans made and used for something like three million years. I found that once I had turned one of these slips of chipped obsidian or shale over for a moment, it settled naturally into my hand. There was a spot for my thumb, another spot for my forefinger, and my hand was making a scraping or digging motion with the thing. The tool and my hand still remembered their ancient partnership, without any volition from me. This sensation was simultaneously disturbing and satisfying and made the hair stand up on my neck.

This sensation is very close to what I feel listening to this anthology. You will not hear the familiar, highly produced music we're now so comfortable with. You will hear the voice and sound of music as it has been for millions of years -- and you will recognize what you are hearing as being utterly, essentially human.

These recordings were, of course, made only 75 years ago in the 1920's, surely part of the modern era. Yet this was the last moment in time between the old world and the new world. We still sing and play music for the same reasons we always have, but the way we used our voices and instruments for millions of years has been changed by technology. So if these not very old recordings feel strangely like a link to something ancient and mysterious, that's because they actually are.

There is a great beauty in the voices on these recordings, many of which are almost shrill, almost off-key -- unfamiliar to our pampered contemporary ears -- but also perfectly right. There is a mystery in the odd and sometimes fragmentary lyrics, whose once important meaning is now lost.

We can still share the depth of feeling through the music itself, sometimes so strongly that your heart leaps as though you'd been kicked from inside. But, as it says in the booklet of notes, while we can share in the emotions that impelled someone to sing about The Coo Coo Bird in the first place, we'll never know why it was important to live on a mountainside in order to see Willie go by.

Perhaps the true power of this Anthology is that every recording is genuine in a way that is no longer possible. I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Hard-luck band gets kicked in the can!
One of the best American blues bands from the late '60's, Canned Heat could have even been greater and more successful, except for one thing: they were the original hard-luck boys. On the verge of breaking out after their first album, the Heat was busted in Denver and had to sell the rights to their songs to get out. (To this day, drummer and current bandleader Fito de la Parra relies on live work, not royalties, to help him make ends meet.) Plus, even though most of their songs were sung by the fabulous growl of Bob "the Bear" Hite, their two most famous numbers featured the vocals of Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson. Now, "Blind Owl" was a musical genius, the best harpist in the world according to John Lee Hooker, but some fans feel his falsetto vocals are an acquired taste. Their most famous song, "Going Up the Country," with the equally famous flute solo, might give the casual listener the expectation of a completely different style of music; say, the Grateful Dead at their most tribal, rather than a hard-core blues-boogie band. Wisely, "Blind Owl" is limited to three numbers on this disc (all are excellent). Luckily, "the Bear" is at his most playful and fun-living on his numbers, with "Same All Over," "Let's Work Together" (his only hit as singer), and the morality tale "Amphetimine Annie" the standouts of his seven songs. The album closes with the wonderful jam "Fried Hockey Boogie," featuring a segment from each instrumentalist. Here, Henry Vestine's guitar work will blow your mind, sending it out to orbit the solar system before bringing it back gently to earth. The band would never sound better than this. Sadly, the final reason Canned Heat never achieved the success they deserved is that both Alan Wilson and Bob Hite (and, much later, Henry Vestine) would die too young from their self-destructive lifestyle. Thankfully, they left a pretty good legacy for a band that was kicked in the can by life once too often.

Killer blues from the Woodstock era
Best of Canned Heat is a great collection of the best of this great blues band which formed in the late 60's. Many music fans know the band today from their inclusions on several '60s compliations that have been released like Revolution Rock and their participation at Woodstock in 1969. While Woodstock was certainly their high point, Canned Heat were different from many bands from that era, concentrating on their blues roots rather than singing of free love, psychedelia, or protesting the changing times.

While Canned Heat were a blues band, they also knew of the importance of having a memorable hook in their tracks. This shows prominently on this collection, whether it's the harmonica solos on "On The Road Again", the flute (!) on their biggest hit "Going Up The Country", the horn section on "Boogie Music", or the piano on "Same All Over". But there is also some great raw blues here such as "Amphetamine Annie", and their smokin' versions of "Let's Work Together" and Muddy Waters' oft-covered classic "Rollin' And Tumblin". Having two lead vocalists in the band also worked to their advantage as well as Alan Wilson's falsetto vocals on "Going Up The Country" and "Time Was" complimented Bob "The Bear" Hite's rougher vocals on "Let's Work Together" and "Bullfrog Blues" very well. The album closes with the 11-minute "Fried Hockey Boogie" which gives all the band members their chance to shine. There's also a longer and better version of this track on the soundtrack album Woodstock Two. An excellent compilation, highly recommended to fans of the blues, and to fans who loved the music from the Woodstock era.

It could've been a contender!
This is the 'Cookbook' album from the late 60's.That would have been really great(4 stars at least)if it hadn't have been for one notable exception.Where is the cut'Sic 'em Pigs'?Surely we have all got past any sense of outrage or offense about what would now be a humorous taste of the times,a funny,dated little piece of satire.How funny it would be on this collection.But alas,with this exclusion,whenever I listen to this CD I'll always note this flaw in what could otherwise be an enduring gem.

They might have been wasted, but they sure could play
This was a great rockin' blues band, and it's amazing to realize that they actually had hit singles. Today's music audience doesn't even understand why musical ability makes a damn bit of difference. But here is a band that had 3 or 4 hit singles in an ancient musical style, just because they played so convincingly. I'll admit it, I sought this record out because I heard the wonderful "Lets Work Together" on a TV ad. All I can say is, there are many paths to enlightenment.

Great, great stuff
Canned Heat is a great band, but I can't find any of their music except for this and the double-CD, Uncanned. Does anyone know where I can purchase the original Canned Heat albums (with Al Wilson and Bob Hite) on CD? I've been looking but they're nowhere to be found.

The music is great, but one teeny little greatest hits CD is not enough. If I can't find their albums any time soon, I will just buy Uncanned. ... Read more

Amazon.com

New Orleans' Henry Roeland Byrd wasn't the most polished of all the great R&B pianists of the '40s and '50s, but even Ray Charles and Otis Spann rarely matched his speed. This superb two-disc set repeats the Professor's signature style--a stomping left-hand bass and a right hand that flies all over the place--on classics such as "Tipitina," "Junco Partner," and "Ball the Wall." It begins in the early '50s, when 'Fess called his band Roy Byrd & His Blues Jumpers, and ends with an incredible, stretched-out live version of "Big Chief" (with Dr. John) and "Boogie Woogie" (with fellow New Orleans pianists Allen Toussaint and Tuts Washington).--Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Many nights at Tip's
No air-conditioning then, and after awhile you didn't even care anymore. With the Professor banging out the musical equal of both sugar and whiskey, life at that moment was pretty damn good there at Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas Street.

Yeah, yeah, you had to be there, but since you probably weren't, here's something for you so you can see what all the fuss is about. A little lagniappe for you at the end, too, with the Professor kickin' it way big with some friends.

Meet you tomorrow at the Camelia for breakfast, cher. . .

