Reviews (1)

A lot of blues for a very low price
An excellent selection of blues covering all styles. This 2-cd set contains a lot of great music and includes very good liner notes highlighting the songs and a brief history of the artists. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hiatt in name only
I'm sorry, but this is not Hiatt.If you are interested in John Hiatt, buy the real thing and skip this one.There is nothing special on this disc.It seems to me that there are some artits without a large audience that want to capitalize on some well written material, but only deliver obscure interpretations.I regret buying this CD.

allstar tribute
allstar tribute to the great american songwriter john haitt himself.collection of very talented artist from kenny neals version of "lovelike blood" to my favorite cut by irma thomas "old habits arehard to break". cdalso includes guest' tab benoit and chris smithers

HIATT, HIATT, HIATT!!!!!
What a treat it was to stumble across this more than deserved tribute tothe songs of master songwriter John Hiatt.Right from the top, a (zydeco)version of Falling Up by CJ Chenier, the CD just rocks!While Hiatt hashad his songs covered by artists ranging from Paula Abdul (yuck!) to JoanBaez, Iggy Pop, Phil Collins (double-yuck) and Bob Dylan, this tributeleans in more of a blues direction and let me tell you what, it worksperfectly!Other faves include Irma Thomas on Old Habits.... and TabBenoit on Feels Like Rain.Can anyone say volume 2??????

HIATT, HIATT, HIATT!!!!!
What a treat it was to stumble across this more than deserved tribute tothe songs of master songwriter John Hiatt.Right from the top, a (zydeco)version of Falling Up by CJ Chenier, the CD just rocks!While Hiatt hashad his songs covered by artists ranging from Paula Abdul (yuck!) to JoanBaez, Iggy Pop, Phil Collins (double-yuck) and Bob Dylan, this tributeleans in more of a blues direction and let me tell you what, it worksperfectly!Other faves include Irma Thomas on Old Habits.... and TabBenoit on Feels Like Rain.Can anyone say volume 2??????

Very Strong Interpretations of Hiatt Songs
What a delight to find this CD. An Interesting list of artists too, someof which I'd not heard of before. My Personal favorite is Kenny Neals"Love Like Blood." This man just keeps getting better. Thoughmaybe Chris Smither's (who?)version of "real Fine Love is the bestcut, his brilliantversion is so different from the original. And doing azydeco version of "Fallin Up" was inspired and CJ Chenier justrocks the song. Iread that Hiatt thought Odetta doing was one of his songswas really cool. Overall the choices of songs are very good with a strongemphasis on the Stolen Moments CD, one of Hiatts best albums. If your aHiatt fan your gonna find these versions very strong, and if your not awareof Hiatt then buy not only this CD to hear some great music, but Hiattsbest of CD. Of course you should really own everytthing by this greatAmerican songwriter. ... Read more

Album Description

21 classic blues tracks that inspired the rock gods. Listen to 'Shake 'Em On Down' by Bukka White and compare it to Zep's 'Hats Off To Roy' or Memphis Minnie's original take on 'When The Levee Breaks'. Third in the popular series. Remastered by the Catfish label. A Must for all Led Zeppelin fans. 200 release. Standard jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's Not What You Think!
First of all do not get the impression that this is a remake of Zeppelin tunes. This is the raw source from where Jimmy and the boys had cut their teeth on. If you are a stanch blues fan like I am, you will appreciate this disk for what it represents. If not, then you will find no use for it. I personally like knowing what inspired certain artists and enjoyed this copulation. If you weren't a blues fan before, it will introduce you to a new (old) area of music field that is very entertaining and satisfying, compared to the norm.

