Album Description

They joined the Alligator Records family with THAT'S RIGHT! in 2003. The CD received massive amounts of praise and received yet another Grammy© nomination. Now they’re back with STANDING ROOM ONLY an utterly hip-shaking set of songs highlighting the vocal and instrumental power of the band.

Remaining together for so long is not simply a matter of survival, but rather a testament to Roomful of Blues' commitment to its originality and its ability to evolve. Over the years, Roomful's lineup has changed but the band has always been one of the tightest, most joyful blues ensembles in the world. Currently an eight-piece unit led by guitarist Chris Vachon, the band has never sounded fresher or stronger. With vocalist/harpist Mark DuFresne, bassist Brad Hallen, drummer Jason Corbiere, keyboardist (and newest member of the group) Travis Colby, baritone and tenor saxophonist Mark Earley along with long-time members tenor and alto saxophonist Rich Lataille (the longest-standing member of the group) and trumpeter Bob Enos, STANDING ROOM ONLY swings with ferocity and rocks with urgency and purpose. Moving effortlessly from eight originals to six carefully chosen covers, the expertly executed songs sizzle from start to finish.

STANDING ROOM ONLY is a knockout punch from a group of blues heavyweights, full of big band swing, razor-sharp blues and sweaty R&B workouts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just keeps on rockin'
The first thing I noticed was that these guys are having fun on this record. The band is tight as a guitar string.The horns wail, the vocals are whiskey smooth, not a mis-step in the song selection. I saw Marcia Ball recently, and it was a PAR-TAY, so maybe it is "sumfin'in da watah down der", but this was as much fun as blues record gets.All songs are good, most are way above average.The novelty of "Flip Flop Jack" and whistling sing-song intro on "Nobody Knows" made it a blast to listen to listen right down to the last chord...With nods to 1940's jump-swing, 50's style steet corner crooning (Sufferin with the Blues), plus a modern production, made for a throughly solid listen.Next road trip or pary I throw, I'll know where to start, and just keep on rockin'.

Roomful Still Delivers the Goods
How many times have you been disappointed when a blues band shows up to a gig as a three piece when all of its discs feature horns and keyboards on nearly every track? Roomful of Blues fans never experience a let down since the band includes as members the two saxophones, trumpet, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and harmonica heard on its discs. What you hear on disc is what you get live and, in this case, fans should be salivating in anticipation of the band's next appearance. Simply put, the band has rarely sounded better. Starting things off with the fast paced, horn laden "She Put A Spell On Me", the band works its way through 14 cuts that allow the band to flex its instrumental muscles in a variety of settings."I Can't Stand You No More" has a slinky, guitar driven mambo groove that is unlike anything the band has recorded before. "Boomerang" is a rockin,' dance floor filling number for the rock and roll dancers while "Just Keep Rockin'" , "Jona Lee", "Flip Flap Jack" and "Up Jumped the Devil" will give the swing dancers a work out. While the band has proved over and over that it is the gold standard for upbeat numbers it makes a strong case here for its ability to play the kind of slow, emotional blues that areBobby "Blue" Bland's stock in trade. On "Sufferin' With The Blues" lead vocalist Mark DuFresne conveys a deep, desperate pain that conjures up images of someone ending the night alone crying in bad scotch wondering if it is worth it to make it to tomorrow. The band's instrumental prowess is showcased on"Straight Jaquette"which features the dueling saxophones of Mark Earley and Rich Latille and allows trumpeter Bob Enos to take a couple of flights into the stratosphere. A pleasant curve ball is thrown into the mix on the easy loping groove of Nobody Knows which features guitarist Chris Vachon serving up croaking vocals reminiscent of Tom Waits. As with past discs, theband features covers by jump blues kings like Roy Brown but this time extends into soul blues penned by Little Milton and Lowell Fulson and a number of self-penned tunes (Vachon logs in with four while Latille, Earley, DuFresne and keyboard ace Travis Colby contribute one each) that fit seamlessly with those of the masters that they have covered. After more than three decades in the business, Roomful of Blues continues to deliver the goods both live and on disc. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

If anyone deserves his own section in record stores, it's Ray Charles. Witness this Charles box set, a full five-disc career retrospective that follows smaller packages concentrating on his early R&B (The Birth of Soul) and Blues + Jazz work. In addition to those styles, we get Ray's stabs at Nat "King" Cole/Charles Brown urban blues ("Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand"), handfuls of country songs ("I Can't Stop Loving You"), definitive readings of the American songbook ("Georgia on My Mind," "Come Rain or Come Shine"), and personal claims on the '60s soul he made possible ("I Don't Need No Doctor"). Whether you're a newcomer or a veteran Charles fan, this impeccably selected box is for you. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Immortality
Count me among the group of music fans who may have taken Ray Charles a little for granted when he was alive. I think I saw him as a timeless musical giant who seemed like he would always be around.

Mr. Charles' death earlier this year convinced me to listen to the two CDs of his that I owned and to go through the handful of anthologies I have that include the great singer's music -- an exercise that left me looking for more.

Enter this 50th Anniversary Collection, just about the most comprehensive compilation of Mr. Charles' work possible. The song list includes (almost) everything the singer ever recorded, from his awe-inspiring version of "Confession Blues" to the melodic "Georgia on my Mind" to the playful "Shake Your Tail Feather" from the Blue's Brother's movie.

I can only think of one song puzzlingly missing from this collection, but it's a biggie: Mr. Charles' immense version of Maceo Merryweather's "Some Day Baby". In my book, that's an omission significant enough to cost the collection a five-star rating, though not one serious enough to instead recommend the much less ambitious Genius Sings the Blues, the only CD I know of that has that song on it.

Many collections of this size sadly water down a collection by mixing the performer's best material with inferior music recorded simply to occupy the B side of 45 rpm singles or that was removed from the singer's song list before being completely refined. All 102 songs on this five-CD set are clearly not of equal quality, but the scope and the start-to-finish quality of this collection make it clear that Mr. Charles is among a small handful of artists for whom a collection like this is not overkill.

This is an essential addition to any music lovers' library, and one that assures that at least musically, Mr. Charles really will always be around.

I started with this, and it remains the best!
Actually, I started with Ray Charles with Rhino's single disc called "Anthology". I've found it to be so good, that I decided to expand on his collection. So, I bought this box set, and then I even began to pick up more of Ray Charles albums on CD released by Rhino and/or Atlantic. At one time, I had about 14 Ray Charles CD's, and of course, many of his essential tracks were duplicated many times over. So, reality set in: I've got too many CD's of Ray Charles. Ray does have some dull moments. Even this box set tends to drift into some dull tunes on the fourth and fifth disc, but, it does pick up towards the end. He's got a few country duets that he released in the mid-eighties that are pretty good. And his version of Leon Russell's "A Song for You" is a pretty good comeback for Ray. Ray's got so many albums. I doubt they would ever, all, be released on CD. His best songs from his many albums are already available on this "Genius and Soul" box set. Rhino did a fabulous job at selecting key tracks. So, I started to just give away some of my Ray Charles CD's because the best thing I had, and probably, all I, or anyone else, ever needs, is just this one Box Set. His album, "Modern Sounds in Country and Western", is definately a keeper by itself. Even, "The Genius Hits the Road", has some pretty good non-hit selections. But, everything else that matters from Ray Charles is pretty much covered in this Box Set. I suggest you jump on it, who knows how long Rhino will be able to continue to release it.