Rockin' Oldies for the Hardcore Fess' Fan
If you're lookin for a good mix of old school Jazz/Blues tunes, you've come to the right place. Fess' has a good list of classics ranging from hard-hitting Jazz to the soft Blues when you're in the mood. If you've ever wanted Fess' hits on one CD, here you are. Tipitina, Big Chief, Stag-O-Lee, it's all here.

A Legend
I have listened to this CD dozens of times in the last few months. Its joyous and uplifting yet still reflects some of the pain in the Professor's life. The little book with pictures and a mini biography that are included are worth the price of the 2 CD set. After listening once, you'll want to head to the Big Easy, stop at Tipitina's, and rub Fess' head for good luck. Those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about. The man is a true legend.

hey now baby
I'd never heard note one of Fess' music when I bought this set. My gut said it would be good, and my gut turned out to be Nostradamus. The fact that this guy ever had trouble making ends meet is a testament to how upside down the music industry can be. I try to be sparing with the stars, and there is no doubt that this set deserves all five. This is pure good time music. The man was a party on the piano. I carried the CD with me everywhere I went for the first week I owned it. In my car, in my room, in other people's cars (I insisted, no one complained), in other people's rooms. Jerry Lee Lewis is nothing but watered down 'Fess. Take yours straight.

By far the most played CD I own
This music is the richest sounding music the human ear has ever had the pleasure of hearing. From the Hadacol Bounce to Cuttin' out to Tipitina to etc. and beyond, every cut is played with that special Rhumba Boogie shuffle with the Proffessor singing at the top of his lungs. Whooaaahhh Lalalala. A whole lotta uh uh for you. This is the joy music was meant to be. And you too will be a Fess Fan! Just ask Fats Domino and John Bonham. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Creme De La Creme
There are not enough adjectives for the tremendous impact of this recording - all it takes is one play - one memory - cascades! These ladies are to "Die For".

Billie, Ella, Lena, Sarah - their best was yet to come.
This collection was first issued in the mid '50s as "Ella, Lena and Billie" - Sarah was added later - and if you don't know these great vocalists by their first names, you must be from the Moon. The sessions by Billie and Ella are from the '30s, and Lena's sessions are from 1941. Most of these numbers were recorded with a Teddy Wilson-led band which included several of Basie's sidemen. The Sarah Vaughn numbers were recorded in 1950 with a lineup that included Miles Davis on trumpet. It's wonderful to hear these singers in the early stages of their careers. The sound quality is better than one might expect.

A great sample of early jazz queens !!
This album introduced me to jazz a couple of years ago. Now, I'm a big fan. I know the work of Amstrong, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Nina Simone and others. Still, this is the best I have.The lyrics, instrumental richness and even the imperfect recording quality makes it really charming and beautiful. Horne's emotion in "Prisioner of Love" and all Sarah's performances give it an extra star. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the late '70s the Cheap Suit Serenaders--fronted by comix legend Robert Crumb but also featuring fellow old-time music artistes Robert Armstrong, Bob Brozman, Al Dodge, Tom Marion, and Terry Zwigoff (who would later produce a whole film on Crumb)--were the only group around who would even think about still producing 78s. After all, that's where all their favorite music came from. Those platters are now highly collectible, but their albums live on, reissued on CD. Singing in the Bathtub collects some of their best work--humorous originals such as "Suits Crybaby Blues" and plenty of covers of tunes from obscure 78s. Their playing is flawless (you probably haven't heard the steel guitar, banjo mandolin, or musical saw played with such virtuosity as here), the tunes are mostly fun and spirited, and the music styles are varied. In the hands of the Cheap Suits, old-time music is alive and well. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (5)

MAKES YOUR FEET TAP AND BRINGS A SMILE TO YOUR FACE!
An all too forgotten music brought back to life, by this amazing band of well humored and talented musicians. Find modern day albums are sufficently lacking in the playing of a saw?!! well search no further! This CD resurects instruments and music long past, but never out of style. Mr. Robert Crumb has certainly left his mark on this world in very unique ways :)

"Sensitive guys who play old outdated tunes"; what a treat!
I have all three of the original vinyl LP albums and thought I'd never get to hear these wonderful tunes again when my turntable broke and I switched to CDs. Crumb & Company complain in their self-mocking Suits Crybaby Blues: "Nobody likes our music, they all want stuff that's loud". Whatever the market may be, this music makes my soul soar. It's not "Camp", that 60s fad where truly bad pop culture was held up as unconscious self-parody. These multi-talented, multimedia artists lovingly render these obscure, high-spirited and quaintly corny echoes from a more innocent era. Naive, a bit goofy, and even somewhat racist in an innocent way ( "Sing Song Girl" portrays cartoonish orientals)this music evokes the enthusiastic rowdiness of an America on a binge. Much like R. Crumb's comix, the stuff may be a bit politically incorrect and even grotesque, but it is raucously entertaining.

Grand? Yes - - thank you!
I agree, "grand" is just the word for this kind of music.

I'm surprised at myself for liking this CD as much as I do. Although I enjoyed (is that the word?) the film, "Crumb," and now some of R. Crumb's comic art, I didn't expect to enjoy his music so much. Sure I like different kinds of music, but I'm mostly a classical or classic rock 'n roll kind of guy.

Simply put, this music is a lot of fun. I don't know for sure, but it seems the vocals on this disc are a little better than the those on "Chasin' Rainbows" (judging from the RealAudio samples). Not that the vocals on this disc are great, but it's all great fun. Anyway this is a disc to put on when one needs cheering up (for me, Bach or sometimes Mozart can also help in this regard). Enjoy!

thugs with jugs
I happen to own the original three records of Robert Crumb and his CSS. Grand is the only word to fill the title on this album.

Happy, heartfelt, tongue-in-cheek .. this is music my friend
As if it weren't enough that Robert Crumb was one of the outstanding inventors of the 60's style underground cartoon art (often imitated, never duplicated .. remember Janis Joplin's first album cover?) .. this album has got to be one of the understated works of our time. Robert has an outstanding line up (for example, Brozman who is a slack key style player, and also appears as an instructor in Home Spun Video tape courses). I love this stuff! It makes me happy .. it's sincere and heartfelt .. qualities which are completely absent in so much of today's modern over marketed trend ridden music! This CD actually put me in touch with a part of myself that had been long lost .. experiencing the fun and enjoyment of listening to good music performed with spirit. -- Big Nick ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Pure, distilled Lucinda.
This is a truly excellent album. An early Williams album, it was recorded for Folkways Records, who specialized in folk, jazz and the blues. The clean, simple guitar accompanyment accentuates Lucinda's voice and the songs she sings. She has chosen a collection of songs that includes blues, country and traditional and performs them all well. The blues covers are especially good.

This is a keeper.

Really good accoustic blues
Lucinda Williams is a great find. This is all acoustic 12 string blues. There are three great Robert Johnson covers Ramblin on my mind, Malted Milk Blues, and Stop Breakin Down. The recording is all blues covers except Disgusted which sounds like a blues cover. Unlike most cover alblums this has a great oringal sound. BECAUSE LUCINDA WILLIAMS HAS A GREAT VOICE AND CAN PLAY GUITAR LIKE NOBODYS BUSINESS. I also like her record LUCINDA WILLIAMS.