I gave this a 3 star rating because I owned most of the selections, prior to listening to "The Roots of Led Zeppelin". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Some interesting artists not on most other compilations
Great compilation at a great price. This CD contains a variety of mostly south and southwest players not found on many other blues piano compilations. The variations in Texas blues piano styles (Robert Shaw - Santa Fe and Thunder Smith - Dallas) were suprizing. I liked some the artists so much I have purchased five of the CD's represented on this release. Whistlin' Alex Moore and Mercy Dee (Walton) are two of the jewels found here. Both are great players and amazing storytellers. One thing to note about the CD: some better known piano men are here as featured players on another artists tracks (tracks 4, 8, 9, 15). But it is not just all men, the great Katie Webster plays a dynamic boogie. I've rated this CD at four stars and strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Small amount of music, wrong album notes
Any collection of music should have at least 60 minutes of music--this CD only has 38 minutes. The 38 minutes are good(almost all 1960's blues is good), but there are many, many, many better blues collections which have over 60 minutes of equally good music for the same money. Also the album notes are totally wrong for the two Junior Wells selections. The album notes talk at great length about how the two Jr. Wells selections were taken from the great Jr. Wells Album "Hoodoo Man Blues" for which it gives the history, influences, etc. This is totally wrong!! The Jr. Wells selections, Key to the Highway and You Gotta Love Her with a Feeling are not on the "Hoodoo Man Blues" album!!!

Hot Harps
Chicago Blues Masters

This CD is a solid bit of blues history featuring some of Chicago's brightest stars. Right from the get go the legendary Magic Sam tears through 'Sweet Home Chicago,' followed by Bell's 'I'm Ready.' Crudups take on 'Look on Yonder Wall' is one of my favorite versions of this classic. This CD is laden with hot harp work from Carey Bell, Big Walter Horton & Magic Sam. The only draw back to this title is the quality of recording and overall lack of information. I own it and listen to it often! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

crisp refreashing
well put togather intresting lacks some of the punch of other electric blues albums a worthy addition to a blues collection ... Read more

Amazon.com

Coming from the people who brought you the excellent Blues Power: Songs of Eric Clapton, it's no surprise that this tribute (oops, the CD cover says, "This Ain't No Tribute," sorry) features a lot of the same musicians. This anthology is likely to upset purists, who may not actually want a Delta-style "When the Levee Breaks" (courtesy of Magic Slim), but check out that harp work from James Cotton on the more upbeat, Chicago version! And Alvin "Youngblood" Hart's take on "Heartbreaker" simply must be heard to be believed; ditto for what Chris Thomas King does with "Hey Hey What Can I Do." Meanwhile, "Rock 'n' Roll" proves that Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown really can do whatever he wants and get away with it. As was said before, Whole Lotta Blues will annoy Zeppelin purists. But blues fans oughta love it. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not Your Best Blues !
A lot of hay has been made of the fact that Led Zeppelin appropriated old blues songs and made them their own, often, without ever crediting the original source. Lawsuits were filed, eventually settled and a CD containing the original, unadulterated, tunes as recorded by the likes of Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson and Sleepy John Estes was released under the title of "Early Blues Roots of Led Zeppelin". The songs on the "Roots" recording are not the actual Led Zeppelin tunes, but rather the closely related tunes that blues historians contend Led Zeppelin ripped off and claimed to have written. This disc goes the next step, taking the songs as recorded by Led Zeppelin and asking blues musician's to record them as if the songs were their own. The circle is now complete as they say.

The unfortunate part of this story is that the reincarnation of these numbers fails to capture and hold the attention of the listener. In other words, the concept seems to fail where Led Zeppelin succeeded. For example, Otis Rush' interpretation of "I Can't Quit You" can best be described as funk-lite, complete with drum machines, and the performance does not contain the raw energy of the Led Zeppelin numbers. Not all is a total loss however, as there are some good takes on the disc. James Cotton, for example, blows some serious harp on "Whole Lotta Love" and is accompanied by both Joe Louis Walker on vocals and Alvin Youngblood Hart on acoustic guitar. Overall, the recording falls far short of it's objective. Blues fans, if they haven't done so already, will not embrace Led Zeppelin as a result of the performances on this disc. Whatever the original source was for the Zeppelin tunes, Zeppelin staked them out as their own and spoiled us with their high energy takes on these tunes. For blues fans, "Early Roots" should be investigated. Zeppelin fans should also look elsewhere.

Rock'n Roll/Blues experience full of intensity!!!
We always enjoyed rock'n roll musicians reverencing the great blues Masters of the past!So,what a problem about blues musicians doing the same thing with the best rock'n roll "underground" band ever,Led Zeppelin??And what magical stupendous cd!!They've played with intense heart feelings!!! The interpretations of all of them,are trully lessons about how to play rock'n roll with bluesy style!All of the musicians are great!!! What we can say about all of the entire cd is FANTASTIC!! I really recommend an accurated attention to Otis Clay's version of" Since i've been loving you".Sincerely one of the most emotional interpretations of a music in the blues history,and specially great because what is being played is Zeppelin's music!!! To the rock'n roll fans,and bluesfans all,everywhere,A MUST!!!!!