ALL MUSIC STYLES HERE
When You Hear Ray Charles's Music then You Know The Music Category thing is a SIck Joke.Cuz Brother Ray Covers all Bases.Whatever style you want he Gives it Ten Fold.This Multi-Set Highlights The Genius&Power of His Work.His Work Covers Alot Of Time.Unlike the Factory Product Artists of Today Brother Ray Took Real Time in His Craft&Presentation.RAY Charles is One Of The Fathers Of Music Before&Since as we Know it.His Work is TImeless.the next time somebody puts a Label on Something Musically tell them about RAy Charles He Covered Them all Very Well as this Must Have Set Shows.Very Essential.

Unparalled collection of music.
Just like Sinatra's Reprise Years box set, this is a massive massive set of work. I guess that the only way to get more great Ray Charles music would be to collect everything he ever did. Until then, this is the very next thing (and it sure is fine!).

Ray made musical history, and he did so over an incredible period of time. Few musicians do not credit his influence, be they country, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, or even rap. This collection spans much of that time -- more that forty years worth. It starts with some old classics, like "Nighttime is the Right Time" and the even funkier "Let the Good Times Roll", and then moves to the gentle hit "That Lucky Old Sun". The collection then takes us to several of his classics from the seminal work 'Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music', like "Take These Chains From My Heart", "I Can't Stop Loving You" and the tragic, magic "Born To Lose". Ray's more recent work is also well represented, like his version of "America The Beautiful", "Still Crazy After All These Years" and Stevie Wonder's classic "Livin for the City".

Perhaps my favorite cut of all the discs however, was his collaboration with Willie Nelson, "Seven Spanish Angels". I had never heard this song before, and together, they made one very special piece of music. Willie's plaintive wail was masterfully interwoven with Brother Ray's soulful depths and together they created something to positively revere.

If you have some Ray Charles, this is worth adding, because it will certainly have something new to try. If you have none of Ray's work, this is a wonderful way to get caught up in one single purchase. If you have never heard him, you are probably deaf, and that would be the only way this would not be a worthwhile purchase.

Wow
I have bought many things from Amazon and this is the first review I have written. Why am I writing this? Because this collection of music blows my mind. I have been a Ray fan for a few years and this is the most definitive collection I have seen. BUY IT! ... Read more

Reviews (42)

He's Got The Blues
Kenny Wayne Shepherd came on the blues scence with his first debut album Ledbetter Heights proving us all he's the next best young blues guitarist. Ledbetter Heights is filled with blues on songs like Deja Voodoo, and Shame, Shame, Shame. Their is also some slide guitar on Aberdeen. He does Stevie Ray Vaughan's cover on here also titled Im Leaving You (Commit A Crime). Ledbetter Heights is better than Trouble Is...the guitar playing is better I personally think. Kenny Wayne also does a slow song live titled While We Cry its alot like Lenny or Little Wing still has power. Ledbetter Heights is one of the best blues albums for any guitarist Highly Recomened!

Great debut album
Ledbetter Heights is a very strong debut album from Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Shepherd's guitar style is very reminiscent of the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Most of the material here is very strong. The opening tracks "Born With A Broken Heart" and "Deja Voodoo" received extensive airplay on AOR radio and are both excellent tracks featuring Shepherd's outstanding playing. Other strong tracks include the slow blues of "Shame, Shame, Shame", the soulful "Riverside", and the driving "Aberdeen". His version of Howlin' Wolf's "I'm Leaving You (Commit A Crime) is also an excellent track. However, the best example of Shepherd's playing may be on the slow live track "While We Cry" and the killer ending title track which sounds like it would fit in nicely on Vaughan's Texas Flood album. Other tracks such as "Everybody Gets The Blues" and "What's Goin' Down" are decent, but not as strong as the rest of the album. A great debut, highly recommended to fans of blues guitarists such as SRV as well as the new breed of blues players like Jonny Lang.

eh... not great
I didn't care too much for this album, i'd rather listen to SRV than KWS... his playing definitely shows his SRV influence... but when it comes to the blues you'd be better off checking out Rory Gallagher, Kim Simmonds + Savoy Brown, Buddy Guy's Stone Crazy album... there are much better blues albums out there with better playing and vocalists... so i wouldn't start here.
and hey logan... this cd was, i believe, released in '95... and Yellow Ledbetter, by Pearl Jam was written in either '91 or '92, which means Pearl Jam didn't rip off KWS...

ROCK ON KENNY
adam pate ur a freaking idiot pearl jam ripped off kenny wayne man look and the dates smart one this album is great recomended for guitar players

decent
just my opinion, but i think his next effort "trouble is.." is a better cd. nevertheless it is a good cd. my fav tune is the first one "born with a broken heart" in all of the songs you can hear srv's influence which isnt a bad bluesman to emulate. kws is a talented bluesman himself which is why i own all of his cd's. ledbetter heights is decent im not sorry i bought it ... Read more

Amazon.com

If the Butterfield Blues Band's groundbreaking debut earned the respect of the group's elder influences, this one won over (and guided) the blues boys' psychedelic peers. Highlighted by the 13-minute-plus title track (an Eastern-influenced jam cowritten by guitarist Mike Bloomfield), East-West stretches the boundaries of the blues. It would prod many lesser groups to explore, with generally dreary results, interminable free-flight explorations. But while East-West and a cover of jazzman Cannonball Adderly's "Work Song" ventured in new directions, Paul Butterfield and company remained rooted in solid Chicago blues. East West presents the best of both worlds.--Steve Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (20)

This album (circa 1966) sounds as if was recorded yesterday
I first listened to this album in 1972 -- six years after it was first recorded. It was my first introduction to the Chicago blues (although, at the time, I would not have known the difference between the Memphis Blues, the Chicago Blues and the color blue). Predictably, given the times, I was most impressed by "East West," which had a kind of psychdelic tinge to it.

Since then, I have listened to a lot of blues -- B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson -- and, although I do pretend to have any expertise, I began to appreciate the blues. In any event, I completely forgot about the Butterfield Blues Band.

Then, recently, while browsing through the used CD stacks at my local music store, I happened upon the album and, recalling it fondly, purchased it for $5.95.

The album still sounds as fresh and as innovative as the first time I heard it more than a quarter-century ago. Although I still like "East West," now (at age 45) I am more impressed with "Work Song," "I got a Mind to Give Up Living" and "Never Say No." Mike Bloomfield truly is the foremost white blues guitarist of all times. And, although Paul Butterfield may lack the virtuosity of John Popper of Blues Traveller, he has more soul.

Butter is the greatest, but this album is his weakest
The Butterfield Blues Band is my favorite group of all time. I've listened and learned from Paul and co. since 1966 with the release of their first album, which in my opinion, is one of the top five albums ever recorded in the history of man. However, the second album, East-West, left a lot to be desired. It's simply a matter of taste. I don't care for prolonged solos, which was prevalent in the 60's and early 70's. Work Song and East West are claimed by many to be groundbreaking--I thought they were poor. I appreciate the fact that the band was experimenting, but I hated the experiment. In fact, most of the other songs are average (by Butterfield's standards). Get out of my Life, Woman/ Mary, Mary/ Walkin' Blues/Never Say No are some of Butterfield's more unremarkable songs. The one exception is 'Ive Got a Mind to Give Up Livin' which is flawless. As I said earlier, Butterfield is in a class by himself--and even his weaker work is wonderful. But if I were to introduce someone to Paul's music, I wouldn't use the East-West album. Much better choices would be 1) Paul Butterfield's Blues Band (1st album), 2) The Lost Sessions, 3) Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw,4) Anthology, or 5) Paul Butterfield-Live.