Ramblin'
Sweet. What Can I Say That Hasn't Already Been Said
About This Amazing Artist Lucinda Wm's She's Awsome
Dang it

I Love This Album
I have to admit, first, that I am already a big fan of Lucinda's work. I saw her in concert in November and she puts on a great show. This album is different than her others. It's folk music in it's most simple form.

You can close your eyes and feel like you're listening to this on the porch of some old mansion in West Virginia circa 1919. If you are interested in historical music this is the CD for you.

It's timeless and so sweet.

Southern comfort
"Purist stuff" is what Lucinda Williams called the material she used for this marvelous blusey folksy recording, made in 1978. There's an exquisite simplicity to the music, and superb musicianship; the only intruments are Ms. Williams on a 12-string guitar, and John Grimaudo on a 6-string. Though her voice might not be "perfect", it is remarkably expressive, with a unique and slightly nasal tone, and an elastic range. I find her sound much more satisfying then a lot of what I hear that is currently popular.

The songs are a delight, from the familiar, like the traditional "Motherless Children", to the rarer gems like Memphis Minnie's "Me and My Chauffeur".
Ms. Williams did the terrific cover photo, the remastering is excellent, and the total time is 44:20
This is an easy, peaceful CD, like an old time classic that takes you back to less complicated times, it is a comfort and a treasure. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A Boston native now living in Atlanta, Sue Tedeschi gets wildly overpraised by some purported blues pundits and gratuitously slammed by others. The truth lies somewhere in between. She's an earnest but undistinguished singer and a functional songwriter-guitarist whose music provides mild entertainment. On an album that veers between blues-slanted material (try "Friar's Point") and bluesy pop-rock (take your pick), she carries on with élan but none of the finesse or emotional clarity of a big-league singer like Joan Osborne or Bonnie Raitt. Tedeschi's cover of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery," alas, is her blatant imitation of the famous redhead but it is light years away from Raitt's persuasive capacity for interpreting lyrics. The most alluring track is "Can't Leave You Alone," written by Tedeschi band member Adrienne Hayes, who unleashes a stirring little guitar solo therein. --Frank-John Hadley ... Read more

Reviews (215)

one of the best blues singers in a long time!
You guys must be kidding, and you've clearly never seen Susan live. (By the way you've also left out Blues Revue's review of her work which is more to the point). I have been a blues fan for about 25 years and I have to say she is one of the best blues singers in a long time! Her voice is both powerful and evocative. She reminds me of the best of Bonnie Raitt mixed with the best of Janis Joplin (I've seen both live) I have seen her twice. Once her set overpowered Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang and other more well known blues stalwarts. The other time she just blew the crowd away with the songs on Just Won't Burn and her bands version of Got My Mojo Working. I can't wait to hear her now that she's teaming with Double Trouble. The only thing I might say is that her album doesn't do her justice - although I find that is true about almost every blues artist I have seen from BB King to Eric Clapton. My advice - get the album, see her live and follow her career.

Nothing like Janis, but great nonetheless
I thought this album was great, although the guitar solos sounded sloppy in some places. But they give the album a raw edge that is notably absent in most recordings. It doesn't sound slick, overproduced, or commercial. Keep in mind, this is only her second album, and if this is any indication of Susan's potential as a great blues singer, her fans have found a winner.

Personal side gripe: I was given this album by a friend, who knows I'm a Janis Joplin fan, and he said, "Listen to this--she sounds just like Janis!" Well, Susan has a powerful voice, but she doesn't sound anything like Janis (IMHO). Reading reviews of the album, it seems many are comparing her to Janis or Bonnie Raitt. Why are their talents the standards by which most female blues singers are measured? Certainly the influence is there, but the sound is fresh and unique. Susan Tedeschi should stand on her own, and listeners should not be expecting to hear somebody else's music.

But aside from that--her voice is haunting and she can play a mean guitar...can't wait for the next album!

Susan rocks!
The way Susan sings and plays guitar makes you want to get up and move! Isn't that what it's all about? Her voice is amazing, and it's been said before that she sounds a bit like a mix of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, but she's also her own. Get this album and listen to it, you won't be disappointed.

Little person,Big Sound!!
Saw Susan at blues fest in upstate New York.She wowed the place.Bought Just Wont Burn the same day.Turned alot of people on to it.They loved it as much as I do.Take it for what it is,Blues that wont dissapoint.

She's mean
She sings 'mean' take-charge blues on the rock.
Excellent! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Unbeatable for the price.
When I saw the low price on this CD, I wasn't sure if the quality would be great. Turns out "Zydeco's Greatest Hits" is definitely danceable. A good mix of some of zydeco's masters, including Boozoo Chavis and Nathan & the Cha-Chas. I only wish it had some Rosie Ledet as well. The sound quality is good. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the best!
Wow! I was bowled over by this Cd. Where has this guy been hiding? This disc one of the best discs I've heard in a while. Great harp, singing, songs, and a great band to boot, featuring Junior Watson on guitar. If you like REAL blues, and miss William Clarke, you owe it to yourself to check this guy out. Not a clunker on this Cd. Can't wait for his next one.

WOW!
What a great blues cd.In my opinion Mitch is the finest harmonica player in the world today, bar none, and this cd confirms it.The title track, Nickels & Dimes, firmly establishes his place as a great song writer too.And the other musicians are great as well from the guest artists to Jr. Watson.CHECK IT OUT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Few traditional bluesmen have the swinging elegance and vocal grace of ex-Roomful of Blues frontman Sugar Ray Norcia. And this is his finest solo album, full of warm performances and well-written original tunes. Even when Sugar Ray's grinding out a Chicago shuffle like "I Done Got Wise," both his warm singing and his harp solos create luxurious melodies full of richly sustained notes that carefully underscore the deep emotions that put life in his lyrics. The title cut and "The Last Blues Song" are among his best numbers. The former explores the pain of possible infidelity and the latter is a secular prayer for a better world, set to a spare piano arrangement that gives Sugar Ray room to weave colorful filigrees and wide dynamics into his vocal phrases. He's also got a skillful journeyman Bluetones lineup here, with fellow Roomful alums Doug James and Carl Querfurth on sax and trombone; veteran Handy-nominated Michael "Mudcat" Ward on bass; Neal Gouvin on drums; and on guitar, Paul Size, whocomfortably fills the seat formerly held by Ronnie Earl and Mike Welch. They play together with transparent mastery, giving the boss plenty of license to exercise his considerable talents. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Smoking Sugar
Sugar Ray's latest is a return to form, for the veteran singer and harmonica player. For years, Ray Norcia, honed his skills with Ronnie Earl, Roomful of Blues and the crop of the breed within blues. This effort brings back the Bluetones and newest guitar wiz Paul Size, once a member of the legendary outfit Red Devils. As can be expected, fantastic singing and creative harp-blowing, and definitely well chosen covers and originals. The mix is eclectic, no doubt, but it gels and cooks! Sugar was always a wonderful singer and his phrasing is nothing short of top notch. The songs cover old style R&B, rock, a few jazzy numbers and blues shuffles. Compared to his previous CD, this is clearly an improvement, this is easily this years best blues CD this far. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Sweet surrender's always been the subtext of gospel music, but thevelvet punch of this superstar jam band will knock out secular audiences aswell. The Word features John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood andyoungblood trio the North Mississippi Allstars,but its star is Robert Randolph, a 23-year-old from New Jersey who is the newgod of pedal-steel guitar. Randolph earned his chops in the Pentecostal church,performing the so-called "Sacred Steel" music well documented by the Arhoolielabel (see Sacred Steel, Vol. 2 for asample). He plays like an amalgamation of Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck,John Coltrane, Buddy Emmons, Bo Diddley, and Mahalia Jackson. In short, he'sbrilliant, so full of rock & roll energy, improvisational fire, and sonicacrobatics that the other great musicians on this disc mostly stay out of hisway. Randolph has a seemingly divine gift for on-the-fly harmony as he splitsthe difference between Sunday tent meetings and Saturday juke crawls on "KeepYour Lamp Trimmed & Burning." In the Allman Brothers-style jams,Randolph plays both Dickey Betts and Duane to Medeski's organ, handling sweet,clean scales and rich, mellow slide slurs. But his vocabulary extends wellbeyond American-roots music. "Blood on That Rock" ends in a free-improvmeltdown, and elsewhere his snaky lines sound like Middle Eastern holy singing.All of which makes The Word worth heeding. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (42)

