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One would think that jumping into the pop-rock marketplace after being branded a blues player might confuse a 17-year-old guitar whiz. No way. Jonny Lang, with the lucid advice of ace producer David Z, understands the role of the blues as solid ground for someone who wants to take flight with intelligent, well-crafted music that has a wide audience. His second album's strengths lie with his gruffly appealing singing voice and his lean, razor-edged guitar phrases. The material is solid, with songs that range stylistically from the ingratiating funk number "I Am" (a hitherto unrecorded David Z and Prince composition), to the it-sure-sounds-like-a-rock-hit "Still Rainin'" (complete with thunderous chords and soulful female backup singers), to a griddle-hot take on the late Chicago blues guitarist Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine." All 12 songs are of a piece, tied together by Lang's unassailable musical integrity and his freshness of vision. And R&B master guitarist Steve Cropper is on hand in the Minneapolis recording studio to insure the soulful vibe. --Frank- John Hadley ... Read more

Reviews (157)

A BLUES LEGEND IN THE MAKING!!
After hearing Lie to Me, I was hooked. The song Still Rainin' was a good song to make a single, but I also like some others on the CD. I love Breakin' Me and Leaving to Stay mostly because they are different from his other hard-rock songs. I also bought the Kid Jonny Lang and the Big Bang CD, and I was surprised. I thought since the songs were made a long time ago he would sound like the lost Hanson brother, but I was wrong. Jonny is an amazing talent and I can't wait to hear some great new tunes. Keep up the great work, Jonny!! P.S.-If you ever get a chance to go see him in concert, definitely go because he sure puts on a great show!

Getting a lot better, but not quite there yet...
When I first heard "Still Rainin'" on the radio this summer I thought it was pretty good, seeing as how Lang himself doesn't write most of his own songs. I know a lot of people are really in love with this guy, and that's fine, but I personally don't think that Lang's music is THAT wonderful. I think he sounds like a lot of the current crop of blues musicians (i.e. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Corey Stevens, etc.). He's a real good technician, and one thing that I liked about this new album is that he doesn't sound quite as coached, not quite as mass-produced. Frankly, if I were on the marketing staff at A&M, if I could turn back time, I would've released this album as Jonny's major-label debut and saved "Lie To Me" for an album of unreleased demos and b-sides to come out on the artists' 50th birthday. The songs sound a lot better this time around, but what I can't stand is the way the production team dresses up everything to sound like a pop record, just like they did the first time. I also think "Wander This World" could use some looser drumming. If you heard the cover "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl" from "Lie To Me", you might get an idea of what I'm talking about. I think that in regards to Jonny Lang, everyone needs to chill out and let this little sprout grow some more before we go hacking the fruit off the vine. Overall, the picture's better, but I still think Lang's music could benefit greatly from a little more textural variety (beyond clavinets and echo pianos) and a little more stylistic variety as well.

Don't Put too Much faith in it
This is a classic example of follow-up disc. In this case, the album has gone too much to the producers. The songs themselves are good, but on most of the tracks, Jonny's voice is so mixed out that you can hardly here him. Which is a shame, because Jonny has an amazing voice. There are some good songs on there, and his guitar playing is good. But compared to Lie To Me, this just seem weak

Age ain't nuthin' but a number
Jonny Lang has it -- whatever it is -- call it musical integrity, roots, passion, feel or a simple and real sense of the song. His age is irrelevant. He had it as a kid and is only getting better and more refined. And his songwriting is just as inspired. I'm a huge fan of the blues and you cannot deny the wondrous blues foundation of Johnny's music. It's in the heart of his performance. No wonder it's so soulful, free-spirited and without any posturing or self-importance. I fell in love with this record on my first play. There's no need to keep Jonny in the traditional 16-bar blues format -- he's got a lot to say and he needs a mosaic of musical styles in which to create. Bravo Jonny! This endorsement comes from a 30-something-year-old singer/songwriter who takes her music very seriously. You have captured my attention and I look forward to all you have to offer now and in the future! You're a breath of much-needed fresh air in this "business" of music.

A CD that will make you a True Lang Fan
A friend gave this CD to me for a birthday present. Since listening to the songs the first time, I have been hooked on Jonny. This CD has everything from Rock/blues, ballads, to Louisana Blues! There is something for everyone. This CD also shows how much this young man is maturing in his talents. A MUST have for anyone that likes good music! It hooked me on this man...and I have no doubt that it will do the same for you!