The Morphing of Electric Blues Into Psychedelic Rock
The psychedelic rock revolution of the late 1960s had several sources, but probably the most important was electric blues music. A lot of young white rock musicians of that era cut their musical teeth on covers of traditional African American blues
songs, finding in that material a liberating emotional authenticity as well as a simple yet flexible 12-bar, 3-chord improvisational format. Gradually, electric blues morphed into psychedelic hard rock. East West was one of THE seminal albums that led and marked this transition.

The Butterfield Blues Band started out as a straight-ahead Chicago electric blues ensemble. If you're a blues purist, you will prefer their first album. But on East West, the band has clearly come under the influence of, ahem, mind-expanding substances. There are several traditional electric blues numbers here, but there are also several tracks that stretch the boundaries of the blues genre.

The band was remarkable for the work of two great soloists. Paul Butterfield was an outstanding harmonica player (as well as a decent vocalist), and Michael Bloomfield was an awesome guitarist. On this album, both get a chance to display soulful originality as well as technical chops. Unlike a lot of 1960s blues rock musicians, Butterfield and Bloomfield still sound fresh and unique today. In particular, Bloomfield's solos on "I've Got A Mind to Give Up Living", "Work Song", and "East West" have a modal quality totally unlike any of the other blues rock guitar gods of his era. The contrast between Bloomfield's complex droning runs and second guitarist Elvin Bishop's more traditonal lick-based solos are stunning.

Paradoxically, the most revolutionary song on this album--the extended Indian raga-like instrumental jam "East West"--is perhaps the most dated cut. But if you can somehow remember what the musical context was way back in 1966, you will appreciate this album for what it is--a brilliant precursor to the psychedelic blues rock sound that would emerge as the dominant rock music of the late 1960s.

Instrumental Masterpieces of the late 60's
There were only a few. Jeff Beck on Rice Pudding. Apricot Brandy by the Rhinoceros. In Memory of Elizabeth Reid by the Allman Brothers. Samba Pa Ti by Santana. And East West by the Butterfield Blues Band was the best.
And of course Booker T. & the MG's. And King Curtis. But the rock tracks were always special because there were so few.
If you don't know this track, I envy you because you have it to look forward to hearing for the first time.

East-West is a guitar Mecca
By now it seems like everything in music has been tried and done - or overdone - and most of it badly. But back in 1966 when this album debuted, it was nothing less than astonishing. A mixed-race band? A white guy singing blues like nobody's business? A Jewish kid and a southern farmboy sounding like Robert Johnson on guitars? None of us had heard anything quite like it and it gave me, a 15-year-old rock&roll wannabee guitar player, something to focus on.

Right out of the chute, this is a strong album. Opening with "Walking Blues", the BBB struts their stuff with strong vocals, soulful harmonica, and wicked guitar. "I've Got a Mind to Give up Living" was most people's first taste of what Michael Bloomfield could do - simply a stunning blues solo to cap off a great twelve-bar blues.

The album highlight, in my opinion, is their rendition of "The Work Song". Always a great jam song, they carried it to new heights. Bloomfield plays a dizzying guitar solo for 4 verses; Butterfield smokes 2 verses on his harp; Mark Naftalin follows with an understated organ solo; Elvin Bishop gets down & dirty for 4 verses. Then it really gets good; trading off every 2 bars, the musicians rotate for a few verses, each time upping the ante on each other as the song intensifies before resolving into a final melody verse. Whatta song!!!

Noteworthy on side 2 is Elvin Bishop's singing and playing on the sultry "Never Say No". Who knew he could sing?

Finally, the album culminates with the title song "East-West", one of those 60's long-songs which were oftentimes wretched excess, but this one keeps your interest. For 5 minutes or so, guitar and harmonica imitate an Indian raga in a slowly building crescendo. Sudden break, and the music becomes western, muted, and diatonic scale until once again transitioning to the final east-west blend. Hard to describe -- by the CD and hear it yourself.

While "East West" wasn't on the top-10 decade list for sales, it represented a watershed for pop music -- more maturity, better musicianship, more exploration, more successful blending of other genres.

If you're a blues fan, an Alan Lomax enthusiast, or a student of the 60s progression, this album is a must. Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

My name's Mark Ardelean and I've heard of Los Lobos.
I don't have the soundtrack of "La Bamba", but I have seen the movie. I was watching VH-1 one day and I saw Los Lobos on TV performing "La Bamba". When I watched "La Bamba", Los Lobos played a Tijuana group playing a different version of "La Bamba". Lou Diamond Phillips and Esai Morales, who played Ritchie Valens and half-brother Bob, took a trip to Tijuana. That's where Los Lobos played their different version of "La Bamba". I like the song "La Bamba". It's my favorite song.

The greatest soundtrack ever!
Ever since I was a little kid, this has been my favorite CD. It is clearly the best soundtrack of all time. Los Lobos does a great job of redoing Ritchie Valens' classic rock songs. Marshall Crenshaw, who plays Buddy Holly, also does a great job with his song. If there is one CD to buy, this is it. Every song is great. Watch the movie also.

RnR Reverence
Los Lobos got their big break when they were asked to re-record (and mime for the movie) a number of Ritchie Valens' biggest hits for this soundtrack, and the production and performances are nothing short of fantastic.

I give it only 4 stars however, because they are covers, and respect must be paid to those stars who came up with them in the first place. But Marshall Crenshaw, who's presently one of rock's premiere songwriters, ably tackles Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", while Brian Setzer (wayyy before swing came back in a big way) seems the natural choice to cover Eddy Cochran's "Summertime Blues".

Weight is lent by having Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" performed by the man himself, but cover versions or not, the ripped-up, crumpled dollar-bills I used to pay for this album way back when was one of the best investments I ever made.

To Nathan
Great movie/soundtrack. Nathan, you refer to 2 different songs. "Over the Mountain, Across The Sea" by Johnnie and Joe, and "Sleepwalk" by Santo and Johnny. Why "Sleepwalk" wasn't put on the sountrack, considering it's relevence in the movie, I haven't figured out.

GILLSWEET...
The name of the song is "Sleepwalk" by Santo & Johnny. I don't know if you'll remember that you ever asked this question but there's your answer. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally released on Impulse in 1966, It Serves You Right to Suffer may not contain John Lee Hooker's better-known material, but it does serve up eight tracks of topnotch blues, complete with the boogie groove that Hooker does so well. The digital remastering for this CD is a blessing; the recording sounds almost as clean as one made today. That prevents the listener from being distracted from this album's many delights: the uptempo, low-key "Shake It Baby"; the relaxed but rhythmically tight "Country Boy"; the danceable "Bottle Up & Go"; and the slow, sexy shuffle of "Sugar Mama." Especially worth hearing, however, is the title track, which strikes a perfect tension between musicality and mood. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Best studio Hooker album
This cd is usually found in the cut out bins where it does not belong, this cd smokes anything he has done in the last ten years with all of the multi contributing artist to his 90's work. This cd recorded in 1965 is better than anything Clapton,Page or Stevie Ray ever dreamed of. If you want to find any blues close to this caliber, you are going to have go and buy T Bone Walker's Stormy Monday (live) from 1971 with Paul Pena on guitar or som John Hammond. The only other artist that is alive and writes such brooding blues inflected tunes is Tom Waits.