A Jamfan MUST HAVE
During a summer when there is no mega tour; when everything seems like a brady bunch rerun you've seen 304 times: Out comes THE WORD. Fresh, innovative and uplifting; FUNKY, soulful and creative... it's all in The Word. Joyful Sounds and Waiting On My Wings have irresistable riffs that tattoo on the brain for days. Blood on That Rock and I'll Fly away are spacey, layered and complex while changing tempo and pitch lay in the hands (and foot) of the Pedal Steel guitar master, Robert Randolph: who hadn't played outside of his church band more than a handful of times before this project. If you have any inclination toward: Phish, String Cheese, Deep Bananna Blackout, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Allman Brothers, BB King, Hendrix, Clapton or straight up GOSPEL BLUES ROCK- You must have THE WORD.

"The Word" is Great!!
The first time I'd heard of this band was a few weeks ago. A friend who had seen them at The Birchmere in Virginia and another friend who is a rabid Robert Randolph fan, tipped me off. Their advice and having just recently seen the North Mississippi Allstars live for the first time, had me eagerly anticipating the release of the this CD. That anticipation of this all instrumental recording was well rewarded! The Allstars provide a rock-solid foundation for the fabulous pedal steel guitar work of Robert Randolph and the keyboards of John Medeski. Though I'm not a fan of Medeski, Martin and Wood, Medeski's playing in this context is outstanding. The group calls this a "gospel record" and indeed it is based on the bluesy, gospel style of music played in House of God churches. Robert Randolph learned his chops playing in the church, where the steel guitar is a featured instrument. There are several songs where Randolph and Luther Dickinson, of the Allstars, trade guitar licks that are reminiscent of the Allman Brothers in their heyday. Other songs have a Hawaiian slack-key guitar sound. This is a great CD and one that I highly recommend purchasing. I hear these guys are fantastic live, so if you have a chance to see them, do NOT pass it up!

Skip this album
I am amazed by the number of great reviews The Word received from enthusiastic listeners. Personally, I thought that this album was a sorry attempt at gospel jam. Bottom line: good musicians playing together don't necessarily make a good album.
The songs barely hold together while they are in full force, and seem to carry on through pure momentum. And they don't quite "end" - they just sort of screech to a halt. This kind of playing is expected from barroom bands and pickup jams - not the best players today's jam scene has to offer.
John Medeski's playing will disappoint any fan of the groove trio Medeski, Martin, and Wood. When he is audible at all, his playing is tasteless and uninteresting. The great Robert Randolph is at his worst, unfortunately, on pedal steel. His playing is painfully out of tune for much of the album, and serves as a clear example of why this album [is not my favorite]. It appears that The Word was little more than a pickup jam session at a studio, that judging by the recording quality, was miked with one microphone dangling in the middle of the room. This is easily the worst-recorded album I have heard in five years.
While there are some decent points on The Word, among them track 7 (I'll fly away), and track 3 (blood on that rock), most of the album sounds completely unrehearsed. Granted, sometimes this works - a famous example being Kind of Blue, which consisted entirely of first takes. But here it most certainly doesn't. The band sounds lost from start to finish, from the drummer's bizarre, misplaced time changes to Medeski's frightened keyboard work. I write this review because, as a fan of all musicians involved, I was extremely disappointed with The Word.

Finally, all my complaints against The Word could be put aside as poor recording, planning, and rehearsal, if there was something redeemable behind it all. There isn't. Randolph's playing is out of tune and annoying, from the piercing repeated notes for four or five measures, to the cheesy blues riffs he passes off as soul- they sound like they are out of the Mel Bay Guitar Manual. I love Medeski and Robert Randolph, and I am an avid blues, soul, gospel, and jam listener. But this album comes up short in every respect.

One of the best commercial releases of 2001
The Word, comprised of John Modeski (Modeski, Martin & Wood), Robert Randolph and the North Mississippi All-Stars, has supplied us with an amazing combination of rock, funk, jazz and even gospel. Learning to play the Sacred Steel (his steel-pedal guitar) in church, Robert Randolph will be a household name through his driving sound. It is music that attracts music lovers of all generations and tastes. One of the best I own, and certainly the best new cd of the past couple of years.

Eat a Peach 2002
Its different,but it really reminds me of Eat a Peach. A highly competant sacred Steel player who reveres SRV playing with group of musicians in the same midset. This is a jamming album that really cooks. A very pleasant surprise. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

In Step embraces blues and rock without compromising the primal joys of either. This is Stevie Ray Vaughan's best studio album and the first he recorded sober. "Travis Walk" offers a heady rush of flat-picking, "The House is Rockin'" is full-tilt roots-boogie, "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Leave My Girl Alone" are sweet blues epiphanies, and the nine-minute instrumental "Riviera Paradise" is a truly soulful mix of blues and jazz. By now, just a year before his untimely death, Vaughan had also tamed his bawling voice into a rich instrument. In short, this 1989 session is Vaughan at his artistic peak. And the four compelling live performances added to this reissue--"The House Is Rockin'," "Let Me Love You Baby," "Texas Flood," and "Life Without You," all from the In Step tour--prove there was no studio trickery involved. It's raw blues-rock perfection. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (48)