The Roots of Zeppelin...
Everyone who is a fan of Led Zeppelin understands that being experimental was a standard for them. At the same time, it's no secret that Zeppelin left the ground by recreating old Blues standards, originally recorded by artists they considered The Masters. This album is symbolic of exactly where Led Zeppelin, and Rock and Roll in general, came from. If you're a Blues lover, you'll really enjoy the raw acoustic sound of Custard Pie, Bring It On Home (Part 1), and When The Levee Breaks (Part 1). Others will enjoy the "thicker" performances of those songs revisited. It's fun to listen to the whole album and understand why Zeppelin had such an affection for this soulful style of music. It's also understandable why Zep wasn't very well received when first bursting onto the scene. Their edgy interpretations of old blues tunes were often called "bastardized" by critics. Yet in spite of the initial negative reaction, the boys knew that what they had begun was magical...pressing on to show more of their talent and diversity. Blues is the most heartfelt kind of music you'll ever hear. If you've never seen a live Blues performance, you should by all means do so. This was the heart and soul that helped make Led Zeppelin the legends they are.

whole lotta blues
Absolutely amazing! I'm a Led Zeppelin fan as well as a blues lover.This CD captures some incredible renditions of some very good Led Zepp songs.It's the best of both these worlds.Alvin "Youngblood" Hart's version of Heartbreaker is mind blowing.I like it better than Led Zepp's version(sorry L.Z. fans).This CD is a "must have" for blues lovers!

You Don't Have To Be A Zep Fan To Love This CD
This CD is the real thing - real artists performing real blues. I half expected a disk full of gimmicky superficial performances, but since I was intrigued with the concept I placed my order anyway. I'm glad I did! This CD is now one of my favorites, one I listen to often, especially those times when I just can't make up my mind what I want to hear. It always satisfies. The fact that the songs are from Zeppelin is really of secondary importance to the sheer magic of the cuts. Order this CD, go directly to the second cut to get your blood boiling, then settle in and listen to the whole thing. I think you'll be hooked. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A good introduction to modern guitar-based blues, Pure Blues features classics by Muddy Waters, Freddy King, Bobby Bland, and John Lee Hooker, along with recent blues stars like Stevie Ray Vaughan and his followers Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang. While attributing classic status to Susan Tedeschi's "Just Won't Burn" may chafe some purists, this comp clearly wasn't intended for the die-hard blues fanatic. But as an introduction, it illustrates the blues tradition and its influence on rock (and rock's influence on the blues) quite nicely. For fans of the Allman Brothers (whose version of Blind Willie McTell's classic "Statesboro Blues" is included) or Eric Clapton's work with Derek & the Dominos or for dad at Christmas, this would make a good gift. Also, if this manages to inspire anyone to pick up Etta James's classic Tell Mama set, the folks at UTV will have done the world a service. --Mike Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A totally unnecessary compilation
For those who are true blues fans, this CD is pretty much unnecessary. Most of these tunes, they will already have.

As a result, I am going to address it in relation to someone seeking a good sampler, that has not yet discovered the wonderful world of blues. For those individuals, I find this CD to be woefully lacking. The only songs here from B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters are those that have already been played to death, or sampled on just about every other compilation CD issued. Some better/additional songs, showing these legends versatility would have been most appropriate.

Even more annoying is the inclusion of flashes in the pan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, and Susan Tedeschi. Who will remember these blues-wannabe rock singers in a few years anyway? I guess this is just another advertising ploy by the record companies to try to sell their CD's while they can, but there are far more deserving/representative artists that should have been included. Where are Sonny Boy Williamson, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Lockwood, and of course, Robert Johnson?

"all are here ~ legends of the blues ~ acoustic to electric"
From the legends to the modern masters ~ the acoustic to the electric ~ featuring 20 essential recordings covering the last half-century of the blues by the greatest and the latest.