One of the best blues records you will ever hear- I think
John is great by himself or with a band. This is the perfect example of him with a band. Some of the greatest backing musicians who in no way intrude but only compliment Hooker's style of either driving rythms or slow dinning hypnotizing slow blues. Hooker does only 8 songs at about 32 minutes but all classics. This isn't like when hooker teams up with rockers who maybe were great at what they did but didn't do what Hooker himself did. This is a few musicians who understand Hooker's work and play off him and with him, rather than over him. Shake it baby is Rockin' Blues like Hooker could always do without losing the straight blues soul. Country boy is long story tellin' blues and Bottle up and go is as said in the liner notes- Delta Dance music. You're wrong is pure Hooker style- Rythmic Blues, not Rythm and Blues- Blues with lots of solid rythm. THere is a difference. Sugar Mama, A classic because it takes the old theme that hooker arranged new so long before that and changed it around. Instead of praising the sugar sweet woman- He tells her the praise has gone to her head and he's got a new sugar mama, that's John Lee. Decoration day is one of those blues that rolls around slow on the same chord until it almost drives you crazy. It is an old blues song that is one of the most dark and sad traditional songs. About a woman who tells her man before she dies, to decorate her grave on every Memorial or Decoration day. I think that is basically it anyway. Then a solid Take on Berry Gordy's Money which several bluesmen seem to like and perform. Hooker does it with the same group plus old friend and trombone player for the Basie Band -Dicky Wells doing a just right accompaniment. Then it serves you right to suffer in the same way as Decoration day, is some advice to forget about the past. All in all it is the best example of John with a band backing him. Perfect record I think. In everything he does I think he is one of the most believable bluesmen. He means it when he says it and he's there when he sings it and plays it. I have played this record straight through more than most any other blues record I have.

"and one more, and one more, and one more"
For any Blues fan John Lee Hooker is an all too familiar name and this reissue disc shows any who would question his Legend status why he holds the title. Every song is superb, classic Hooker. You'll find yourself playing the album straight through again and again. The best songs here are "Shake It Baby", "Country Boy", "You're Wrong" and the title track "It Serves You Right To Suffer".

A must have album for Blues fans new or old.

LESSER KNOWN HOOKER
THIS CD IS A REISSUE OF MATERIAL FIRST RECORDED BY JOHN LEE HOOKER IN NOVEMBER OF 1965 AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED IN 1966. WHILE THE SONGS ON THIS DISC ARE NOT AS WELL KNOWN AS HOOKER'S "BOOGIE CHILLEN", THEY ARE EVERY BIT AS GOOD. IF YOU ARE A FAN OF JOHN LEE HOOKER THEN THIS CD BELONGS IN YOUR COLLECTION. WHILE YOU ARE AT IT, CHECK OUT THE COLLABORATION OF JOHN LEE HOOKER AND JAZZ MASTER MILES DAVIS ON THE SOUNDTRACK CD "THE HOT SPOT". IT IS ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL AND A MUST HEAR FOR ANY FAN OF THE BLUES AND LATE NIGHT SENSUOUS JAZZ.

Mr. Hooker is a force to be reckoned with.
If you don't already have this album, then you've got all the sense of a salted tree sloth. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Released after Vaughan's death in a 1990 helicopter accident, The Sky Is Crying collects unreleased studio tracks from throughout the guitarist's recorded career. In Vaughan's early years, he was a stylist who thought nothing of using ten notes when three would have worked. Rock stardom, cocaine, and alcohol did little to temper his tendency towards overstatement, but by In Step, his last studio album (and first clean-and-sober effort), he'd begun to transcend his many influences to forge a hard-boiled style of his own. The collection documents this passage, starting with unreleased covers of Lonnie Mack's "Wham" and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" from the time of his debut album. "The Sky Is Crying" was originally cut by Elmore James, but Vaughan's lead guitar owes its stylistic debt to the bluesman who had a most profound influence on his playing, Albert King. The highlights are two tracks cut at the time of In Step--the hard-edged "Boot Hill," with Vaughan on slide guitar, and "Life by the Drop," in which Vaughan accompanies himself on acoustic guitar and toasts a life that would end far too soon. --John Milward ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Life-Changing Event...
That's not hyperbole. Man, I still remember it. It was 1995. I was browsing in a record store and came upon this album. I didn't know who the hell it was-- it wasn't like anything I would usually buy-- but I decided to try sometehing different. I was blown right out of my pants. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I played the tape so many times in 6 months that it started to wear out. It made me want to learn to play, even though I never thought about playing the guitar before-- it was that good, that moving.

Every song on this CD is amazing. How can you talk about good and better when you've reached this level of mastery? You can't. It's like asking which van Gogh painting is your favorite. Still, could you ever buy a van Gogh for under $20?

That being said, there is one song on this CD that is maybe the best pure electric guitar ever recorded: "Little Wing" is a masterpiece among masterpieces. It has it all: such feeling in the slow sections that you cry, such blistering guitar in the power sections that you are stunned, and such subtle mastery throughout that you can hear different nuances each time you listen to the song. Just check out when and how he uses the natural harmonics-- and how he even throws in the Wes Montgomery Jazz/octave work-- each in exactly the right place. This guy wasn't just a guitar maniac-- he was a Master, with a capital "M"-- and on top of it all, he was a wonderful, caring man.

Putting "Life by the Drop" as the last song on the compilation is almost too much for me to handle-- knowing that, when that last note finishes resonating, there will NEVER be any more...

I cry every time I see his bio on MTV-- when I think about that helicopter crash.

There is something wrong with a world in which a man like this gets only 35 years.

I cry.

Can you see the tears roll down the street...
On August 27, 1990 the sky was crying and then over a year later Jimmy Vaughan released a compilation of studio outtakes of his brother Stevie and it started all over again. The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble displays the consummate skill and depth of feeling that Stevie was capable of expressing.
When I first listened to it after its release I remember the strong sense of loss revisited.

The Sky Is Crying has a choice of songs which represent the various emotional faces which Stevie could present through his awesome guitar playing. It starts with the morbid and bitter blues standard Boothill and closes with the hopeful acoustic version of the Doyle Bramhall song Life by the Drop. Stevie Ray Vaughan was well grounded in the blues both by tradition and lifestyle. With The Sky Is Crying Jimmy Vaughan chose songs in which Stevie tipped his hat to various influences in the development his music voice. From the tender guitar playing of Hendrix's Little Wing to the buoyant version of Lonnie Mack's Wham we can hear the influences on Stevie. Also among the songs covered are the Elmore James song The Sky Is Crying, Howling Wolf's May I Have a Little Talk with You and Willie Dixon's Close to You.

To me all the songs are brilliant and I can't imagine my blues library without this cd, but I would purchase it for Life By the Drop, a song I dearly love. It represents so clearly the renewal which Stevie Ray Vaughan had started on and which was tragically left unfulfilled.

You're livin' our dream, wo you on top
My mind is achin', Lord it won't stop
That's how it happens livin' life by th' drop

For those interested in getting a taste of Stevie Ray Vaughan's music throughout the years this is a cd provides an excellent sampling of music. For the Stevie Ray Vaughan fan this cd is a must.

Guitar heaven
As Eric Clapton has said, Stevie had a direct line running from his heart to the guitar neck, bypassing his brain altogether. It means he didn't have to think ahead about what he was going to play, it just flowed straight through. This album is a great example of that statement. He OWNS the guitar and utilizes every avenue of his technique and mastery to produce sounds that no other guitarist will ever produce. That sound comes from his daily practicing, his strength and his dedication to his influences. While these are definitely outtakes, I believe they more clearly represent SRV's Texas R&B roots than any other cd. And, while risking redundancy from other previous reviews, "Little Wing" is pure guitar heaven. Those of us who knew him and loved him and his artistry know without a doubt that that's where he's playing now.

