Amazon.com's Best of 1999

With a gently self-assured voice and a guitar style like quiet water, Kelly Joe Phelps does imbue his music with a certain Zen-like quality. There's something quite meditative about Shine Eyed Mister Zen, especially on the song "River Rat Jimmy," which evokes a contemplative mood. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (23)

This record actually deserves 6 stars
For the longest time now, I've given up on the blues as a developing, growing field of music. It is extremely easy to play the blues badly, very difficult to do it well. And until I heard Kelly Joe Phelps live, I'd thought absolutely impossible to actually be an innovator in the field of blues.

Hadn't it all already been done as well as it could be done? Well, listen to any of the songs above and you'll see what this man has been able to do for the blues. Perhaps most amazingly of all, not only does he make blues classics seem at once fresh but also as ancient as the hills, but he writes new tunes which fit seemlessly into the long tradition of blues songs. From his amazing acoustic guitar playing (it escapes description with words) to his lyrics to his voice (which also escape description). And as good as his records are, his live performances are not to be missed. Find out where he is playing and go there immediately.

Intense and beautiful
Kelly Joe Phelps plays blues guitar like nobody else I've ever heard. His guitar playing is a highly unconventional, intense, sometimes furious, lyrical, almost freeform backdrop to his stories. Fascinating to watch him, hunched over the guitar laid on his lap, seemingly lost in his own little world.

The voice that tells the stories is smoky, also intense, focused. The songs on this album seem mysterious (like the title of the album) at first because you don't hear the lyrics for a while, just the words - but the words seem interesting and emotive all by themselves, even when you haven't tuned in to the meaning.

Tuning in is an essential part of listening to this album. You won't get to know the songs unless you listen a few times. Probably many times. Then the rapid-fire guitar starts to make sense, you begin to hear what he's saying, and you'll start to really enjoy it.

EZ Blues
If you are the kind of listener who likes blues of an easy and acoustic type, then this is the one for you. I would rate Kelly
Joe Phelps right up there with Keb Mo in talent and taste. What
a great find this was!

Blazing a path to greatness.
There's defintley something special going on here. KJP 1st CD "Lead me on" was just great blues, with flashes of Phelps songwritting poweress. "Roll away the stone" was a real eye oppener, much more then just "White boy plays the blues". It Combined Elements of Gospel and Country Blues, and it created a feel that was fresh, like you just heard this type of music for the 1st time, which is rare for that genre. On his 3rd release, "Shine eyed mister Zen" It's obvious Phelps has continued a rare and beautiful path, that only could be discribed as greatness. Form the opening trac, "House Carpenter"
to Final trac, "Good nite Irene", the CD pulls you and never lets you go. The playing in pure and awe inspiring, The Songwritting is mystifying, and the singing is Haunting. Phelps has raised the bar with his songwritting, which grows more impressive with each relase. "River rat jimmy" is a song about boyhood friends growing up near the muddy Puyallup river. When you listen to it, it's like running a 8 millimeter movie of your childhood through your mind as Phelps sings about he different characters, "jimmy", "joehsapht", and "Drunken dads" and "copping cans of beer" we've all been there, and Phelps brings it all back with a soft intensity that is powerfull and awesome. Some of the other tracs like the self portait "capman bootman" The playing goes beyound blues, and feels more like Jazz/classical, except for the fact it simply cooks, keep up if you can. This Disc places Phelps among the all time guitar greats. I can't think of any other CD that comes close. "Katy", "Many a time", "House Carpenter", all have awe inspiring playing. Kelly Joe has started down a path to greatness, The best is yet to come, and when you think about where he has been and where he is at now, that is indeed exciting for all of us listeners.

The New Guitar Great
This album is an unbelievable mesh of soul, felling, and blues. KJP is one of the great contemporary guitar artists. I feel in love with him the second I heard his lap steel sound. Ive had the honor of seeing him three times and each time I hear him whether it be live or on disc he gets more amazing. I highly recommend this album along with "Lead Me On". These are some of the best albums of this generation. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Very few artists have attempted--or succeeded in--improving thestandard template for classic blues records set some 40 years ago in the golden age of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Perhaps R.L Burnside's recent heavily produced work on Fat Possum Records has come closest to adding an original slant.