His best album and one of my top 5
I knew of Crossfire and Walkin' the Tightrope from the radio, and The House is Rockin' from sports stadiums. But it's the blues and Wall of Denial that blew me away. Buddy Guy's Leave My Girl Alone and Howlin Wolf's Love Me Darlin' (Or is that the real May I Have a Talk With You?) are emotion-tinged rock blues at its best. My only disappointment about these songs was their length. (I envisioned both songs as 9 minute jam sessions, but that would've tired the other bandmates out.) Whereas I liked the original Leave My Girl Alone for Buddy's screaming, Stevie's guitar solo did the trick for me here. As for Wall of Denial, this song transcends substance abuse. Sometimes I get angry at women for not wanting to date me for whatever reason, and I build up my own wall instead of buiilding up a new relationship. While I still struggle in tearing down my wall the way Stevie tore down his in late '86 and early '87, I know that it's going to "tumble down to the ground" eventually. As for the extra tracks, they speak for themselves. I don't have Soul to Soul yet (don't ask me why), so before I bought the remastered In Step, my only way of hearing Life Without You was in the snippet on VH1 Legends where he talked about his troubles. After hearing this version of Life Without You, I stood still for 10 minutes because I was so mesmerized by his rap and the two blistering solos where he hit some incredible high notes that I didn't think he was capable of hitting. The first time I played it at home, I sang the opening lyric differently: "Well hello Stevie, tell me how have you been, we all have missed you and the way you grin..." If any artist dares think about covering Life Without You, I wouuld strongly suggest using this lyric at the start. Rave On Stevie, and I'll see you someday at the real Great Gig in the Sky.

Good, although not his best
"In Step" is often cited by critics as Stevie Ray Vaughan's best studio album. And his playing on this album is actually a bit more economical, maybe even a bit more mannered, than on his earlier releases...whether or not that's a good thing is a matter of taste, I suppose.

The production is a bit more slick than usual as well, the tone of Vaughan's guitar is cleaner, and a keyboard player and occational horns have been added to the mix, but that's not to say that Stevie Ray Vaughan had gotten soft on his final solo album before his tragic death in 1990 - he just turned a little bit more towards rock rather than blues.

"In Step" opens with a blistering rocker, "The House Is Rockin'", followed by the bluesy "Crossfire", which features a superb solo by Vaughan.
"Tightrope" ventures into hard rock territory, but Stevie Ray's cover of Willie Dixon's "Let Me Love You Baby" is genuine blues-rock, and it is followed by a good reading of Buddy Guy's slow, tortured blues "Leave My Girl Alone". Vaughan didn't quite have the pipes to match the intensity of Guy's original, but he does a fine job with what he has, and the guitar playing is superb as usual.

"Travis Walk" is a funky, up-tempo instrumental with some great drumming by Chris Layton (who, incedentally, used to play drums for Buddy Guy and Lightnin' Hopkins). "Wall Of Denial" is pretty well known, but it is perhaps one of the lesser tracks on this album, with some fine guitar playing but not much in the way of either hooks or a real "groove" to grab a hold of the listener.

"Scratch n' Sniff", however, is a fine up-tempo rock song with some excellent boogie piano fills by keyboardist Reese Wynans, and a great solo by Vaughan.

Stevie Ray Vaughan can't quite pull off Howlin' Wolf's "Love Me Darlin' (May I Have A Talk With You)", but if you aren't familiar with the original, this version will actually sound pretty great, I guess. And finally, the original "In Step" album winds down with the excellent nine-minute instrumental "Rivera Paradise", a slow, moody piece.

The five extra tracks begin with a short interview snippet. The remaining four songs are all live performances: "The House Is Rockin'" and "Let Me Love You Baby" from "In Step", "Texas Flood" from Vaughan's 1983 debut album of the same name, and "Life Without You" from "Soul To Soul".
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a terrific live performer, and it's pure joy to listen to the raw, fiery live versions of the two songs from this album, which to me work better than the originals.

Highly recommended, as are all Vaughan's studio albums (although I don't agree with those who call it his best).
You should also check out the excellent "Live Alive" and "Live At Montreux 1982 And 1985", by the way.

The first three were great, but "In Step" made him a legend
"In Step" was released in the summer of 1989, and it was his first album sober. Stevie's singing and songwriting improved by leaps and bounds from "Texas Flood", and Double Trouble had gotten more involved in the songwriting process, writing Stevie's only number one hit, "Crossfire." It's a band-oriented album, instead of just showing off Stevie's extraordinary talents, which it does do quite frequently. It is such a powerful record, and so intriguing to listen to Stevie confess so openly about his use of drugs through songs like the funky "Tightrope" and "Wall Of Denial". These songs also produce two of the best solos he has the album. He also has fun as well, with rockers like "The House Is Rockin'" and "Scratch-N-Sniff". However, it the closer, "Riviera Paradise", that takes the cake. This quiet instrumental sounds like, as Stevie has described it, "praying through the guitar." For the expanded edition, there is a small interview about how he quit the last job he ever had, and four live songs, "The House Is Rockin'", "Let Me Love You Baby", "Texas Flood", and "Life Without You", which all absolutely smoke. If only Stevie could have lived on, then we would have all been in for a treat. R.I.P. SRV.

If God played blues guitar, he wouldn't be this good
SRV was the man. The greatest electric blues guitarist ever. Every cell of his being was permeated with musical genius, every pore oozed the blues. One of the greatest gifts Texas ever gave to the world.

One Of Stevie Ray's Best!
In Step is one of Stevie Ray Vaughan's best studio albums. I do like Texas Flood much better,his guitar was alot rawer and it sounded more soulful and real. In Step sounds way to good,rumor has it Stevie Ray was using dozens of amps on this studio album to get the perfect sound. I do love In Step for what it is I actually have the orginal CD without the bonus tracks. I think the orginal sounded wonderful I have not heard the CD with the bonus tracks. I think In Step was a turning point for Stevie to expand his sound and make it beautiful. In Step became one of the biggest radio hits. Thats where I first heard The House Is A Rocking one of my favorite songs. I also heard Crossfire, and Tightrope over and over on the radio.

Thats where I got started with In Step I loved all the songs on the radio so I bought it. For having a fake sound Steive never lost the blues. He still had the blues on Leave My Girl Alone with a more softer tone. I always loved Stevie Ray's studio albums but no one could compare to him when he was LIVE. I think for most In Step is a great way to get started with Vaughans music. Their still is his classics like Couldn't Stand The Weather, and Texas Flood. I always have stated In Step as One Of Stevie Ray's Best. This is a must have for anybody ready to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Highly Recomened! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After the studio bloat of 1971's The Sun, Moon & Herbs, Gumbo is a tightly focused return to Rebennack's musical roots. His band is full of Louisiana legends (Harold Battiste, Lee Allen) plus lesser known but equally important 'Nawlins heroes: Ronnie Barron, Alvin Robinson, and a wonderful trombonist known simply as Streamline. Together, they rage through a dozen New Orleans classics, not only the work of Professor Longhair and Huey Smith, but also Earl King and Ray Charles, who lived in the Crescent City while leading the house band at the Dew Drop Inn. Many of these songs are closely associated with the '50s, but Gumbo never sounds forced or nostalgic; it's great work from start to finish. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (7)

5 Stars isn't high enough!
This is not only the best Dr John recording ever, it is my all time favorite by anyone. Total perfection!!!