Blues At Its Very Best!!!
I believe Jimmie Vaughan was truly inspired when he chose this collection of songs for his brother's posthumous CD. It is absolutely flooring. All the other reviews for this CD shed plenty of light on the most outstanding tracks (Little Wing, Boot Hill, etc.), except I didn't see too much mention on the title track, which I want to focus on. IT IS THE BEST SLOW BLUES SOLO EVER RECORDED! I'm not kidding--I've heard a lot of blues guitar and I play myself, but on that track he hits nuances and phrasing and TONE that just makes me explode, no matter how many times I've heard it (and I've heard it lots)! He takes the five-note pentatonic blues scale and does everything possible with it! One review complained that the song sounds too much like "May I Have A Little Talk With You"--well, geez, how many slow blues songs have been recorded over the past 100 years that sound basically the same? Thousands! Each recording has its own "stamp", and that's what you've got to hone in on in order to appreciate these on-the-surface "similiar" recordings, including the two on this CD. If you think they're too similar, then you're not listening close enough!!!

As good as a "real" album
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most startling revelation contained on this two-CD compilation is how rich, varied, and deep Nashville's R&B scene was during a 25-year period in which the city solidified its reputation as the undisputed capital of country music. Arranged chronologically, Night Train to Nashville also traces the steady progression of African-American music beginning with the end of WWII--from jump blues, lusty R&B, and smooth-groove vocal groups to proto rock & roll, Southern soul, and Top 40 pop that drew blacks and whites together even as the Vietnam War nearly ripped the country apart. Although this collection contains well-known hits (Bobby Hebb's "Sunny", Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love") and widely acknowledged stars (Etta James and Ruth Brown, both of whom recorded some of their best work in Nashville), many of its most satisfying pleasures come courtesy of lesser-known artists, such as R&B belter Christine Kittrell, swamp bluesman Shy Guy Douglas, and balladeer Sam Baker. In the midst of many ear-opening discoveries, add one more: When listening to the countrified soul of Arthur Alexander, Joe Simon, and Johnny Adams, it's apparent that Nashville in its '60s heyday wasn't two separate but equal towns but one glorious Southern-music Mecca. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This CD is SWEET!
This music just makes you feel good. The artists can really sing and play. There is no one that I play this for who doesn't think it is great even if this is not their kind of music.
Other great CDS I've Tried:
Count Basie and his orchestra
James Brown- anything
Miles Davis- kinda Blue
John COltrane- A love Supreme
Ray Charles- his older stuff
Also for fun,
"Voice Lessons To Go" by Vaccarino so I can get my voice strong enough to sing along!

This CD JAmms!

A musical treasure!
I love old time blumes and early rock and roll, so when I read about this CD I had to have it. Simply put, this is a treasure! What I enjoyed about this the most is that it features lesser known artists and songs that are just killer. A superb collection for any fan of the roots of rock and roll who is looking for something new, out of something old.

I also want to recommend a killer instrumental CD by Mr.Deviant called "Techno Obsession", it's a mix of power rock and hard dance music.

Amazonic Regression . . .
I read all the other reviews and realized that this album is many things to many people. I was impressed by how many people took the effort to review this great collector's item. For myself, it was a bolt out of the blue thanks to being featured on the SUNDAY MORNING TV show. When I was 14 years old (1954) I built a HEATHKIT short-wave radio. I strung 100' of copper wire from our TV antenna tower to the top of the basketball pole. All I had hoped for was to get the BBC or Radio Free Europe. What I got [instead] was Radio Free Nashville ! WLAC, Bill Allen and music I had only heard rumors of. "That kind of music" was not played on mainstream radio in those days. Word got around school that I was listening to Little Richard, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, and Jimmy Reed. I didn't get any more chicks because of it, but it put me in a very elite group of R&B listeners. Once again, AMAZON DOT COM makes regression to our childhoods possible! Thanks, you guys . . . Harrison T.

Mixed bag, but overall pretty good
As to be expected, there is some really good stuff on these discs. Unfortunately, some mediocre tunes that are not that impressive crop up here and there.

While I love sixties soul on a personal note, disc one is overall the better side. The early barrellhouse boogie-woogie tunes are quite appealing and hard to sit still to. (The Louis Jordanesqe "Buzzard Pie," obviously inspired by the King Cole Trio's "Straighten Up and Fly Right" is lots of fun). The Prisonaires track is quite beautiful and Little Richard's mentor Esquirita really rocks the house, as well as the tunes by Larry Birdsong and Jimmy Peck's Orchestra.

On disc 2, Etta James rocks out with her version of "What I Say" and "Shy Guy" Douglas does some fine harmonica work. The Vocal Groups like the Avons, Valentines, Hytones, and Frank Howard are okay (as well as Arthur Alexander's original "Anna Go To Him" remembered well by Beatles fans and the lovely original version of "Everlasting Love"). But the rest of this stuff is nothing special.

What Nashville Was...and Could Be.
I'm in Nashville and work in the music industry. This CD is a great example of the talent Nashville has and what we could be doing with all of that talent. Glad to see Lost HIghway released all this great stuff and hope they'll release more.

How did Nashville get so white bread? Hate it that more people don't know about this disc and are favoring the computer corrected music of Toby Keith and Shania.

If you like Stax and Motown, you'll love this. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Great mix of stars and studio musicians
This is a wonderful live album featuring Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, along with Eric Clapton and Dave Mason. In addition to the stars this is the first time I heard this particular grouping of backup musicians, let by Jim Gordon (drums), Carl Radle (bass) and others. These musicians went on to backup Steve Winwood in Traffic, George Harrison in the Concert for Bangladesh, Joe Cocker on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour (with Leon Russel) and Eric Clapton (Derek and the Dominoes, and his hit single Layla). A truly talented gathering, and this CD features hard-driving rock and soulful ballads by Bonnie. Enjoy!!

An all-time great album
If you like Eric Clapton, if you like Dave Mason (also playing), Delaney & Bonnie, or just energetic southern rock, you will love this album. It is one that you can listen to over and over and still love years and years later.

BEST Driving R&R of ALL times!
I bought this album while I was in Japan in 1970. The ONLY reason I bought it was because I wanted to get something and it said "With Eric Clapton". Never heard of D&B before. When I got it back home I read the back of the album, to see who was on it and I was floored! I put it on the turntable (You remember them?) the first time that night when a bunch of friends came over. It was the ONLY album we played that night! And from then on it got played at least once a night when ever anyone came over. 5 years ago I told a friend about it and the rave started all over. If you get this album be prepared to put all your others away for a while.

Awesome live album
The energy of this recording is amazing. Clapton is on fire and the whole band kicks out a strong set of gospel influenced rock and roll. Great stuff. If you like Clapton at his peak (first solo album, Derek and the Dominos) you'll want this. Other sets that this is related too include Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour (many of the same people on both) and early 70's Leon Russell.

Great Memories
I would have to agree the CD falls short of the LP, which I had stolen in '89.

Can either compare to the concert? Do they do it justice?

Between 1969 and the closing of the Fillmore West I think I saw so many great bands that many I've forgotten. Tower of Power, It's A Beautiful Day, Joy of Cooking, Hot Tuna, were all local bands that could really boogie. Incoming was Fleetwood Mac while Pete Greenwood was still playing, the Allman Bros, (all of them) Doc Watson over at the Buddhi in Berkely, but the concert I remember most was Delaney & Bonnie going until the early morning hours, loving what they were doing and seemingly willing to play until we all got old and gray. "I Don't Want to Discuss It," and "Come Out In My Kitchen" blew me away that night. The only comparable performance I've seen in my life was a very old Texas farmer named Mance Lipscomb (Gotta be the inspiration for John Hammond)at the first Woodie Guthrie Folk Festival at Lincoln Park in Oklahoma City.