On his new album, Buddy Guy looks to the same source for inspiration; seven of the nine songs here are written by Fat Possum's hill-country blues roster, including T-Model Ford and Junior Kimbrough.Working with producer Dennis Herring (Counting Crows, Jars of Clay) and asmall collective of Mississippi-based musicians, Guy sings with a passionthat can only come from the same source as the songs. The noise generated in the studio through vintage amplifiers has a live and dangerous feel toit. The acoustic opener, "Done Got Old," does not prepare the listener for the colossal aural assault of "Baby, Please Don't Leave Me." Fading in on apercussion track, Guy's guitar hits its cat-strangling best and never looksback, while the voice sounds energized, vital, and wholly contemporary.Through the 12-minute "I Got to Try It, Girl" to the closing Guycomposition "It's a Jungle Out There," Sweet Tea has all the hallmarks of a classic blues album, mixed with a twist of the new. --Rob Stewart ... Read more

Reviews (106)

Favorite album of 2001!...Junior LIVES
A couple of years ago I was brousing around a CD shop in North Carolina while on vacation. In their used blues section I dug up 3 CDs by Junior Kimbrough. I'd never heard any of his work, so I popped one in the CD previewer and immediately had found a sound I had been looking for for a long time. Junior cranked out long, soulful & heavy songs on all 3 discs I purchased that day.

After the first tune on Sweet Tea, a fine acoustic "Done Got Old", I immediately felt Junior's soul coming through with a distinct twist of Buddy Guy's frenetically aggressive guitar work. Sure enough, I checked the liner notes and was pleased to see that several of the tracks were Kimbrough's.

The pace keeps up throughout the CD. An amazing energy. I won't go into details about each track, but rest assured it's all GOOD!

Buddy gets down in the swamp blues!!!
Buddy Guy went to the swamp and mixed his classic blues sound up with some voodoo electricity. The result is an album so hot that it sears the soul of any listener brave enough to get down in Buddy's swamp blues. I haven't heard Buddy Guy sound this inspired since his revered "classic recordings". Buddy has found his Mojo again, and it is working overtime! His guitar playing is focused, and it cuts right down to the bone as it shrieks and howls through the stereo speakers. Buddy's vocals seem to be pulled from the very depths of his soul, and he sounds like he means every word he shouts, moans, and groans over this powerful music. This is a man ignited by and caught up in the blues. Buddy Guy may be an old man, as he sings on the first track, but on this album he sounds more like a mannish boy. If you like raw, passionate blues with an edge so sharp it makes you bleed inside, then this album is for you. BUY THIS CD IMMEDIATELY!!

Copy cat
An essential?! The best blues album in the past 10 years?! Hardly. This album is a collection of songs by the artists of the Fat Possum Label (T-Model Ford, Cedell Davis, and Junior Kimbrough) which have been covered by Buddy Guy. Why has he abandoned the sweet fluff he's been pumping out the past 15 years in favor of raw rural blues? Has he seen the light? Or is it a move by him and his label to cash-in on the sector that Fat Possum has dominated for the past 10 years? Either way, Guy's covers do not contribute to any of the originals in any way, so don't waste your time. Go to the sourcec, check-out T-Model Ford, Cedell Davis, or the late Junior Kimbrough, and see for yourself where the real blues are found. And what's with the shack on the cover?!

Blues with Guts
Buddy Guy takes the blues in a powerfull emotional direction with Sweet Tea. To me and to many other Buddy Guy fans, what separates Buddy from many other "want-to-be" blues players is emotion. Here on Sweat Tea, he lays it all out there. You can hear the love for the blues, you can hear the swamp and feel the power that is true Buddy Guys blues.

Any doubt, just check out Tramp. For those Stevie Ray Vaughn fans out there, if you want to here where Stevie came from, this is a perfect album.