Walkin' Away, Breakin' Me, Cherry Red Wine, I Am....my very favorites...but ALL are great tunes.

Enjoy your purchase, it's worth every penny! ... Read more

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The title's baloney. Sure, some of Buddy Guy's most blistering guitar playing has been captured on his '90s recordings for Silvertone, but with albums like Muddy Waters's 1964 Folk Singer and his own 1967 solo debut A Man & the Blues on his résumé, Guy's status as a Chicago blues giant was assured long before his 1991 comeback Damn Right, I've Got the Blues. Nonetheless, that tune, the instrumental tribute "Remembering Stevie" (for the late guitar-slinger Vaughan), "Five Long Years," and the previously unissued "Miss Ida B" testify that at age 65 Guy still possesses rare depth and fire. His singing is big and soulful, capable of cheerleading a party or hurtling down to the depths of Delta blues heartache. His six-stringing remains wildly inventive and unpredictable, even on slight numbers like "She's a Superstar." And the inclusion of blatant stabs at the pop charts such as his "Midnight Train" duet with Jonny Lang take nothing away from the passion he puts into true blues performances like "I Need Your Love So Bad" and "Innocent Man," leftovers from earlier sessions that surface here. Baddest or not, this CD spotlights one of our greatest bluesmen in fine form. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Buddy is the baddest!!!
To the fan from Vienna, VA: Buddy is not in his 70's. Actually, as of the date I'm writing this, he is 63. Regardless, no one I've ever seen packs as much energy into a live performance as Mr. Guy. And I recommend to anyone who hasn't seen him live, do it before it's too late. He truly is the master!!

Anyway, about this CD. It is a compilation of some of best tracks off his Silvertone recordings of the 90's, plus 5 previously unreleased tracks. Definitely for the more casual fan, who doesn't own "Damn Right I've Got the Blues", "Feels Like Rain", "Slippin' In"(the best of the individual studio Silvertone recordings), and "Heavy Love". Also with the Silvertone label, Buddy released a live album w/the Saturday Live Band called "The Real Deal". The only track on "Buddy's Baddest" from "The Real Deal" is "Let Me Love You". "The Real Deal" is definitely worth buying separate because live is how Mr. Guy is meant to be heard.

Overall, I would say "Buddy's Baddest" is a good introduction to Buddy Guy. If you love it, then follow up with "The Real Deal", the individual Silvertone recordings, "Stone Crazy", and "DJ Play My Blues". Also, you can't go wrong with "Live at Montreaux" or "Drinking TNT and Smoking Dynamite"(better), both live recordings with harmonica legend Jr. Wells.....Enjoy!

The best of Buddy Guy? Not likely
This overview of Buddy Guy's Silvertone recordings ought to be titled "Some of the best of Buddy Guy's 90s tunes, and a few throwaways as well", or something along those lines.

The first ten songs are almost all good, but the four previously unreleased songs aren't among Guy's best work, and since almost all of the previously released material here is taken from just three albums, there is really no good reason to pick up this mediocre sampler. Go with "Damn Right I've Got The Blues" and "Slippin' In" instead, and perhaps the "Feels Like Rain" album, from which "She's Nineteen Years Old" and of course "Feels Like Rain" are taken.
Only one track comes from the forgettable "Heavy Love", which is actually a credit to the compilers, and the last one, the live "My Time After Awhile", is from "Live: The Real Deal".

If you want an overview of Buddy Guy's career prior to his 90s comeback, go for Rhino Records' excellent "The Very Best Of Buddy Guy", or check out the best of his classic Chess singles on MCA/Chess' "Buddy's Blues". This is a decent sampler, but considering that it only spans four studio albums, one of which is bland at best, it is not really that much of a necessity.

could have been more tracks
this cd is a great starter for anyone who is just getting into great blues music (i have been into blues for about 12years) and enjoy everything that buddy guy has recorded. this cd should have contained more tracks, alot of great songs missing on this cd. i give it 5 stars anyway.