Spanning five decades ~ original as original can be ~ "Pure Blues", is just what the doctor ordered ~ the best medicine from the likes of ~ Luther Allison, The Allman Brothers Band, Duane Allman, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Albert King, B.B. King, Freddy King, Jonny Lang, Jimmy Reed, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Big Mama Thornton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf ~ each artist with detailed liner-notes and a little history of their background and accomplishments.

Want to thank ~ Andy McKaie (compilation producer) ~ Jeff Moskow (associate producer) ~ Doug Schwartz/Audio Mechanics (digitally mastered) ~ Mike Fink (design) ~ Geary Chansley & Ryan Null (photo research) ~ and Universal Music for this one-of-a-kind album for us, the fans of the best music around...BLUES!

This CD is proof, once and for all ~ that the "BLUES" was then, is now and IS FOREVER ~ we've hit pay-dirt...and that folks, is the truth, plain and simple!

Total Time: 76:28 on 20 Tracks...UTV Records 314 556 176 2...(2001) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Extra Chicago Chess-men Play AFine Blues Game
Atlantic Records had some of its finest success in the 60s and 70s with groups carrying and amplifying the blues tradition (Led Zeppelin, Cream/Eric Clapton, even the Rolling Stones' tenure with the label). Soit's fitting that they also recorded some influential bluesmen over their50-year history, gathering them on collections spotlighting guitar, piano,vocals, and this, the Chicago blues style.

Several second-generationAnglo/American bluesdisciples help out. Eric Clapton and Dr. John backBuddy Guy and Junior Wells on three hot tracks including "T-BoneShuffle." Influential blues guitarist Freddie King gets help from KingCurtis and arranger Donny Hathaway on three tracks including the talkin'blues "Play It Cool." (King is again heard on the live"Goin' Down.") Duane Allman contributes solid slide guitar toOtis Rush's renditions of BB King's "Gambler's Blues" and ChuckWills' "I Feel So Bad" (the Memphis version Elvis always had inhim.)

The highlights also include live performances from Chess alumniMuddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Willie Dixon w/Koko Taylor recorded at a1972 Ann Arbor, MI concert. All passed their creative peak by then butcould still rouse a crowd, as Taylor does on her crackling "Wang DangDoodle."

This set (also part of a four-CD box) supplements, butdoesn't substitute, for Chess' "The Blues" volumes or the morerecent "Best of Chess Blues" samplers. Buy those and best-ofsfrom your favorites among them before investing here. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fine collection of train songs
This compilation relies heavily on country music but is not limited to that genre, as the inclusion of Howlin' Wolf (Smokestack lightning), Johnny Burnette (Train kept a-rolling), Junior Parker (Mystery train) and Blind Willie McTell (Broke down engine) proves.

The set opens with Merle Haggard singing My love affair with trains, a song written for him by Dolly Parton, who never actually recorded the song herself. It is an appropriate song for Merle, who has been a train enthusiast from an early age.

The singing brakeman (Jimmie Rodgers) is represented by Train whistle blues - not his most famous train song, but an excellent choice. Johnny Cash, who has also recorded many train songs, sings Blue train. Another prolific recorder of train songs, Hank Snow, is not represented directly but the Horse Soldiers do a fine cover of his Golden rocket.

This is an excellent collection of train songs, mixing the famous songs with the obscure, complete with interesting liner notes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Superbly packaged and lovingly annotated, the five-discArhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Collection distills four decades of musical passion into six hours of highlights. The passion is that of Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz, a German immigrant and former California schoolteacher whose label reflects a devotion to American roots music at its most vital and varied. Southern bluesmen Mance Lipscomb and Fred McDowell, Louisiana zydeco kingpin Clifton Chenier, and Tex-Mex conjunto accordionist Flaco Jimenez are just a few of the regional mainstays to achieve national renown through Arhoolie, and all of them are represented here.

The spirited diversity of the 105 selections (including 13 available on CD for the first time) finds the label extending its reach from string-band country (Hackberry Ramblers) to hard-driving jazz (Jerry Hahn Quintet) to New Orleans brass bands to more recent forays into "sacred steel," featuring gospel music with pedal-steel guitar. Where so many folk preservations might as well be embalming musical relics, Arhoolie champions "vernacular music": music that retains a strong, integral connection to its community and gets people clapping, stomping, and dancing. Throughout the set, the immediacy of the performances transcends trendiness or timeliness, showing how America sounds beyond the plasticity of popular culture. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great set and great value for money
This is a truly wondrful set that works on every level.