Like a Fat Possum tribute... only pure Buddy, too...
I loved this CD. If it were vinyl, I think I'd have worn a groove in it by now. I was pretty clueless to the whole Mississippi Hill country artists and FatPossum scene, so I thought this was an incredible burst of creativity by Buddy Guy. Well, its not exactly. He is covering several of the Fat Possum artists that both together and individually breathe a new life into the blues. Since I bought this CD, I have started to explore these artists and love them too. But I can still go back to this CD without feeling like it is some ripoff. Buddy is covering a lot of Junior Kimbrough tunes on this CD, but he really puts his own stamp on it. He lets the rythym of Junior's original material be the launchpad for some great moaning and soulful guitar work. I read another review on here that complained that this album wasn't "Delta blues" and that Buddy wasn't such a great guitar player. Well, I honestly don't know what belongs in the "Delta Blues" pantheon, nor am I qualified to critique his fingering technique. But I know he takes some songs that were great by the original artist and plays them true to their essence, while adding his own moody style. It sounds awesome and I don't care about what else it is or isn't.

If you haven't heard the Fat Possum artists, I think there is a sort of desperation in a lot of the lyrics and nonsensical rythym. At least Junior Kimbrough's music feels that way. Buddy seems to be pleading with a woman in "I gotta try you Girl". It sounds like an intimate relationship, but when he gets to her response, she calls him "Mr. Guy". What is that about? It leaves you wondering if the whole song is about some unsavory relationship where they aren't even on a first name basis. But there is no doubting their passion for one another either. It is the kind of thing that seems to slide in under the radar with this style of blues and make it more interesting. The same song ends in some wild guitar work. It includes a sound effect like a clap of thunder, which another reviewer apparently didn't like. It seemed appropriate to me after that solo.

Tramp, which is my favorite song on the album has some incredible guitar riffs. They are slow and moody, moaning on. The original Junior Kimbrough version, sounds like Junior is three sheets to the wind, kind of mumbling, so its nice to actually hear the lyrics on Buddy's version. Although, Junior does a great slashing slide guitar solo on his version, Buddy's version feels truer to the mood of the song. One song starts out like the band is just warming up and picks up a groove. Someone else calls out, "Keep it going. Keep it going."

Yeah. Keep it going, Buddy. I for one, wouldn't complain a bit if you returned to the Fat Possum well of original blues material, again and again. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ry Cooder has done some of the best soundtracks in the last 20 years orso (I wouldn't live without The Long Riders or the two-disc Music ByRy Cooder compilation, either)--most of them superior to the movies.(Sorryabout that, Walter Hill--but it's true.)His lonesome, steel-guitar music forWim Wenders' Paris, Texas is one of those cases where the movie and itsmusic are equally great.I can't imagine one without the other.Every time Ihear Cooder's opening theme, I see those wide western spaces and Travis (HarryDean Stanton) wandering through them; and every time I see a still from themovie, I can hear Cooder's music playing in my head. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The soundtrack for your mind if you enjoy the southwest
I think maybe I first heard this music from some documentary or maybe even in my own mind as I made up the notes driving accross the country enroute to Tucson Arizona. I know that Ry Cooder was the first to put the notes to a tape for the movie Paris, Texas but we have all heard them in our mind at one time or another. The slide guitar is the southwest and he made you feel as though you are there as you watch the movie or just hear the soundtrack. This is a must have.

Atmospheric masterpiece
One of the immortal scenes: Harry Dean Stanton in the desert, scrambling out of nowhere, a tortured Everyman in search of solace. And then Ry Cooder`s slide guitar notes, modeled on Blind Willie Johnson`s " Dark was the night" - when have so few notes said so much? The music and the film images fit like hand and glove. I do not know whether "Paris, Texas" is a great movie, but I do know that it, for me and a host of others, is one of the most unforgettable movies ever, with images and feelings that refuse to let go, creeping under the skin and staying there. The music underlines this feeling, with not a surplus note, every little vibrato inuitively perfectly suited to the atmosphere conveyed in the movie - love and loss, union and aloneness, and, above all, compassion . If the music doesn`t reach these feelings, the experience may be that of the 1-star reviewer quoted. But to me, this music is one of the most durable selections I have in my 1000-piece collection, one of the few that always brings rewards and new nuances when listened to.