If you like Delta Blues, (and I surely do) and your collection includes people like Mississippi John Hurt, and Robert Johnson, you are going to love what Delaney & Bonnie do with it, but then if you own a Robert Johnson you already know that :) ... Read more

Album Description

Full title - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey. Five-CD deluxe boxed set includes a comprehensivecollection of the music from the seven films airing on PBS. A definitive overview of blues, from its earliestrecordings over 80 years ago, to contemporary artists andnew recordings made specifically for The Blues. Music fromthe PBS Series The Blues, executive produced by acclaimedfilmmaker Martin Scorsese. 116 tracks on 5 CDs, plus60-page collector's booklet with stunning photos andilluminating essays. Features introductory essay by MartinScorsese. Gatefold digibox. Hip-O Records. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Excellent blues primer
This is the "Year of the Blues," and "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" is as important a contribution as anything I've seen so far in the effort to increase awareness of and appreciation for blues music.

This CD box set is not the soundtrack to the video documentary series. Rather, it is a collection of songs representing the blues through the roughly 80-year history of recorded blues music. While there are some artists who should have been included and weren't, and there are a few selections that are really not appropriate to this collection, overall this is an excellent primer for anyone looking to understand blues music and its evolution.

It would be impossible for any collection to include every artist that is loved by every blues fan. However, most of the truly great and important blues artists are here, including Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Virtually every style of blues is also represented here, from the Mississippi Delta to New Orleans to Texas to Memphis to Chicago and even to Africa. And contrary to the assertions of some previously-posted critiques, the Piedmont style IS represented with Mississippi John Hurt's "Frankie." (While Hurt did not live in the Piedmont Valley area, he was nevertheless one of the most important Piedmont stylists in blues guitar history.)

I do disagree with the inclusion of a few artists whom I do not consider to be blues musicians, such as Jeff Beck and Los Lobos. (Jeff Beck is undeniably a brilliant guitarist, but he is not a blues guitarist.) The absolute worst song in the set is Peggy Scott-Adams' "Bill," a terrible song about a woman who discovers her husband in bed with his gay lover. Aside from the fact that the song is just plain awful, it is also not a blues song. I wonder who was paid off to have it included.

There are also a few omissions of important blues artists. Lightnin' Hopkins was one of the most important blues musicians of the 1950s and '60s but was not included. Little Richard was every bit as important to the creation of rock & roll as Fats Domino and Chuck Berry but is not represented. The omission of Dr. John, perhaps the most important blues pianist of the modern era, is inexplicable. More modern accoustic guitarists like John Hammond, Jr. and the incredible Rory Block should have been included (although the newly-recorded Keb' Mo'/Corey Harris cover of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" was almost worth the cost of the box set alone). And if Scorsese wanted a representation of blues-influenced Latino music, Carlos Santana would have been more appropriate than Los Lobos.

Notwithstanding a few flaws, however, this CD box set is an excellent representation of recorded blues history, covering the entire history of the blues and including most of the important artists and styles of this wonderful musical genre. I highly recommend it to anyone who is either desiring to learn about the blues or who is already a blues fan and is simply looking for a good thorough collection of great blues music.

Excellent material representing the entire blues genre!
This is the "comeback year" for the blues and "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" as good as good if not better than all blues cds so far. This is really a contribution as anything we've seen so far in the effort to increase awareness of and appreciation for blues music.

The best part is that it's personalized from Scorsese's own liking. People might agree the Rolling Stones should have been included, for instance, but this 116 song piece is not a "best-of the blues". It's more of Martin Scorsese's perspective of what the blues has achieved for America and beyond.

This CD box set is not the soundtrack to the video documentary series. Rather, it is a collection of songs representing the blues through the roughly 80-year history of recorded blues music. This is an excellent primer for anyone looking to understand blues music and its evolution.

It would be impossible for any collection to include every artist that is loved by every blues fan. However, most of the truly great and important blues artists are here, including Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Virtually every style of blues is also represented here, from the Mississippi Delta to New Orleans to Texas to Memphis to Chicago and even to Africa. And contrary to the assertions of some previously-posted critiques, the Piedmont style IS represented with Mississippi John Hurt's "Frankie." Also, Luther Allison and Johnny Winter ARE included also.

There are also a few omissions of important blues artists. Lightnin' Hopkins was one of the most important blues musicians of the 1950s and '60s but was not included. Little Richard was every bit as important to the creation of rock & roll as Fats Domino and Chuck Berry but is not represented. The omission of Dr. John, perhaps the most important blues pianist of the modern era, is near as bad as leaving out the Rolling Stones and their massive love for the blues. More modern accoustic guitarists like John Hammond, Jr. and the incredible Rory Block should have been included (although the newly-recorded Keb' Mo'/Corey Harris cover of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" was almost worth the cost of the box set alone). And if Scorsese wanted a representation of blues-influenced Latino music, Carlos Santana would have been more appropriate than Los Lobos.

Notwithstanding a few flaws, however, this CD box set is an excellent representation of recorded blues history, covering the entire history of the blues and including most of the important artists and styles of this wonderful musical genre.

Scorsese does a great job with the layout of the entire 5 disc set. Included is a color print book with song by song explanations co-written by a Grammy Award winning music writer, and many pages portraying blues from the very beginning(1830's) to today. I highly recommend it to anyone who desires learning about the blues, or a fan simply looking for a good thorough collection of great blues music.

Not just for the newcomer
This is a box set of 20th Century American music, not the Old Testament! Let the ethnomusicologist completist academic blathering heads debate the merits of inclusion and exclusion - just enjoy the tunes. This is worth it just to have discs for your New Year's Party. Sure Janis was an execrable no-talent and Disc 5 should've been made up entirely of Robert Pete Williams. That guy is so deep blues that I sleep with a kinfe when I listen to him at night! But what is a fellow to do?