Beautifully presented with a very informative book and five high quality CD's.

The sound quality is superb as are all the production values.

The mixture of world music, old-time music and American regional sounds, as repesented in the output of Arhoolie Records, works extremely well here.

I found my self playing all 5 CD's one after the other without strain and enjoying them all.

Once having heard many of the artists for te first time the search wil then commence for solo albums if they exist, and they probably do in most cases.

If this were a "Bear Family" set there would certainly be another $... on the askng price.

If you are already a fan of this type of musci or are looking to explore it furter this really is THE set to buy as a starting point.

All the tracks are strong and there is no "padding" at all.

Combine this with a quite outstanding book giving full details on the artists and the history of Arhoolie and this is a set that will be cherished for years to come and played with great regularity.

Highly recommended.

A Treasury of Obscurities
I wasn't sure how I was going to like this box set when I bought it because I had never heard of most of the artists. When I first obtained it, I listened through once then put it on the shelf. On a recent road trip, I decided to put all 5 CDs in my CD changer to listen to in sequence and lemme tell you, am I ever glad to have done so.
The Journey of Chris Strachwitz is a musical journey through parts of America most of us never see or hear. There is Cajun, Zydeco, country, Tejano, blues, gospel and more. There is not the polished, overproduced kind of music one often hears on the radio, but rather the raw authenticity of music being played straight from the heart. Most of these musicians have made very little money in the business and are forced to do other work in order to make ends meet. Its a shame because just the small sampling here shows me that most of these artists have more talent than an army of top-40 schlocksters like Backstreet Boys and Madonna.
I am not equally enthusiastic about every song, but I was introduced to many performers from whom I want to hear more. Its hard to choose favorites, but I was impressed with Mance Lipscomb, the Reverend Louis Overstreet, Lydia Mendoza, Valerio Longoria, Omar Sharriff, Chatuye, The Campbell Brothers, and Aubrey Ghent in addition to more familiar performers like Clifton Chenier, Charlie Musselwhite, and any of the Jimenez clan. The worst song on the album is more pleasurable listening than most of the vapid pap served up on commercial radio.
With the CDs comes an informative booklet, filled with photos and stories of the performers and the sometimes serendipitous ways that Strachwitz hooked up with them.
If your musical taste runs the gamut, you should like this fairly priced box set. Chris Strachwitz did American music a tremendous turn when he set out to capture the sound of the folk before it was lost to us forever. I give this treasury of obscurities my heartiest recommendation. You won't be sorry you bought this!

a real summer journey
This is a really strong collection of hard to find artists that will appeal to anyone interested in the history of American music and culture. The blues is incredible. The cajun and zydeco numbers are unbeatable. Same is true of bluegrass, texmex, gospel. Where did rock get its start? Forget the name artists who've received all the accolades, these are the artists that influenced the names. The real deal - presented in its raw format as much as possible. Despite 5 CDs of material, weak tracks are hard to find.

an absolute must have
I could not agree more with the previous reviewer. This box set is perhaps the finest collection of American roots music, and much, much more, on the market today. Chris Strachwitz deserves our gratitude for bringing us forty years of top quality music, and for distilling his recordings down to this package, which could not possibly be better. Turn off your radio and turn on this goldmine of treasures from four decades of one man's undying love for the music that made this country great. Worth every penny, even at twice the price.