Soundtrack for a sparse summer
I listened to this album (LP, at the time) ceaselessly during the summer of 1987. I lived in a sparsely furnished apartment, painted stark white, with my first and only platonic male roommate.
When I woke up, the album went on. The sun shone brightly through our south and east windows. The ominous, pensive sounds generated by Ry Cooder were the perfect accompaniment to my barely post-adolescent A.M. ponderings.
This album makes an unforgettable background to a life. The movie was good, if melodramatic. The monologue on the soundtrack that people are complaining about is the explanation of the whole movie. It is important. We have CD players so we can program the tracks we don't want to hear out of our listening experience. But I recommend letting the monologue track stay. Let it meander through your head. Imagine the scenes and the logic Stanton describes. Then apply the music to the words and you will see why they are equally deserving of space on the disc.

Masterpiece
Ry Cooder drop-tunes his guitar and creates an incredible piece of film music. The title theme, Dark Was The Night are haunting and beautiful. But the real underrated treasure on this soundtrack is "She's Leaving The Bank." Creative, atmospheric and brilliant.

Waste of money
We all blunder into an ill-informed blind buy now and again. I confess that this was mine for 2001.

The film was an exceptional piece of work and so, by and large, is Cooder's music. The recording quality is superb too. Pity it includes a huge swack of film dialogue, and too little music (less than 26 minutes total when you subtract the 8:38 dialogue track, less than you'd have got with an LP in days of yore).

Cooder's music is wonderfully dusty and melancholy, and even given the reiteration of a couple of main themes, well worth hearing. I find the only way to even tolerate the CD is to program it to skip track 9 and Harry Dean Stanton's blather. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

'unplugged' blues at it's best...
Before I heard this album I was only aware of Buddy Guy's electric abilities, this record showcases just how enormous and down to earth his talent is. Together with the late Junior Wells he weaves a spontaneous and magical acoustic performance. Just wonderful.

Buddy Guy acoustic blues will blow you away !!!
My past experiences with Buddy Guy's music has been with his fender plugged in and turned up.A true blues icon imitated by every guitar player in the last decade so you could imagine my suprise to see this acoustic set with Junior Wells. Let me tell you one thing...I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! He is a master of the guitar ..plugged in or not.This albulm is the real deal born from the juke-joints of yesterday.Every note he plays takes you furthur back to the days of smoke filled gin joints where hard working folk escaped the oppression of their days. If you only buy one CD this year make it this one. It is the best blues I ever heard. Buddy and Junior keepin it strong and real.Robert Johnson would be proud to hear his blues come full circle .THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****½ - wonderful low-key acoustic blues
Okay, an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, how good can it be? Geez, everything must sound the same!
Eh? Well, it can be very good indeed, actually. And it is.

1991's "Alone & Acoustic" is one of the very best of the numerous albums that Chicago blues greats Buddy Guy and Junior Wells recorded together, an intimate, expressive session, and a showcase for Guy's abilities on the acoustic twelve-string as well as for Amos "Junior" Wells' tasteful harp playing.
Sharing lead vocals, the relaxed mood seems to suggest that the two old friends are just sitting down for an hour of easy jamming, but the performances are never sloppy, always tight and done with honesty and conviction.

Buddy Guy and Junior Wells play their own compositions (Guy's "Give Me My Coat And Shoes" and Wells' "Big Boat" are among the highlights), as well as covering artists like Jimmy Rogers (a great "That's All Right"), Sonny Terry (an equally fine "Diggin' My Potatoes"), and John Lee Hooker. There are no fewer than three John Lee Hooker-numbers here, actually, and rather than substituting his own name in Hooker's mini-epos "Boogie Chillen", George "Buddy" Guy lets the narrator refer to himself as "Johnny"!

Okay, so the setting may have been an Alligator Records studio, but this is still acoustic street-corner blues at its best, and one of the warmest, most enjoyable blues records I've ever listened to.