The Blues
Martin Scosese Presents
The Blues
A Musical Journey

Have you ever known someone that was interested in exploring blues music and came to you asking you for advice on which artists and recordings to start with? If this is a familiar scenario to you and you have made lists as long as your arm of artists and recordings that you hope will steer them on the right path of bluesdom, next time just recommend (or better still hand them) Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues, A Musical Journey (Hip-O Records), the five disc soundtrack to the documentary series that recently aired on PBS. This boxed set is handsomely packaged with a highly informative sixty page booklet that gives you a brief insight into every artist on the discs, along with a break down of every musician playing on each track and a great essay by noted writer Tom Piazza. This truly is a musical journey through the blues, containing over 117 tunes by almost as many artists, beautifully remastered to perfection so that even the oldest of recordings sound like they were cut yesterday. The names and tunes are way too long to list in their entirety but I'll try my best to give an overall and hopefully brief (this I gotta see) overview of each disc's highlights, otherwise this review will run longer than the last Presidential address. Disc One focuses primarily on the blues' entry and acceptance into the musical mainstream of the roaring 20's up to 1930. Oddly enough the disc's opening number "Shortnin" by Othar Turner and The Rising Star Fife and Drum Band is the only one not recorded during that period but serves as a portrait into the roots of the genre and is followed up by a field recording from the Alan Lomax Collection entitled "Long John," which is performed by a group of convicts on a state prison farm in Texas. The first real stars of the blues were women and they are represented by both Smiths, Mamie and Bessie, performing the classics "Crazy Blues," & "Muddy Water," respectively along with Ma Rainey's "Ma' Rainey's Black Bottom," which is probably musical history's first suggestive title. The rest of Disc One reads like a virtual who's who of legends and classic numbers such as:Frank Stokes' "Downtown Blues," Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Match Box Blues", Blind Willie McTells' "Statesboro Blues", Lonnie Johnson's "Guitar Blues" and Son House's "Preachin The Blues." One of the blues' greatest folk tales in the form of Mr. Skip James, who took thirty years off and persued a career in the ministry after his records did not sell well during the early days of the depression opens Disc Two. Considered by many to be a genuis of the early blues, his "Devil Got My Woman," represents that to the fullest extent and is followed by a pair of ultra classics, Leadbelly's "C.C. Rider," & Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go." Disc Two continues its journey through the 1930's with The Lady Day crooning "Billie's Blues," Robert Johnson picking out "Cross Road Blues," and the original Sonny Boy Williamson blasting his way through through his immortal "Good Morning Little School Girl." Halfway through Disc Two we switch decades and are treated to such gems of the 1940's like, Big Bill Broonzy's "Key To The Highway," Tommy McClennon's "Cross Cut Saw," Wynnonie Harris' "Good Rockin Tonight," Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll," and T-Bone Walker's timeless "Call It Stormy Monday." The 1950's saw the blues enjoy its biggest boom in commercial acceptance and Disc Three is filled to the brim with some of the most memorable and influential tunes that the blues and its artists ever produced. Memphis Slims "Mother Earth,"Percy Mayfield's "Send Me Somone To Love," Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88," and Elmore James' "Dust My Broom," start off Disc Three with a four punch combination that will rock you back on your heels before sending you to the canvas with Little Walter's,"Juke,". This particular disc illustrates the blues giving birth to its baby that they called rock & roll, with Big Mama Thornton's original version of "Hound Dog," (Big Mama made all of about five hundred dollars off this recording and died pretty much broke while some truck driver from Memphis made millions with the same tune, go figure!) Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knockin," Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Fats Dominoe's "Blue Monday," and the timeless rock & roll anthem, Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." Also included on Disc Three are classics like The Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnin," Muddy's "Hoochie Coochie Man," Bobby Bland's "Further On Up The Road," and Sonny Boy Wialliamson's (Rice Miller) Don't Start Me To Talkin." Disc Four gives us an intricate look at the state of the blues in the 1960's and the influence that it had on both American and British rock artists who were weaned on the tunes of the masters. The Jeff Beck Group's cover of Willie Dixon's "Ain't Superstitious," features a very young Rod Stewart on lead vocals while John Mayall's Bluesbreakers cover of "All Your Love," has a young Eric Clapton playing lead. Fleetwood Mac (gee did they once play the blues?) turns in a crushing version of "Black Magic Woman," with the twin guitars of Jeremy Spencer & Peter Green. Meanwhile back on home soil Bob Dylan tears through "Highway 61 Revisted," while Hendrix converts legions of rock & rollers with "Red House," and Janis Joplin and The Butterfield Blues Band do the same with "One Good Man," and "I've Got A Mind To Give Up Livin," respectively. While the rock genre was enlightening a new generation, John Lee Hooker recorded "Boom Boom," Albert Collins cut "Frosty," and Junior Wells released his signature "Hoodoo Man Blues." Etta James' "Tell Mama," turned a few heads and a new female singer by the name of Koko Taylor who was discovered by Willie Dixon raised a few million eyebrows with "Wang Dang Doodle." The 60's were a turbulent time for America and the impact that the blues made during that period is still being felt today throughout rock & roll. Disc Five begins in 1969 with B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone," and closes with the recently recorded acoustic duet of Corey Harris & Keb Mo doing the prettiest cover of "Sweet Home Chicago," that it's been my pleasure to hear in quite some time. In between these two classic numbers, the 70's,80's 90's right up to present day is represented by a wide spectrum of artists and styles whose music has forever effected the blues' direction. Johnny Winter's "Dallas," Derek and The Dominoes' "Have You Ever Loved a Woman," The Alman Bothers "One Way Out," and Hound Dog Taylors' "Give me Back My Wig," represent the 70's which pretty much was dominated by hard rock and is considered one of the toughest decades for post WWII blues. But, being as hard times is what the genre founded its roots in, the blues treaded water in a swirling sea of hard rock and disco. The 80's are represented by a young man who is credited with kicking the music industry in its ass and making them take the blues seriously again, Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn. One of his best tunes "Pride and Joy,"is included here along with big brother Jimmie Vaughn's band,The Fabulous Thunderbirds' "Tuff Enough." Also from the 80's is Robert Cray's "Smoking Gun," and a duet of "I'm In the Mood," between John Lee Hooker & Bonnie Raitt from his monumentous The Healer album. The 90's get a well rounded look with Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine," Peggy Scott Adam's "Bill," (which is a totally new spin on the old cheating lover scenario) Keb Mo's "Am I Wrong," and Susan Tedeschi's "Just Won't Burn." Three other recent recordings in addition to "Sweet Home Chicago," are included with the best being the live duet between Robert Cray and Shemeika Copeland exploding on "I Pity The Fool." Cassandra Wilson's gorgeous voice gives new meaning to J.B. Lenoir's "Vietnam Blues," while Bonnie Raitt does ample justice to his "Round & Round," and Los Lobos does the same to his "Voodoo Music." This is the end of the journey blues fans. Well for now anyway. You can sort of look at this set as one hell of a roadmap to one of the best musical journeys you can possibly make with the rest of the journey being all around you as you read this. This is probably the best chronological record ever assembled of the music that changed the face of American music forever as the selections both mentioned and not mentioned in this review are the best of the best. Alot of you may already have a great deal of these recordings that are included here in some form or another, but it's the combination of the choice of selections and the remastering that make this package a must for every blues fan whether they are just learning about the blues or are already lifelong fans. Being a five disc set can mean it can be a bit on the pricey side, but I found it for around forty eight dollars at a couple of membership warehouse stores and it was worth every cent. With the holidays approaching it would make a completely awesome gift for the blueslover in your life or perhaps even yourself. This is one journey you will want to take several times.