American Music 101
If you're looking for a place to go to get a comprehensive lesson in the finest in American roots music spanning blues, cajun/zydeco, gospel, bluegrass, tex/mex/conjunto, barrelhouse rock'n'roll, etc, look no further than this amazing collection. Intended as a "scrapbook" of label owner Chris Strachwitz's 40 year journey traveling across the hinterlands collecting and annotating the mostly obscure(though not all) raw sounds that he has had the pleasure of offering to us, the listening public, through Arhoolie. I like to think of it as a nice side companion to the Harry Smith collections. Including an amazing thick photo/essay book that makes this worth the price alone, this is as important release to serious music lovers as the recent Louis Armstrong box. WORTH EVERY PENNY! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Superb sound quality and sheer entertainment value make this a series by which other musical retrospectives should be measured. Over four discs (available individually as well as in this limited-edition set), the expansive selection of blues-based music from the RCA-Bluebird vaults celebrates artistry that still sounds vital 50 years after it was recorded. Among the highlights are such seminal recordings as "Catfish Blues" by Robert Petway (which Muddy Waters would transform into "Rolling Stone"), "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, "Sweet Little Angel" by Tampa Red (later a signature tune for B.B. King), and "That's All Right" by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (which ignited a rock & roll revolution in Elvis Presley's hands). Every cut seems to have been chosen with care, and some of the more obscure rank with the greatest delights: "Memphis" Minnie McCoy's "Selling My Pork Chops" and Washboard Sam's "Soap and Water Blues." As a blues anthology that surveys the roots of rock & roll, the set omits many of the biggest names (who recorded for other labels) and goes lightly on the 12-bar, guitar-driven style that flourished in Chicago after World War II. Yet the variety and vigor of the offerings should strike a responsive chord with casual fan and blues aficionado alike. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Some People Are Stupid - REALLY STUPID
This review is a direct response to the person who has given it a solitary star. Well I fit into the category of people who "dont know better"

This is the best sounding remastering I have EVER heard. The only things that I can think of that compare are Old Hat CDs (how they got some of the sounds on the Basement CD I dont know), JSPs Carter Family & Jimmmie Rodgers box sets, or many many items that Bear Family have been responsible for. I would like to hear Ace have a go remastering stuff from the dawn of recordings - but mostly their releases pick up (date-wise) just about where this stuff stops.

As for Document - well, I rate them VERY highly and buy their stuff and enjoy it - BUT THEY DONT SOUND BETTER THAN THESE. It just isnt the case.

I was astonished when I first heard the quality of the remastering on this set. Add to that the incredible sound they have got on the Sonny Boy Williamson's and Leadbelly's "Secret Histort" discs. I havent yet heard the Blind Willie McTell one.

How anyone can say that this isnt the way this stuff is supposed to sound is beyond me. And its all been done without taking away ANYTHING from the integrity of the recordings.

Have a listen and make your own mind up.

The bloke who reviewed this and gave it only 1 star should go back to his medium wave radio.

Fine retrospective for the devoted blues fan
"The Secret History Of Rock And Roll" brings together a hundred original blues classics on four discs.
This series is designed to shine a light on the roots of rock & roll music, and the remastering of these many 70-year-old tracks sounds surprisingly good.

Among the instantly recognizable tunes, many of which were covered in one form or another by rock bands of the '60s and '70s are Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Walk Right In" by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Huddie Ledbetter's "The Midniht Special", "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell, "Good Morning School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me".

This is not really for the casual blues fan, and it isn't supposed to be listened to in one long sitting...even this fine and influential music is not varied enough for that. But if you are seriously interested in early acoustic blues, and its influence on 50s and 60s rock n' roll, this collection ranks among the best.

Great Music + Bad Transfers = SOUNDS TERRIBLE!!!
I keep hearing how great these sound. No disrespect, but people who say this sounds so great don't know what real 78 transfers are supposed to sound like. And that is exactly who these discs are marketed at, the people who don't know the music all that well and will buy bad transfers. I implore you, save your money and spend it on Document Records discs.
Document's sound quality is a million times better than these transfers! Take my advice, if you want inferior transfers, by all means buy this album. If you want this music to sound the way it is supposed to sound, buy Document and keep real blues music alive!

Excellent Overview of the Blues!
The Secret History of Rock and Roll is 100 pioneering blue classics on four compact discs available either separately or as a set. Disc 1 contains some early roots music and is made up of country jug bands, some gospel, a little bluegrass and some vaudeville. Disc 1 features some rare recordings from Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, the Hall Johnson Choir and Julius Daniels to name but three of the 25 represented here. Disc 2 features the earliest known recordings of the best known blues songs such as Noah Lewis' jug standard "Viola Lee Blues" later performed by the Grateful Dead and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love" which is familiar to all Led Zeppelin fans. Disc 3 brings into focus some material performed by the first generation of blue's stars including, Sonny Boy Williamson, Yank Rachell, Pinetop Perkins and Roosevelt Sykes. Disc 4 represents the sound of the blues post World War II with more of an electric, uptempo, beat. Overall, the recordings are excellently remastered and the set represents a really good overview of the historical development of the blues. Mainly for those interested in the history of the blues.