WOW!!
THE VOICE IS SO DEEP AND WONDERFUL.. THAT TOGETHER WITH THE GUITAR THE MIXING OF BOTH "INSTRUMENTS" IS AMAZING!!
RECORD TO DIE4.

Great collaboration, great music
This is simply a great bit of acoustic blues. I highly recommend it for any listening audience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like many other senior bluesmen, Delbert McClinton is getting back to basics: Nothing Personal, his first album for New West, is the raw, stripped-down sort of material that sounds best when you know it comes from experience. It is this sense of things seen and done that pervades every track, and which prevents songs like "When Rita Leaves" and "Don't Leave Home Without It" from lapsing into sentimentality. The more emotional, personal numbers--the album's title notwithstanding, this is a highly personal album--are balanced with high-energy material, though even these songs, such as "Livin' It Down," have a serious thing or two to say. McClinton also neatly avoids several clichés. Take, for instance, "Nothing Lasts Forever," which has, as a theme, the necessity of living life to the fullest without burning yourself out. One might expect such a song to be an uptempo rocker. Instead, it moves along at an easy, swinging pace, the musical personification of following a path of moderation. Nothing Personal is full of little touches and techniques like this, moving out of the realm of merely good, and into the ranks of art. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Barroom Boogie
Delbert McClinton has been so good for so long, he should get an award for musical consistency. This CD takes us back to the bar where the smoke is thick & the music's hot. "Living it Down" starts the CD with a hot rocker. Delbert sings, "Sometimes you get the honey, sometimes all you get is the sting." A funky tune that bounces as much as rocks comes next in "Gotta Get It Worked On." "When Rita Leaves" is a tear-in-your-beer country lament laced with Spanish guitar: "Rita left with everything but the one red dress I liked." We get a little honky tonk boogie on "Squeeze Me In." Kevin McKendree burns the keyboards with his hot piano. Delbert joined Iris DeMent on her last CD, "The Way I Should"; she returns the favor with a good supporting vocal in the sad country song "Birmingham Tonight." "Baggage Claim" is a slow lusty tune with Todd Sharp's guitar sounding like a dizzy Duane Eddy. You'll want to hit the repeat button on this one. "All Night Long" is another full-tilt rocker recouting a love affair where they "did everything from A to Z." "Don't Leave Home Without It" is an almost elegiac declaration of love. Delbert hits a slow bluesy groove in "Desperation" where the girl is "devil & angel, hand in hand." "Nothing Lasts Forever" maintains the blues mood while picking up the tempo as Delbert advises, "have a good time & try to string a few together." "Read Me My Rights" slows us back down with Kevin McKendree's mournful organ & McClinton's soulful inquiry, "Do you still love me or am I just wastin' my time?" McKendree again shines with the blues piano riff on "All There Is of Me," an I-lost-my-baby song. The CD concludes with what seems like Delbert commenting on his career in "Watchin' the Rain." The melody seems purposefully off-kilter as a man who seems satisfied sings "the best you get is to just get by." Mistake not, this CD more than just gets by! This is one you'll want in your collection!

[Note: This is my 3rd try at reviewing this. If either of the other 2 show up, sorry! This CD is so good, it's worth the effort!]

On the money...
I've been a Delbert McClinton fan for 25 years or more. I had not bought anything in the last 10 years by him, so I recently bought this CD. Delbert financed it himself, took a year to record it, and released it in 2001. "Nothing Personal" did not blow me away. But I found it very easy to listen to. Good grooves, good feel. It's hard to believe he 60 years old. Anyway, I listened to it again. And again. I am not one to wear the grooves off any record (or should I say the pits off a CD), but in three weeks that I have had the CD, I must have played it through completely a couple of dozen times.

And are a few songs I stop and play again - simply because I like them. Songs like Squeeze Me In, Gotta Get It Worked On, Nothing Lasts Forever. He is so totally sincere in All There Is Of Me. Some really good piano and guitar playing. And Delbert's a soulful harp player.

It is an honest, sincere work with story lines I could certainly relate to, and I am sure others will too.