Baddest? Best!!!
This album will show you a man that is blues, blues and nothing but blues! Blues comes out his feet, his fingers, from every vain the man has in his whole body! This album is a good way to start if you want to dive into Buddy Guys world of the blues and blues as a whole. Guy combines various blues styles to one, very much his own style. That makes him a true living legend, and I am sure that if you buy this album you're soon will buy the original ones as well!

good collection
of course with greatest hits there are always songs that you feel of great that are left off. the cd kicks off with" damn right ive got the blues" to five long years. good thing that there are three unreleased songs on the cd is why i brought it. good starter cd for any new fans ... Read more

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This is Sonny Boy Williamson II, whose 1940s Mississippi Delta radio broadcasts for King Biscuit Time made him one of the most influential of all blues musicians. A master harmonica player, he created relaxed songs, often humorous, that reminded urban listeners of their country roots. These tracks are from his years at Chess, beginning in the mid-1950s until his death in 1965. His recording bands feature Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Robert Lockwood Jr., among others. Perhaps his best-known track here is "Don't Start Me to Talkin' (I'll Tell You Everything I Know)," but his signature sound is evident on every high trill he played. --Robert Gordon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A fine place to start
This great collection brings most of Aleck "Rice" Miller's best songs together on a single disc, and it is highly recommended if you're relatively new to Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II).
The songs are simply excellent. Raw, gritty blues, clever lyrics and backing bands that include Muddy Waters, Robert "Jr." Lockwood and Buddy Guy. And of course Miller's instantly recognizable rasp of a voice.

However, if you already have his debut LP, "Down And Out Blues", or know enough about Miller to want a lot of the really good stuff in one place, may I suggest the 45-track "The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson", also from MCA/Chess, instead.
It has more than twice as many songs, yet does not resort to "filler", and that one is the definitive Rice Miller-collection.

His best .Sonny Boy Williamson
if you could only pick one CD to show as an example of his work this is it

A CD You Must Have In Your Collection!
This CD is a must have for anybody that seriously follows the blues. The songs featured here are all taken from recording from the last ten years of Sonny Boy's life. Sonny Boy died in May of 1965. Considering the age of these recordings, many in the 1950's, the sound is remarkably clear. Nineteen of the twenty songs here were penned, at least in part, by Sonny Boy himself. The long exception is "Bring It On Home" which was written by Willie Dixon. The first few songs feature a dream team band lineup consisting of Otis Spann on piano, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass and Fred Below on drums. The music is nothing short of excellent. Replacing Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers on the guitar for most of the remainder of the tracks is Robert Lockwood although Matt Murphy and Buddy Guy make appearances on two of the tracks. Only complaint, it's to short. 20 songs but only 56:16 minutes. Highly recommended.

essential stuff
Sonny Boy Williamson II (aka Rice Miller) was no easy fellow to deal with. A paranoid, hard drinking womaniser and, as some say, a lying thief(He stole his name from Sonny Boy Williamson I, aka John Lee Williamson, afterwards always proclaiming to people he was the first to carry it.) Coincidently, he was also a marvellous songwriter and harmonica player, a supreme chronicler of human emotions and a master of irony and understated wit. He became famous with the "King Biscuit Time" radio show in the early forties and started recording with the Trumpet label soon after. He was the last of the four blues greats to join the Chess label and he was also the first to leave. (Unfortunately, in a coffin that is.)

During his relatively short period with Chess he created an oeuvre containing enough heartbreak to make any man miserable. Song after song, love is the hellhound on his trail. As he reminisces about things and times he has tried his best to forget about, memories that hunt him like a curse, he keeps falling for the wrong women, always finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He just can't seem to help himself. The wonderful music that runs beneath these hard luck stories is perfectly timed but loose as a screw. You can almost visualize the bouncing of the beat.

There's isn't one song I can single out as his greatest achievement, you will simply need to hear them all to get the complete picture.(...and yes, that's a hint ;-))

Holy Harping, Batman!
If you are already a blues or a harp aficionado, you know who Sonny Boy Williamson is and you know he's great. Let me just add that this is a great collection and a very high quality recording at a great price. If you're looking for the highlights of Sonny Boy's work, this is it.

Maybe you don't know so much about him. Maybe you're new to the blues, or you're learning to play the harmonica, and you're thinking about buying this CD. You should buy it, because:

1. It's great blues, in classic form, with an excellent band fronted by a blues legend. Sonny Boy should be on your shelf for the same reasons that Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson should be there.