Can you believe the music is over 70 years old?!?!
I can't believe the recordings were remastered from over 70 years ago. The sound quality on this 4 disc set is great. There are so many songs on this that I had no idea weren't originals to the stars that made them famous, like "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me" (both familiar as Elvis tunes).

Really clever liner notes too; they're written after each track so you can literally follow along as you're listening to learn about the music. Cool gift idea for my Dad who's impossible to shop for! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

DON'T BE A DUMMY!!!!!!
Don't be a dummy. Any fool knows the brothers Chess, Leonard and what's his name virtually wrote the book when it comes to Chicago Blues. It's a no brainer. Now I ask you, where else do you find a more classic lineup of stars? From Muddy to Wolf, from Little Milton to Buddy Guy, John Lee to JB, (Lenoir that is) And let's not forget Willie Dixon and Bo Diddley and so many more.

And what about the songs from Hi Heel Sneekers to Mona, to Suzie Q to I Just Want To Make Love To You.......to Sweet Little Sixteen to Trouble No More..........Well you know the rest. Afterall the title of the record is Blues-Rock Songbook......That says it all....So don't be a dummy...All right?

A great starting kit for the curious
This double-disc duplicates some of the track lists from "Chess Blues Classics 1947-1956" and "Chess Blues Classics 1957-1967", cutting some songs and adding others, particularly four songs by rock n' roll pioneer (and non-bluesman) Chuck Berry.

These CDs are of no interest whatsoever to the more experienced blues or R&B fan (no rarities), and the presence of a handful of early rock n' roll cuts amid all these blues classics is a little odd. But if you're a newcomer to the blues, or Chess Records in general, this album is a very fine place to start, since it gathers some excellent selections by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson II and others.

Jimmy Rogers' classic "Walking By Myself" is here, complete with a howling harp solo by Big Walter Horton, and other highlights (of which there are too many to mention all of them) include Eddie Boyd's slow, soulful "Twenty-Four Hours", Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Mother Earth" by Memphis Slim, and two of Howlin' Wolf's best songs (and two of the best electric blues tunes ever), "The Red Rooster", and the thundering steam engine "Killing Floor".

4 1/2 stars. A great place to start appreciating the huge Chess legacy.

Absolutely essential for any CD collection
Anyone who knows the blues, knows rock, and knows R&B, needs this album! The liner notes say these two CDs could easily have been four, and I wholeheartedly agree! The tunes drift, casually, from blues, to rock, to R&B, and somewhere in the middle of all his music the listener finally "gets" how rock 'n' roll came to be. The sound quality is great. (Except for my track 4 on CD 1 of Sugar Mama, by John Lee Hooker, which was scratched, sadly.) Still, the music flows, deep, dark, and you can see the allure this music held for Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Savoy Brown and the many others who used this music as a jumping off spot for what emerged as middle-class rock in the '70s. Especially noteworthy on these two CDs are the phenomenal contributions made by Willie Dixon (the great bass-playing songwriter!), Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. That's not to negate the other contributions, by any means. Not a weak track is among the 36 on this 2-CD collection! But listening to Muddy, John Lee, Chuck Berry and others, I am just blown away how MUCH of the music of the '60s and '70s is indebted to these musical giants, many of whom are sadly forgotten. There are a lot of blues-rock compilations out there, but this one stands far and above the others in terms of overall sonic quality, and in the selection of absolutely essential tunes. One of the sadly overlooked GREAT CDs of the '90s! Worth more than five stars...

....and people get snooty over "classic" rock!
Most fans of classic rock forget how very, very close it is and came from the blues and R & B. This is a great place to find that out if you don't really know. Chess records places songs from their collection on this 2 disk set that are used for the basis for rock tunes to come. It even lists which bands covered or used these songs in the booklet.