Nothing Personal - yeah, right!
I have never done a review before. So, I'll just say: This is an awesome CD. Lyrics such as "Jump over the chain, and make love to my baby in baggage claim!". How about "Took of my shoes and dumped out the rocks, Got all the snakes back into the box". And then, of course, the song When Rita leaves, Rita's gone" is just great.

4 1/2 Stars
This is one of Delbert's best. He kicks things off in high gear with the rock'n'roller "Livin' It Down". This is one of the best tunes Delbert's ever co-written. Clever lyrics about playing the fool, with Delbert's usual attitude. In contrast, "When Rita Leaves" is a beautiful Spanish-flavored ballad with an acoustic solo to match. "Squeeze Me In" is another great rock'n'roller with a chugging rhythm & a splashy piano solo. "Birmingham Tonight" is a distinctly country tune reminiscent of one of Jerry Lee Lewis's slower songs, with just a touch of steel guitar in the background. "All Night Long" is a jaunty, light-hearted piano tune, followed by the aching ballad "Don't Leave Home Without It". "Nothin' Lasts Forever" is a slithering blues track with Delbert's chirpy harmonica setting the tone. "Read Me My Rights" is a plaintive ballad given a bit of a gospel feel by Kevin McKendree on organ. Only a couple of throwaway tracks on this one. Clearly one of Delbert's best.

Blues Express
McClinton sure has blues boogie down. Here is latest offering with blues themes and words, with Texas boogie beat. Great steel guitar and piano on many cuts.

Del gets a groove with that rough voice and harmonica --- especially like "Nothin' Lasts Forever" which reminds one of great blues boogie songs one hears in person. This guy can really blow that harmonica here! Great licks! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This career-spanning box of three CDs and a DVD celebrates a legacy that looms larger than that of any blues-rocking guitarist since Jimi Hendrix.Despite fears that a series of posthumous releases had depleted the Stevie Ray Vaughan vaults, previously unreleased gems dominate the selection. Highlights extend from Vaughan's swaggering apprenticeship with Paul Ray and the Cobras to slash-and-burn concert performances from the final month of his life. There are obligatory dips into the songbooks of Hendrix and Buddy Guy, appearances on MTV Unplugged and Austin City Limits, and instrumental interplay with brother Jimmie Vaughan and tourmate Jeff Beck. Though his guitar never loses its flamethrower intensity, the set documents his progression from the showoff licks of the young "Stevie Rave On" into a fully rounded artistry of soulful depth. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (52)

SRV - BOX SET
This is a great box set for SRV fans and people who are new to SRV music. This is what all box sets should be, the set has three CDs and one 30 min DVD of SRV & Double Trouble on Austin City Limits.

The music on the CD starts with SRV first recording with Paul Ray & The Cobras to his final concert at Alpine Valley. The CD has rare live performances of songs that were never released on an album, solo guitar by SRV and studio out-takes.

The DVD has an un-aired performance of SRV & Double Trouble on PBS's Austin City Limits, the DVD itself is worth the price of the box set. Stevie and the band were in great form!

There are essays and quotations from other Blues such as B.B. King and Eric Clapton, and there a lots of great pictures in a great package.

A guitar legend gets his due
Following last years excellent reissues of his four original studio albums comes this devestating box set of Stevie Ray Vaughn in his natural environment, the stage. Of the 49 tracks that are included here, more than have of which have never been commercially released before, it makes you wonder what they left off. What's here is simply amazing, including performances with his mentor Albert King, to Jeff Beck, Lonnie Mack, and Johnny Copeland. There are also tracks from the rarely seen MTV Unplugged program he did in 1990. There are essays and quotes in the book from fellow musicians and admirers like Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Carlos Santana, Robert Cray, and even Stevie's guitar tech Rene Martinez talks about how Stevie got his amazing guitar tone. The icing on the cake is the DVD that's included in the box. Five songs that were cut from the appearance that SRV and Double Trouble made on Austin City Limits in 1989, incredible stuff!!! For fans that have bootlegs of some of tracks included here, the sound quality of whats on the box as well as the other rarities included here make this set worth picking up. One of the best of 2000.