2. It's great harp playing. Maybe you're just learning the harmonica, and you've figured out how to play "Camptown Ladies" and "You Are My Sunshine," but now you're stuck and you feel like the harmonica is a dead end. Listen to this guy, and hear what a simple ten-hole diatonic harmonica can do, played cross-harp. Great stuff. ... Read more

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The full-tilt blues album that Clapton had been promising for years, From the Cradle proves the guitarist's enduring devotion to a form he had long relegated to merely a flavor in his music rather than the main ingredient. Clapton's singing on the album is somewhat mannered; he tries to compete with original versions of these songs by Muddy Waters, Charles Brown, and others, and there's no way he's going to win that battle. Still, you can feel the emotional connection Clapton has with these songs, and guitar aficionados will swoon over his fretwork on songs such as "Third Degree," "Someday After a While," and the incendiary "Groanin' the Blues." --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (109)

Clapton Thanks His Roots And Influences
Eric Clapton has built a career around the blues-from John Mayall to Cream, Derek and the Dominos to his solo career. His guitar playing has always been influenced by the blues. But he has recently turned into a pop-rock musician, ignoring his roots and influences. Here, on From the Cradle, Clapton finally does a full-tilt blues rock album with 16 legendary blues tunes. The result is that we are introduced again to the Eric Clapton we hadn't seen in a long time (and will continue to miss later)-scorching blues guitar, gritty and desperate vocals, and blues staples. The first track, "Blues Before Sunrise," is an all-out gritty rocker, and "Third Degree," is a slower paced gem. This is far from mainstream, but Clapton has a lot of fans who would rather he not be. Don't accuse him of not being original-he's not trying to be. Another great fact is that all tracks were recorded live in studio. He is simply getting back to his roots, back to the reason he went into music in the first place.

Excellent blues album, don't be fooled by the "experts".
In response to all of the recent negative reviews that have surfaced about this recording,let me say that I am not a blues musician but I will put my collection of classic blues albums up against that of any reviewer here who claims to be steeped in the "real blues" and I wouldn't have these wonderful recordings if it weren't for artists like Eric Clapton or The Rolling Stones who have done so much to expose us to all of the great post-war masters of the form. This album is an outstanding tribute to those great artists and Clapton has put 30 years of playing the blues into it. Granted he cannot sing "Hoochie Coochie Man" like Muddy Waters, nobody can and Eric himself would be the first to agree. But on the other hand, I haven't heard anybody yet who could replicate the sound of Muddy's slide on "Standin' Round Cryin'" the way Eric does on this record and he takes Freddie King's "Someday, After Awhile" to new heights. Buy this album for the blues guitar playing, it's stellar. And for those musicians out there who think Eric can't play the blues or just doesn't have any soul in his playing, let me quote Riley B. King: "Eric Clapton plays the blues as good as anyone, better than most."

ONE OF THE BEST
I have to recommend this cd to ANYONE that is interested in listening to the blues and some RAW emotion displayed through music. This cd was one of the first that I ever listened to by Mr. Clapton along with TIME PIECES and UNPLUGGED. I thrived off of them. I wanted to learn more and branched off to other genres of blues and jazz performed by artists such as BB KING and JELLY ROLL MORTON. This artist not only kept my interest alive but inspired me to LEARN about the culture of this type of music as well as enjoy it. I saw Mr. Clapton in concert tonight for the first time, and if you think this man does not know how to include SOUL, RYTHM, or BLUES into his music, you have never seen him live. From the time they unrolled his oriental rug on the stage, to the second standing ovation he received, it had to have undoubtedly be one of the best concerts I have ever seen. If you are a fan of the blues, you are a fan of Eric Clapton!

Clapton's finest guitar ever
This is, hands down, Clapton's best guitar playing. It's all there. The phrasing is immaculate and tasteful. In terms of timing he's playing ahead of the beat, behind it, and everywhere around it. This is a development in his technique. Overall, he just sounds like he's on the blues war path. He had just quit smoking which could explain the burst of energy. Otis Rush claims this is one of the top ten all time blues guitar albums. The only thing holding this album back is that it's all covers. This is a minor criticism to an otherwise masterpiece of guitar work by "God."