Forgetting that, this is a great bunch of music with some TRUE classics on it. Great introduction to some classic blues as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One would expect a label's two-CD collection, no matter how assiduouslypicked, to have some low points. It's inevitable, one might think; even the most selectiverecord labels have produced some duds. But on the 20th Anniversary Collectionfrom Blind Pig Records, such low points are non-existent. It's a testimony to the label'sexacting standards and the many reels of quality blues they've recorded over their first 20years. There's something for everyone on this set, from traditional acoustic blues (checkout Johnny Shines's rendition of "Blues Come to Texas"), to modern rockers (JimmyThackery and the Drivers' "Drive to Survive," for instance). Many up-and-coming artistsare featured here, including Deborah Coleman ("My Heart Bleeds Blue") and DebbieDavies ("Howlin' at the Moon"), counterbalanced with plenty of old hands such as CareyBell ("That Spot Right There") and John Lee Hooker ("Terraplane Blues"). There's evena rousing "La Vierge" from zydeco accordionist Al Rapone. All in all, while it's possiblethat not everything here will appeal to every taste, there's definitely something here foreveryone. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Blind Pig finds the truffles
Like with Alligator, you can't go wrong with the Blind Pig anniversary sets. This 2 cd-set jams all the way through. While some may not agree with every song selection, I think they did a great job of presenting a historical overview of their artists while presenting current songs also. A good set that blues lovers will want to own.

Disk 1: ****1/2 Disk 2: ***
This is a great introduction to the works of many important blues artists currently recording on the #2 blues label in the business at the present. It is a terrific value for a double cd containing 140 minutes of music and 36 tracks, costing less than $....

Disk 1 has some really excellent artists and songs. My favorites were by Coco Montoya (nice wailing, screaming guitars similar to Tinsley Ellis), Magic Slim and the Teardrops (ratchets Chicago blues up a notch for extra loudness and impact - great band live), John Lee Hooker (a slow, mournful accoustic version of Terraplane Blues), Joanna Connor (Very loud, aggressive yet precise slide playing, with excellent vocals. Joanna is the best female guitarist on the planet - she makes Tedeschi and Curfman sound like frightened children learning to play guitar), outstanding harp playing by James Cotton and the greatest blues guitarist ever, Luther Allison (although his Alligator Records recordings are superior. Actually, many of these artists have also recorded on Alligator, including James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Walter Horton, Carey Bell, Junior Wells, and Pinetop Perkins). I was a bit disappointed by Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers' hit "Drive to Survive" as it wasn't really blues, but classic Southern rock and not as exciting as all the rave reviews claimed. The two tracks by the Gospel Hummingbirds and E.C. Scott were poor and designed for the NEXT TRACK button on the remote.

The second disk is really the B-side collection, both of Blind Pig's artists and their songs. Most of these songs are only moderately interesting blues numbers and they tend to blend in together unnoticeably in the background. The first track, by Studebaker John and The Hawks, was a good, hard edged boogie. The best song on the whole disk was the second, My Heart Bleeds Blue, by Deborah Coleman, featuring a great tune and extremely skilled and emotional guitar playing; I will definitely buy several of her CD's. I don't usually like Charlie Musselwhite (I find his voice too deep and dull) but surprisingly, I really enjoyed his Harpin' On A Riff. Preacher Boy's I Won't Be There was pretty interesting - sort of a combination of accoustic John Lee Hooker and R.L. Burnside with a stranger voice). I honestly can't remember any of songs 9-17(despite listening to the disk half a dozen times) and while a few of those songs were by well known blues musicians such as Eddy Clearwater and Big Walter Horton, the relative anonymity of the remaing artists is not likely to change, judging by their relatively tame, low keyed styles. Commander Cody's Let's Rock was quite a decent blues rocker and finished off the second disk on a high note.

I would recommend this disk because there are bound to be at least a handful of tracks here that will satisfy any blues fan regardless of the style of blues he or she prefers. I'm also betting that most purchasers of this disk will buy at least a couple of the albums from which the songs on this compilation were pulled (assuming they don't already own them). If you had to buy just one compilation CD, I would recommend either Alligator's 20th Anniversary or 25th Anniversary Collections over this one, as they are both more consistently enjoyable with very few fillers. I would rate this collection about even with Alligator's recent 30th Anniversary Collection, which is a slight downslide from the previous collections. Even so, this is a very solid double disk and I don't think many blues fans will have any regrets in purchasing this one.

BUY IT!
Outstanding blues cd. The only anamoly, in my opinion, is "Howlin' At The Moon," by Debbie Davies. Her voice, at least on this recording, is very weak in contrast to the music. Other than that, this is one of my favorite cd's and I highly recommend it. ... Read more