Let the Doctor take you to school
A New Orleans musical history lesson that doesn't feel or sound like school at all. Actually, it sounds like a party in Dr. John's living room. Spirited piano and vocals in his inimitable style, and freewheeling arrangements of a number of Deep South R n' B standards - guaranteed fresh, hot, and steaming every time you stick it in the player. Plus, highly informative liner notes on each and every song by the good doctor.

Dr. John severs up the hot Gumbo!
Dr. John belts these tunes out with so much feeling! Didn't know too much about the Dr. before I bought Gumbo, but this disc is like a tour of New Orleans... "Iko Iko", "Big Chief", "Junko Partner", "Stack-A-Lee", "Tipitina"!!! Fantasitic piano playing that makes you think they had a blast just recording the album. In the liner notes the Dr. refers to "Gumbo" as blues and stomp music with a touch of dixieland jazz. Take a listen to "Blow Wind Blow" and his amazing cover of Fess' "Tipitina", and you'll see why that description pretty much sums it up.

Guten Appetit
Der Herr Doktor ehrt hier seine Wurzeln. Professor Longhair und Huey Smith sind unverkennbar seine Meister. Und er wird ihnen mehr als gerecht, indem er ihre Stücke spielt, wie sie selbst es nicht gekonnt hätten. Er ist einfach ein Held des Arrangements. Die Bläser und Drummer grüßen direkt von der Bourbon Street und das Klavier aus der Preservation Hall. Und „Iko Iko" war niemals spannender als hier. Mick Jagger und Keith Richards hätten sich mal „Let The Good Times Roll" anhören sollen. Wirklich schöne CD, nur stört mich manchmal, dass das ganze sich etwas zu massiv anfühlt. Aber das musste Anfang der 70er wohl so sein.

A signature LP from one of New Orleans greatest
An excellent sounding reissue of Dr. John's 1972 albumful of New Orleans R 'n' B. Mostly featuring his interpretations of classics and hit singles ("Iko Iko" "Mess Around" "Junko Partner" "Stack-A-Lee" "Tipitina", and a medley of Huey 'Piano' Smith tracks), with one original ("Somebody Changed the Clock"), and a great slow blues track called "Let the Good Times Roll" (but not the same song as was a hit single for Shirley and Lee... even though Shirley does, coincidentally, sing backing vocals on the LP).

Great piano playing from Dr. John, along with his growly vocals. Excellent support from a bunch of his New Orleans friends who all found themselves in Los Angeles (where this was recorded) in late '71. Great percussion and horns. The mix of r 'n' b, jazz, blues and traditional New Orleans styles is irresistible. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Now, here's what you call a break from tradition. After bridging the gap between punk and blues on his collaboration with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, A Ass Pocket of Whiskey, Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside ventures into the world of beats and grooves with Come On In, a series of remix projects with producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Foo Fighters). The cynics among you may smell opportunism, but Rothrock is sensitive and respectful enough to Burnside's originals to do them proper justice. Even the 4/4 high hat and filtered sound effects of "Rollin' Tumblin'" sound appropriate to the music at hand. Though these treatments--largely instrumental--erase the most of the presence of Burnside's searing vocals, Burnside and Rothrock's adventurousness will win over most to their progressive-thinkin' boogie chillun'. --Justin Hampton ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Rock On Old Timer!
This CD blew my socks off the first time I heard it. Especially the third track Let My Baby Ride. We can only wish that more people will get the chance to hear the rocking blues of R.L. Burnside. Just think he is probably old enough to be your Grandfather and he just might take credit for it too! You must buy this CD!

Burnside had the guts to shake up the blues: awesome.
Mr. Burnside decided to shake some of the cobwebs out of the blues genre, and probably p.o.'ed some purists in the process. If you can get through the loss of some of the purity of blues, this is one tremendous disc.

There are a few non-altered pieces on the disc, and the live version of the title song will stick in your head like flypaper, as will the next track, ``Let My Baby Ride'' with the man himself sampling his last name. The other outstanding track is the remixed version of ``Rollin' Tumblin' ''.

What confuses most people who like the blues is that the music isn't supposed to be so upbeat. But that's what makes this disc breathe - the fact that it goes against the grain. Burnside had the guts to take on not only his music, but an entire genre and twist and shape it into something foreign - and the results are wonderful.

Come on in!!
I just got done listening to this Cd and man oh man it's cool. I really didn't think that I would like it all that much, boy was I wrong. It is every bit as cool if not more than Wish I Was in Heaven Sittin' Down and evern harder edged> This is the kind of album you need to play really loud.

Probably not for the blues purists, but...
...but for those of us who's eclectic tastes *include* the blues, there's a lot to like in this album. There are some sections of briliancy ("Let My Baby Ride" and "It's Bad You Know" both just rock), and some sections that were a little repetitious for me.
The North Mississippi All-Stars album Shake Hands with Shorty sounds like what you'd get if you gave an old R.L. record to a garage rock band. This album sounds like what you get when you give that same record to a techno DJ. There's a lot of sampled cuts looped together and layered under electric guitar and drums. Some vocals are re-mixed in as well.
Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something different.

Blues with a twist
Labels, labels. What do we label this album? Blues? Techno? Techno-blues? Labels like these are too narrow for me. This is good music. I love blues and I also love techno; but I wouldn't call this techno just because it makes good use of loops. It's blues with a twist. It's a great musician and his producer exploring their talents.

I have many friends who aren't big blues fans, but they're always asking me to play this album. The beats are very fun and make you want to just get up and dance. I think the best blues shows are the ones that really move your body, and this album does just that. If you're a blues fan with an open mind, or just a music fan with an open mind, you'll find this album in your CD player more often than not. ... Read more

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The velvety voiced Mo' shifts away from his usual matters of the heart to matters of the world on this disc of predominantly covers. He has also abandoned his bluesier roots in favor of a slicker, jazz-based pop. The result is a protest album for the double-latte crowd, most of whom can hum along to chestnuts from the Rascals ("People Got to be Free"), John Lennon ("Imagine"), and Bob Dylan ("The Times They Are A-Changin'"). While a jaunty banjo- and fiddle-flecked version of the Nick Lowe-penned "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" (popularized by Elvis Costello) uses a questionable rearrangement to convey the song's message, Mo' really connects when he raids the soul vaults for tunes by Marvin Gaye, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, and Donny Hathaway. It's a pleasant, subtle, and always professionally performed detour that's as comfy as a warm cup of hot chocolate on a chilly day. --Hal Horowitz ... Read more

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The title of this album tells you most of what you need to know about San Francisco blues rocker Tommy Castro. His first disc of original material in four years finds him back with the Blind Pig label and expanding his crackling R&B-drenched blues into a more rock-oriented sound. On Soul Shaker, Castro downplays the sizzling guitar that dominated his previous releases and focuses instead on songs and arrangements. The horns that pepper--and often power--tracks such as the frisky "What You Gonna Do Now?" push the soul element even further to the forefront. But it's Castro's gutsy, gritty vocals--something like a mix of Delbert McClinton and John Mellencamp--and his energetic approach that ignite these tunes.