This is What it is About
From the Cradle represents some of Clapton's best work. Now he has a lot of great work (for me, mostly blues) over a very long period of time. Some people want to hear just the originals, and that's OK, but to hint at a complaint of covering the blues is to not understand the blues. I am a blues fan and a player of the blues. I love the blues. Yes, I have the originals too, and I can get into them for review. However, the blues (and I think most music) is to be interpreted, not copied. And here, as well in later works, Eric is interpreting the blues. As a player, I don't necessarily play with a bunch of guys to copy a song. We kind of change it around to fit our own styles and sound. I definitely think it is better to listen to, and a whole lot more fun to play. If we didn't have interpretation of music by your local bands, we wouldn't have many local bands, and to me quite honestly it is difficult to pay much attention to your average local band if there are too many originals, unless of course their originals are really exceptional. Which brings us right back to this album. This is a great interpretation, and Eric went on to keep releasing blues albums that keep sounding great. I find his interpretations inspiring, and make me want to pick up a guitar or bass and jam along with Eric, having a really good time. And that's what music is all about. Right? ... Read more

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Many believe this 1967 landmark, Sam Maghett's first full-length studio recording, is the greatest blues album ever made. While that assertion is awfully difficult to substantiate, these 11 gems (plus one alternate) certainly deserve hyperbolic praise. These cuts have a dramatically direct emotional appeal, a blunt, unfiltered artlessness that's rarely been achieved in an electric setting. Sam's spirited vocals come from his heart and his belly, not his brain. His guitar work is smoothly melodic, à la B. B. King with a bit more bite, frenetic and energetic like Buddy Guy, but with more taste. Since this Mississippi native died at age 32, this album sits in a mystical place in blues history: In many ways, it is to Chicago blues what Robert Johnson's meager output is to Delta blues. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A must have for any Chicago Blues fan
While maybe not quite as well known as his brethren of the West Side Sound - Freddie King (Freddie moved to Chicago as a teenager) and Buddy Guy, Magic Sam deserves a place in the Pantheon of Blues. His sense of ryhtym and timing are second to none and his soulful vocal delivery will send shivers down your spine. On this disc he shows his mastery of a variety of styles from old standards like Sweet Home Chicago to boogie tunes like I Wanna Boogie to minor blues tunes like All of Your Love with its searing vocals and guitar runs.

Soulful blues. (Or bluesy soul...)
This album is Magic Sam Maghett's finest hour, and one of the finest electric blues albums of the 60s.

He plays blues with a strong soul influence, particularly on the magnificent "That's All I Need" and "I Don't Want No Woman". Classic slow blues ("All Of Your Love", "I Found A New Love"). And superb versions of Jimmy McCracklin's "Every Night And Every Day", Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" and J.B. Lenoir's "Mama Talk To Your Daughter".

Not everything is equally memorable, of course, and the arrangements may feel a little bit unvaried towards the end, but the overall impression of "West Side Soul" is that of a truly great, electrifying blues record, one which belongs in any serious blues collection.
4 1/2 stars - highly recommended.

MY FATHER
I HAVE NOT LISTEN TO ALL MY FATHER'S MUSIC YET. BUT THE MUSIC THAT I HAVE HEARD ALL READY I LOVE. SO FAR MY FAVORITE SONG IS, ALL YO LOVE AND BACK DOOR FRIEND. I AM THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF MAGIC SAM. I WOULD LIKE TO GET KNOW MY OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTER'S. BUT I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT LISTEN AND BUY'S MY FATHER MUSIC. I HOPE TO GO VISIT THE BLUES CLUB DOWN TOWN CHICAGO
ON MY BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT HIS NAME WAS ON THE WALL.I WOLD NOT MIND TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I AM HIS DAUGHTER.
THANK YOU, MS.NINA MAGHETT

Soaring
Magic Sam's gorgeous voice is reminiscent of Sam Cooke. With each phrase he conveys a sense of joy. The guitarwork is something of a bonus--but quite a bonus. His combination of rhythm and single -note picking is great to hear. In (both versions of) "I Don't Want No Woman" The melodic runs hit high and low,jumping above and below the implied chord. "Sweet Home Chicago" is propelled by simple chord runs punctuated by exclamatory single note picking. Sometimes there are simply too many notes, but this is a quibble in the face of such an exciting and joyous album.

Man, what an album
I can't really disagree with anyone else. This is a great album, maybe not the greatest, but it's certainly on par with B.B.'s Live at the Regal which I also love. Magic Sam really expresses the melancholy that I like about the blues (on That's All I Need especially). This feeling became less important (but was still there) as the blues morphed into rock and roll. That's why I prefer the Stones to the Beatles. In their best songs, the Stones still have it, the Beatles really don't.