The Best Blues Collection?... Hardly....
I don't claim to be a Blues expert by any means, who is? ...but this collection could have been something really special if more of the unknown artists from the past and present were included here. Yeah, we all know about Jimi, Stevie Ray, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, etc. Why do we need to have them represented here again? Some of the newer artists included here hardly earned their dues and a few others shouldn't even be on this recording at all. Oh well..., what can you say except that life isn't fair which is what the blues is all about anyway. That doesn't mean you need to accept this collection as the blues gospel by any means! Where's the Junior Kimbrough and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown? Where's the Luther Allison and James Solberg? I can go on and ask why but what sense would that make? Anyone who wants to own one of the best unknown ripping guitar, whiskey soaked vocals, ultra cool organ & rhythm tight CD's ever, buy James Solbergs "See that my grave is kept clean". If you want something really special, buy anything by Junior Kimbrough. If you want something that we've all heard before with a lot of it being mediocre then buy Mr. Scorsese Presents the Blues. Otherwise, check out the web sites for Shanachie Entertainment, Alligator Records, Blind Pig, Rounder/Bulls Eye Blues, Blues Bureau International/Shrapnel for links into the real blues crossroads where past and future meet head on! Oh yeah, let's not forget about Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher either!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eric Clapton's first live album since 1992's zeitgeist-capturing Unplugged, is, as one would expect, full of well-tailored highlights from his back-catalog of bristly, well-kept blues. Recorded in Los Angeles and Tokyo during his 2001 world tour, and featuring the accompaniment from the likes of Andy Fairweather-Low and Billy Preston, it's an album that serves to satisfy both Clapton purists (there's a four-song sequence of tracks from Pilgrim, shorn of their original anodyne synthesizer embellishments) and adult pop fans who prefer their blues from the decanter rather than the bottle ("Tears in Heaven," a sublime "Bell Bottom Blues," a rather poised, applause-riddled "Layla"). One More Car is an engaging live document that finds EC far from asleep at the wheel. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Clapton's Long Awaited "Live" Cd Is Well Worth The Wait!
This latest release from rock legend Eric Clapton is a long overdo 2-cd "live" recording. Actually his last live recording was his "Unplugged" cd released in 1992. This 2-cd set was recorded during his 2001 tour and Clapton is in fine form here. Disc One starts with Clapton playing acoustic guitar on the first six songs. His acoustic guitar playing on songs such as "Key To The Highway" (a Derek & The Dominos song) , "Tears In Heaven", "Bell Bottom Blues" (another Derek & The Dominos song) ,"Change The World", etc. shows the diversity this talented guitarist has. He's as good on acoustic as he is playing electric guitar. It's not until "My Father's Eyes" that he switches to electric guitar. Every song sounds polished and Clapton's band is excellent with veteran keyboardist Billy Preston playing better than ever. Disc Two starts out with the bluesy "I Want A Little Girl". And very few guitarists can play the blues like Clapton. The following song "Badge" (from his late 60's days with the rock supergroup Cream) sounds terrific with the addition of keyboards. And Clapton's voice sounds better than ever. Clapton's 70's hit "Cocaine" is full of energy and the backup singers also add a special touch to this version. My favorite Clapton song (from his Derek & The Dominos days) "Layla" is outstanding with Clapton doing a nice guitar solo before the song kicks in. This version also includes the 4 min. extended piano ending which is played perfectly by Billy Preston. Another favorite (from his Cream days) "Sunshine Of Your Love" also starts with a nice guitar solo before going into the song. This is a nice updated version of the song again with the use of keyboards. Clapton's rendition of "Over The Rainbow" is a nice version which only he could pull off and make it sound good. This is an excellent "live" double cd that no Clapton fan should be without. Highly recommended!

Great CD, Great Sound
The sound quality of this cd will really allow you to hear Clapton at his finest. On just about any sound system that i've played this cd, it sounds amazing. Better than any other cd I own. I found that the versions of River of tears, Reptile, and My Father's eyes are excellent. In fact just about every song on this cd is excellent! Even if you're not the bigget Clapton fan you should still buy it just for the sound quality. Plus, I find that this CD is one of Clapton's best CD's. I would rate it at the top along with his unplugged CD. Buy this CD, I know you'll enjoy it!

How Bodge
A lot of people dont know how Bodge got his nickname here it is:

Eric Clapton was writting a song with John Lennon of the Beetles and John asked him what it was called and He thought Clapton said "Bodge" but he said something else (i forget). Anyway this kind of stuck as his nickname and he was Bodge forever since.

so, now you know...

One More Car, One More Rider = One More GREAT Performance!
Clapton has certainly gotten older, as seen on the video, and I give him tremendous credit for continuing to release new material and go on tour.

Both discs are great, but I highly enjoy Bell Bottom Blues, Change The World, My Father's Eyes and She's Gone. Cocaine is a great track as well.

I would have enjoyed Badge more had it been played like the version on 24 Nights, and Layla had it been played like the version on Eric Clapton & Friends Live. I wish they had played White Room, which is absolutely awesome in concert.

Despite the disappointments above, I give the album five stars given the outstanding performance of My Father's Eyes and She's Gone and a clever version of Over The Rainbow.

If you are into live music get it.
This double cd is very nice. It opens up with an accoustic set which includes a very nice bell bottom blues and a beautiful tears in heaven and change the world. Then the electric stuff starts out with a great fathers eyes. Disc 2 goes into a nice old one w/ badge and a medocure cocaine and a nice wonderful tonight. Lalya is a standout on this double disc with a terrific piano outro. and it stays good with the last 2 tracks espcially sunshine of your love.
All and all this is a good double live album worth buying the only reason why i gave it a 4 was because i know there is better stuff out there from clapton. ... Read more

Album Description

Inspiration Information, the brainchild of guitar prodigy Shuggie Otis, more than justifies the cult following garnered in the years since its (largely ignored) 1974 release. Son of R&B legend Johnny Otis, Shuggie was a late-'60s celebrity due to his Super Session duets with Al Kooper. Opting out of arena rock -- he reputedly refused an offer to join the Rolling Stones -- the 19-year-old Otis spent three years in the studio generating this one-man opus. His multitracked rhythms recall the laid-back funk of the Meters embroidered with psychedelic filigree, and his voice resembles Allan Toussaint's. But in every other regard, this is singular, sexy music, dislocated in time. Drum machines propel "Island Letter" and the beat-box-plus-organ stabs of "XL-30" predate England's Young Marble Giants by several years. Also featured are four bonus cuts from the artist's 1971 set Freedom Flight, including "Strawberry Letter 23," which was later a hit for the Brothers Johnson. Heard here in its original form (with a surprise prog-guitar coda), the song conveys the impression of "Good Vibrations" being played by a lone musician. Unbelievably wonderful. - Billboard ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A lost gem
Strawberry Letter 23 by the Brothers Johnson has always been one of my favorites. I considered it the perfect song. For years it never occurred to me that there was another earlier version of the song out there. So when someone told me that the original was composed and sung by some guy named Shuggie Otis, I shrugged it off. No way it could be as good as the Brothers Johnson, I thought. My mistake.

I happened to hear Shuggie's version and was intrigued. But fearing there would be just one good song among clunkers, I was reluctant to buy the whole CD. Others persuaded me to buy it and I'm glad I did.

With his futuristic, laid back bluesy yet funky vibe, Shuggie proves to be the missing link between Sly Stone and Prince. Although drum machines are way overdone today, in 1971 it was still relatively rare and Otis puts them to good use. Songs like Strawberry 23, Aht Uh Mi Hed and Sweet Thang could still be considered visionary today.

This CD is a gem. It's too bad the record didn't see fit to keep Shuggie after less than sterling sales. He should have received more recognition and appreciation.

if you don't get it, well, try--this is quality
A sure sign of a good album: it grows on you. A sign of a possibly even great album: you sort of don't even get it the first time, beacause it is in its own category, but for some reason you play it again, and you like it better . . . and it grows on you. Shuggie Otis is just musical. The guy has music in his bones. I'm not going to try to compare him to anyone . . . . He wrote "Strawberry Letter 23" if you know that. I don't know if it's true, but I do believe that the Stones offered him a job and I do believe that he turned them down; this album is better than Stones of the middle 70's, with the soul the Stones always revered and aspired toward. His music is laid back and pretty and funky, not mellow though; you want to ride along with the songs. It's like being stoned in a garden. I used to put on this music Sunday mornings when I was cooking a nice breakfast and in the mood for a good day. Now I just put it on when I'm in the mood for good music and a good mood. This is quality, but if you have to read the reviews, it's probably quality that'll take you in a slightly new direction. If you like good music no matter what the style, this is a strong pick. One thing's for sure, the music is not crap. Consider it a test of your eclecticism (an easy test for me in this particular case).

a lost classic...
WOW!!! l grew up listening to the Motown greats and somehow l missed this artist. A friend turned me on to it and it is one of my all time favorites. The music is bright and jazzy but soulful and rock too. This guy is a freakin' genius. Thanks to David Byrne for rediscovering and rereleasing this gem. Seriously don't miss it. His version of his song strawberry letter 23 is solid.