Castro borrows Little Feat's New Orleans stomp for the swampy, slide-driven title track, shifts into Bob Seger territory on the thumping rocker "The Holdin' On," and even delivers a flute-powered song, "The Crossanova"--a lively instrumental cowritten by reed player Keith Crossan that wouldn't be out of place on an old Herbie Mann disc. "Take Me Off the Road" burns with ZZ Top hip-shakin' boogie. This may not be what established Castro fans expected, but by widening his scope and beefing up his sound the soul shaker has delivered his most satisfying and eclectic set in a decade-long career. --Hal Horowitz ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not His Best!
Whether you like this or not will largely depend upon what your expectations are from TC. For me, I like TC's blues music with a touch of soul, bordering on James Brown. My expectations were met with the Grammy award winning Right as Rain. But this is not it and for me the CD is merely all right. On this disc Castro leans towards the sixty's R&B music and the songs bring to mind the Temptations and the Supremes rather than Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker. Like Jonny Lang on his latest release, Castro tries to spread out to a broader group and, in my opinion, falls a little short. Castro is best seen live and maybe in that setting can do these songs some justice. Some times it is best just to stick to the formula and fan base that got you there. Castro is a little off the path.

Could Have Been Really Hot
Tommy Castro has always sort of been Stevie Ray Vaughan in Robert Cray's clothing. I'm not sure that I agree with the idea of downplaying the sort of string bending ability that Tommy has. I'm not saying that Tommy should "shred" but the occasional hot solo would pushed this one to a five. Instead, we get a hot rock and soul record with TC acting like a hired gun instead of the deadly killer that he is. "Let's Give Love a Try", "Just Like Me" and "The Holdin' On" give this a likeable Delbert McClinton feel that pushes this record past 3 stars and on to 4.

Should be Soul-less and Shake-less
This CD reminds me of the Robert Cray CD "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" where a good blues singer does an mediocre soul CD.But in this case a great blues guitarist and singer does an awful sell-out CD that mixes light rock with psuedo soul and strips out the searing electric blues guitar and roaring, crisp vocals that got them there.

It is great if you are on top of the world and can put out any music you like, but it is hard to believe anyone would like this watered down tripe...save your money for when Tommy comes to his senses and puts out a decent Blues CD, which he hasn't done since Gratitude, and that was not as good as his previous works...

The flute song is the only redeeming song on here, and while interesting it is not enough to make you want this CD.

Keith S. :{)>

Pretty good but not the best
I did enjoy the cd but it is not his best. I found this cd a bit to over produced and sounded a bit "canned"

I am sure he is still the best live and I will just love all these songs after I see him in concert.

Right as Rain and Exception to the Rule still ROCK and are must haves.

Come on Blind Pig throw the whole band in the studio push record and let the magic happen.

SOUL SHAKIN' down the house in NYC
Call me spoiled, sittin' here in Gotham with 18,000+ restaurants and most the world's great venues...we expect a lot.

The other night Tommy Castro hit town and brought down the house at B. B. King's in Times Square.Music's a funny thing. Sometimes, like Chinese food, it's not as much the product as it is the quality of delivery.Castro set about assuming command of Times Square with a stirring delivery of a GREAT product!

By the time he's in "Wake Up Call" it's obvious this is not just any night at B. B. Kings.I figured that having seen Eric Clapton raise the live performance bar at MSG that I'd seen it all, I was wrong.

No sooner does Castro have total control of the crowd that he throws a change up with Anytime Soon and follows up by a foot tapping The Crossanova.Get there tunes in your head and your "Catro-ized".

I'm back to Kings tonight for another dose and perfectly cognizant that I'm gonna tough to impress again for a bit.

Bonus points to Castro for taking time, as the King's staff tried to root folks out for the next show, for taking lots of time to visit with a throng of fans following the show.Seeing a "walk on glass to get to" performance in NYC and hearing the words "thank you" afterward speaks volumes.

Great music, nice guy, knocks your socks off delivery...the bar's been raised again.

Courtney Canfield
New York City
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Muddy Waters should need no introduction. Not only did he provide a name for the world's greatest rock & roll band, but he also created the Chicago electric blues sound that's dominated the genre since he first hit the windy city in the late 1940s. His bands also featured what would become a who's who of electric blues: Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, and the list goes on. The Anthology covers Waters's most important period: his first years at Chess through the late 1960s. All his best-known songs are featured in their definitive versions, providing the perfect introduction to a blues master who doesn't need one. --Mike Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Essential and Influential
This is a new 2 cd anthology which covers Muddy Waters aka McKinley Morganfield's Aristocrat and Chess material from 1947-72. There have been a number of Muddy Waters compilations in the past few years. This set is better buy than the "His Best Vols 1 & 2" compilations. This set contains 50 songs as opposed to 40 on the "His Best" compilations. This anthology contains less material than the Muddy Waters 3 cd box set but the tapes have been remastered for better sound since the box set was released. However, this anthologys fails to include 2 songs from the "His Best" compilations which are among my favorites "She's Into Something" and "You Need Love". The latter song provided the inspiration for Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". A drawback to this set is there are a few "rarities" which I would have deleted in favor of the aformentioned songs and other favorites like "Blow Wind Blow" (covered by Eric Clapton), "Tell Me Baby" (covered by the Rolling Stones), "I Got A Brand On You" (covered by Johnny Winter), and "Tiger In Your Tank". In addition the second disk clocks in at around 71 minutes, so space was available for more songs. However, this is still an essential compilation.

The music is electric Chicago Blues at its finest. Among the sidemen who appear are Little Walter, Walter Horton, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Jimmy Rogers, Mike Bloomfield, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy and many others. This music has influenced the previously mentioned artists as well as such people as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Canned Heat, Rory Gallagher, The Allman Brothers Band, Savoy Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and many others. Blues classics such as "Mannish Boy" "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", "Got My Mojo Working", "Trouble No More" and others have become staples of both blues and blues/rock performers. Other well known cuts include "Honey Bee" (covered by Stevie Ray Vaughn), "I'm Ready" (covered by Humble Pie), "You Shook Me" (covered by Led Zeppelin), "I Just Want To Make Love To You" (covered by Foghat), "The Same Thing" (covered by the Allman Brothers Band), and "Still A Fool", "I Want To Be Loved" and "Look What You've Done" (all covered by the Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones even named themselves after one of Muddy Water's songs "Rollin' Stone" included here. This just scratches the surface of the influence Muddy Waters and his music had on musicians and blues fans alike. If you want a good overview of the Chess years this is an essential compilation.

Muddy's best
This is a comprehensive two disc set of the man who defined Chicago blues. Muddy Waters started out in the Delta working as a guitar playing farm hand but moved to Chicago in the 40's, where he took his delta styled playing and plugged in to make a new music that was loud, raucous, and yet retained the subtleties of the Delta. His powerful voice and his slippery slide-guitar influenced the rock and roll generation of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, who took both their name and their hit "Satisfaction" from Muddy.