No matter what my mood is, the best blues just seems to fit. If I'm feeling good, then I can slip into the groove and relax. If I'm feeling low, then the blues lifts me up. It doesn't make me "forget my troubles" (a phrase I've always hated) but just helps me feel the mood without wallowing in it.

If you like this album, I'd also recommend Otis Spann, he doesn't have the swagger of his one-time boss Muddy Waters but is more relaxed and reflective like Magic Sam. ... Read more

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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 (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

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 essential recording

One of the greatest concert recordings of all time. How could it be less, with B.B. King performing some of his best material before a literally captive audience in an Illinois prison? "Worry, Worry" and "How Blue Can You Get" take on deeper meanings here, although King works the latter's camp lyrics as if he were in a juke joint. His mix of down-home humility and commanding stagecraft is instantly appealing. And his guitar barks, sings, and squeals with such authority that this is a bravura performance from the first bent, soul-searing note. A true desert-island disc. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The King at his best!
When people talk about B.B. King's greatest albums they normally narrow the fight down to two albums: Live at the Regal and Live in Cook County Jail. For years blues fans have fought about who is the better of these two blues heavyweights. However any way you slice out Cook County Jail is the clear favorite.

The main reason that I think this is the superior recording is that it captures the King at his peak as a guitar player. This album is the reason he is one of the greatest guitar players ever. In the Regal he depended too much on his horns group, so we didn't hear enough of Lucille.

Then there's B.B. the performer. Something about these 2000 some odd prison inmates gave the King a buzz that night, because he was very loose that day, having fun with the crowd and going through fantastic versions of How Blue Can You Get, Worry Worry, Three 'o' Clock Blues, and (most notably) the always essential The Thrill is Gone. All coming with a flair that only he could have produced.

There are some albums that a blues fan should simply own so that he can declare himself a blues fan. Cook County Jail makes one. Live at the Regal makes two. Both are all time classics, and represent B.B. King at his all time greatest. So if you love great blues, jazz, and soul meshed together, which normally means you love great music, then you must own these two CDs. You ain't a blues fan if you don't.

B.B. and Lucille, live and great as ever
Live in Cook County Jail is a wonderful live B.B. King record. I have only two complaints: The songs are soooooo short! Everyday I Have The Blues is like one minute long! The CD ends way too quickly. Also, B.B.'s live records tend to feature the same songs over and over. Several of the songs on Live In Cook County Jail can be found on Live At The Regal, and they're performed in very much the same way. Having said that, though, any live B.B. is great. His voice and guitar are amazing as always, and he has a great rapport with his audience (even when it consists of prison inmates).

quite remarkable indeed
i was 12 years old when i first heard b.b. king and it was this exact album.it is still relevalt to me today as it was 15 years ago.this album was recorded live and as such it captures the very essence of a live act,touching and delivering a great emotinal impact followed by a great deal of exitment of the crowd.
it is a rare moment and you can take part in it.

Blues you have GOT to have
I had this record in the '70's. I bought the CD in the '80's and I have never gotten tired of listening to it. This is one of the best all time CDs, blues of otherwise. My favorite BB King CD, and that is saying a great deal. Thank you BB!

King Knew He Was Having A Good Day !
This is one of the very first BB records I ever purchased. It stands the test of time as a very great live blues record. What stands out the most is BB's playing on it. Lucille had an amazing tone too. This is a blues record through and through, don't let other less knowledgable reviewers throw you. It's pretty cool he knew at the time too that is was a magical day as he announced "Me and Lucille feel very very good today...". His band is outstanding too. The only down thing I can say about it is that after repetitive listens, Worry, worry, worry seems to drag on. That's no big deal.... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I'd give it five if...
...there were more tracks like the first one: Buddy's 'Man of Many Words'. Sure, it's a re-write of Otis Redding's 'Hard to Handle', but it's a good re-write, and it has most of Derek and the Dominos,(Doctor John filling in on keyboards),-smoking- in support. Why not more Dominos?: Supposely there were many problems on these sessions, (mentioned, but not really explained in the notes), and they didn't even have enough material to release as an LP, until the two 'J. Geils Band' tracks were done quite a bit later.