Whooooeeeee! I finally got this great CD compilation!
I've been dropping hints for about two months to my wife that I wanted this 2 CD set for Christmas. I'll drop the cash for a silly PlayStation 2 game for my son, but I won't spend even half of that to buy this CD for me. Well, my wife was listening because I got it for Christmas and I've been playing it non-stop for two days! The two CDs do a great job of following Muddy's ascent from acoustic guitar backed by bass in the late '40s and early '50s to his electrification that helped shape what we now know as Chicago Blues. All of the tracks are taken from the Chess/MCA recordings, and anything he recorded from '72 until his death 11 years later is missing. But that's OK, I've got most of those CDs anyway... This compilation is put together chronologically and, for once, it's put together with some intelligence. There's not an ounce of filler on either CD, and they use up the available time a CD provides -- CD 1 has 26 tracks and CD 2 boasts 24. CD 1 is great layin' in bed and drifting off to sleep music. CD 2 is great slip-in-my-truck-CD-player material and got me to work in a GREAT mood this morning! I highly recommend this for anyone who doesn't know Muddy's music, or who wants some quality audio -- no muffled sound, peaks and dips, just consistent, high-quality folk/blues and down dirty boogie blues that made McKinley Morganfield the definitive King of the Blues (sorry, B.B., I love ya, but Muddy is the Man!).

A superb collection
The handsomely packaged three-disc Chess Box remains the ultimate Muddy Waters-collection, but this amazingly low-priced double-disc anthology is not far behind.

It manages to collect almost all of Waters' best songs, from his early acoustic sides with just bassist Ernest 'Big' Crawford for company, to his hard-rocking 50s and 60s cuts, including literally all the must-have classics:
"Got My Mojo Working" and "Hoochie Coochie Man" are here, as well as "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", "I Love The Life I Live", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "I Want To Be Loved", "Honey Bee", "I'm Ready" and "I Can't Be Satisfied".

You can't go wrong with this sublime, well annotated collection of Waters' tough, swaggering blues. Highly recommended.

A must-have for any blues lover
This 2-disk compilation is, very likely, the best blues that you will ever hear. I've been collecting blues CD's for many years, and am kicking myself for waiting this long to get something from Muddy Waters.

The other reviews here are excellent, and I am grateful to Steve and Jef for steering me in the right direction, by suggesting that I get this particular compilation. There are many Muddy compilations out there, and I have to say that this one is excellent. Every song is a gem, and I've been listening to it over and over since I got it. I was surprised at the number of songs that I recognized... most of us are Muddy Waters fans, and don't even know it.

If you love the blues, and particularly guitar blues, then you must get this CD. Believe what the other reviewers have said, this compilation is THAT good. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Not as fresh, but more polished
Sounds like Johnny A. likes his new guitar. When his first effort on Favored Nations Records met with unexpected success, he not only got an offer to do a second one, but Gibson built and named a snazzy new guitar in his honor. The result? The CD cover looks like a Gibson ad, but the music does not disappoint.
A.'s first album, "Sometime Tuesday Morning," seduced guitar geeks and music lovers alike with its thick, smoky textures, sexy rhythms, and a couple of very tasteful chord melody covers of classic pop songs. It was a collection that served well for careful listening or for filling the air.
This new album, "Get Inside," is another good listen with many of the same qualities to recommend it. Here's my take after one listen.
Some of the new tunes sound like embellished evocations of themes from the first set with, again, a couple of really well-done instrumental covers (Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side of Town" and Jimi Henrix's "The Wind Cries Mary"). This album sounds a little more ensemble focused than the first, which was basically solo guitar with a rhythm section. There's more interaction between the instruments here, with sax and trumpet even appearing occasionally, as well as a lot of rhythmic handclapping and other percussion. A. mixes up his rhythms and textures for maximum interest, transitioning between clean, thick, humbucker sound and overdriven wah wah. The last two tracks feature some reverse loopy type of stuff ala Bill Frisell to add a slightly new flavor to the mix. All in all, the arrangements seem a little more complex this time around.
Where the first album really hooked me right from the top with the catchy title tune, this album keeps my attention, but doesn't quite grab me as irresistably. Maybe that means it will grow on me as I listen to it more, which I certainly will.
A. is a seasoned guitar veteran with finely honed chops and a soulful approach to his instrument (did I mention he has a new one?). No sophomore slump here, but I begin to wonder if he can keep his sound and style fresh.
Overall, this is a great album that once again should draw fans from the pop and smooth jazz crowd as well as the fret climbers. If you liked the first one, you'll like this. If you missed the first one, buy 'em both. You won't regret it.

Superb Instrumentals from a Gifted Musician
Johnny A is a guitarist's guitarist with speed, chops, and tone to die for, but you don't have to be a slack-jawed, green-with-envy guitar geek to find "Get Inside" rewarding and enjoyable. Johnny's musicality, versatility, and taste set him apart from the run of guitar gods. Like "Sometime Tuesday Morning," Johnny's first solo CD, "Get Inside" consists mostly of original compositions -- real songs that have a beginning, middle, and end -- along with a couple of well chosen covers. Most tracks are three to four minutes long, and their brevity reflects the intelligence and restraint that went into the performances. Johnny's stylistic influences run the gamut from Hendrix and Santana to Wes Montgomery and Chet Atkins, but he's got a distinctive sound of his own that brings cohesiveness to the varied material here. There's a lot to appreciate on this disk; it's instantly accessible but rewards repeated listening. Truly terrific.

NOT for Shredheads
First off, this is not a shredfest. Johnny A. is more about monster tone than monster chops, although he definitely has both of these qualities in his playing. Exquisite phrasing and rystal clear articulation are words that come to mind when describing his style. The music covers a broad range of styles and infuences, blues, jazz, rockabilly and more. The supporting musicians are all excellent, drummer Ron Stewart's contribution is standout. Add top-notch recorded sound to the package for an outstanding disc.

Superb ......
90% of my purchases are guitar instrumental albums, the rest are guitar albums which include singing, such as Sonny Landreth. In most cases, after reading, and buying on the strength of reviews, I have high expectations which are only rarely met.

In this case, those expectations are massively surpassed ( as they were with Joe Bonamassa, Andy Timmons and Greg Koch ). Johnny A really knows how to 'swing', and that is a feel that is so sorely lacking in most guitar music today.

After listening to "get inside" for the first time, there were only a couple of tracks that did not instantly bring a smile to my face. This is not GUITAR music ... it is MUSIC which happens to be played on the guitar - brilliantly

His tone is, or should I say, tones are simply fantastic. Johnny A has a unique ability of mixing several tones within phrases which add a huge amount of interest to whatever he is playing.

STM took some time to grow on me, whereas GI is instant. I think this is because of the groove he sets up right from the start, and even in "the wind cries Mary" he maintains his own inimitable sense of rhythm and turns a brilliant song into a completely different, brilliant song.

What a wonderful album ... and a lesson to a whole host of admittedly fantastic guitar players turning out, what is basically, the same CD over and over again.

Smokin'
Simply put the best instrumental guitar album in years! Johnny A covers all genres with feel, precision and expertise. NOT, I repeat NOT just for guitarists, this CD is listenable from beginning to end. Each composition is totally melodic and memorable. There is something for everyone's taste in music. A beautiful follow-up to a near perfect debut CD. Buy it, buy it, BUY IT!!!!!!!! ... Read more