Excellent
"Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play The Blues" is one of the duo's very best albums. Two tracks are Junior Wells-less, recorded by Buddy Guy with the J. Geils Band; the remaining eight songs feature a star-studded backing band which includes pianist Dr. John on several tracks, and some guy named Eric someting. Capton, something like that.

The song list is excellent, and so is the band, which sounds tight and supple, never threatening to overwhelm the two stars.
There are none of the erratic vocal performances or rambling solos that sometimes plagued the duo's live shows (this album is a studio recording). Junior Wells sizzles, laying down some great vocal performances. Buddy Guy's solos are controlled and disciplined, yet strikingly effective in up-tempo and ballad situations, and saxist A.C. Reed provides some soulful fills and gritty solos.

Among the highlights are a sizzling remake of T-Bone Walker's "T-Bone Shuffle", and a swinging "My Baby She Left Me".
Guy does a fine "Bad Bad Whiskey" with an otherwise very discreet Eric Clapton playing slide guitar, and he is entirely credible in a grinding Otis Redding mode on the southern soul stomper "A Man Of Many Words", and the up-tempo "This Old Fool". Junior Wells does a great rendition of "Come On In This House" and his Vanguard classic "Messin' With The Kid"

This CD certainly deserves its place among the other tremendous items in the Rhino/Atlantic R&B Masters series. Definitely recommended.

leave out two tracks
Five stars for sure if not for tracks 7&10. So it gets four stars instead. ... Read more

Amazon.com

These 17 tunes come from King's most fertile period, his 1966-68 tenure at Memphis's Stax Records. Stax chief Jim Stewart had been reluctant to sign blues artists because he felt straight blues wouldn't mesh with Stax's patented Memphis soul. Ironically, the fusion of King's sharp guitar wails with the dynamic rhythms of Booker T. & the MGs--the Stax house band--was what set King apart from other bluesmen. The unique blend produced classic after classic: Booker T. Jones' rolling piano propels "Laundromat Blues." Al Jackson's drum shuffle supports "Crosscut Saw." The driving horns of Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson, and Joe Arnold accent "Born Under a Bad Sign." King's ripe and mellow vocals are a perfect match for the soul-drenched music while his dramatic string bends leap out. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Albert King's Atlantic Records Version of his Stax Work
This was my very first Albert King LP. It was released as the height of the 1960s Blues Mania and so did very well with white listeners. However, the album is really a re-release of several singles and additonal session material that was done at Stax during 1966-1968. The real story is that Atlantic stole the whole Stax catalogue under a clever distribution agreement. This lead evntually to Stax's total demise in the Mid-1970s.

The album is a great overview of King's early period with Stax. Actually, it is a double album- the seminal album "Born Under A Bad Sign", with additonal cuts. All bonus tracks are originally from that Stax classic album-the most influential Black Blues LP of the late sixties.

The tunes include his classics such as "Laundromat Blues" Albert's first Stax release with his soulful double string bends, "Overall Junction" a mono instrumental masterpiece, that unlike Albert Collins or Freedie King tunes has no primary melody "or head". He offers "Born Under A Bad Sign" a tune he recorded in one take as an overdub to the MG's backing track, "I Love Lucy" is a great example of his talking blues abilities (he was one of the best) and the guitar is super raw with superb bends! "Cold Feet" a tune written with drummer Al Jackson, Jr (who also helped him on "Night Stomp" and produced his famous "Live Wire" set) it is a great talking blues with a catalogue of King licks-it was his second highest charting single. "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain and You're Gonna Need Me" are later cuts that were added on the release of the original LP. "Bargain" was a cover a another R&B tune with a great Memphis Horns chart and "Need Me" is a self-penned Albert Classic that became the basis for Otis Rush's "Right Place, Wrong Time".

"Crosscut Saw" is my personal favourite with "Personal Manager" second. Crosscut Saw was an old 1940s tune which was given a rumba beat and still was originally released even though the first tape had been damaged! "Manager" is a great showcase for KIng's soloing technique. It may even be too much for some people! "The Very Thought of You" and "I Almost Lost My Mind" are great examples of Albert's Big Band Blues roots and his great tenor vocal ability. Many people are thrown by these tunes as not being really blues, but they demonstrate the versatility of this genre.

"The Hunter" is a famous tune that was never a hit for Albert, but was on his Bad Sign LP. Ike and Tina Tuner later recorded it with much success. "Oh Pretty, Woman" i