Excellent compilation from an exceptional guitarist
If you enjoy great guitar work and can dig blues, you've got to check this one out. No one in their right mind can deny that Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His licks rival Hendrix and Clapton, and his fiery, passionate style give his music an edge that few have attained. Amazon could put a money-back guarantee on this box set, and they would still make a bundle!

THE STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN BOX SET!!!!!
Without a question of a doubt this Stevie Ray Vaughan box-set is the best ever. I bought this box-set yesterday with some christmas money at Fye Music for a great price. I started out with the first CD of the SRV box-set. It started out with Thunderbird including Paul Ray & The Cobras featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan what a great way to start of SRV's early days. Then from track two to track sixteen its all Stevie Ray Vaughan and double trouble some songs from two to sixteen arte Come On (Pt.3), Lenny, Manic Depression, Texas Flood, Pride And Joy, and many more. Throughout this whole CD their are radio, and concert performances. Then track seventeen is Featured with Johnny Copeland and SRV titled Dont Stop By The Creek, Son. The last track is a jam with Albert King, and SRV. The Second CD goes into alot more SRV and Double Trouble from Couldn't Stand The Weather, Little Wing, Third From The Stone, Mary Had Alittle, The Sky Is Crying, and more. First two CD's are great to start out with the third one is even better. The third includes SRV's latest performances includes Lookin Out The Window, Look At Little Sister, Willie The Wimp, The House Is Rockin, and songs from Alpine Valley, East Troy, Wisconsin Stevie Ray's last concert. The fourth disc included is a DVD of Stevie Ray Performances in Texas in 1989 includes May I Have A Talk With You, Mary Had A Little Lamb, Look At Little Sister, Couldn't Stand The Weather, and Voodoo Child(Slight Return). The box-set is one of the best it also includes a booklet with insights from all the legendary guitarist from Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Steve Via, BB King, and dozens more. So without a question of a doubt go buy this or you will miss out Enjoy!

As most box sets are, largely a waste of money
This retrospective is nicely packaged, but the recorded material doesn't stand up to close analysis.

If you're new to Stevie Ray Vaughan, then the best thing you could do with your $30 is buy all his studio albums - Texas Flood, Couldn't Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul, In Step and the posthumous (but outstanding) The Sky Is Crying.

If you want some moving pictures to go with it, then buy the simply jaw-dropping Stevie Ray Vaughan Live At The El Mocambo - which gives you over an hour of a young and hungry unknown gobsmacking a small bar in Canada, as opposed to a fairly complacent global rock star knocking out a six song set to a seated TV audience. The DVD in this boxed set is really poor, actually - it's extremely short, and there are no interviews or extraneous material, and Stevie's tone isn't especially hot either.

If you're familiar with Stevie's albums you'll already have a lot of the material here, and the tracks you won't have aren't really much chop anyway (there's usually a reason materially is "previously unreleased").

The upshort is that Stevie Ray Vaughan, like his spiritual forebear Jimi Hendrix, recorded a small body of truly awesome material, and the industry has been slicing and dicing that, and what ever other poor quality live sets and outtakes they can find since the great man dialled eleven on the big amplifier in the sky back in 1990.

Strictly for completists. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Call it three for the price of one. Far from engaging in a guitar-playing shootout, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland work together incredibly well, achieving a kind of musical synergy that's rarely heard. Copeland and Cray handle most of the vocal duties, and Cray's smooth, soul-tinged voice (positively shiver-eliciting on "The Dream," as is Collins's lead guitar work) complements Copeland's growl perfectly. Collins doesn't get to sing as much, but he more than makes up for it with his harmonica on the slow blues "Bring Your Fine Self Home." And of course, all three turn in stellar guitar work, trading solos and rhythm parts with the greatest of ease; Cray was a relative newcomer at the time of this recording, but he more than holds his own. One would be hard pressed to find a better blues collaboration anywhere. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Educate Me, Please!
Nothing better than a showcase of bluesmen, exemplifying what one man's influence can have on his prodigies. In this case, Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray both owe much of their sound to Collins' style and influence. Collins met Cray while touring through the Northwest, playing a gig at a high school prom. Years later, Cray was out giving his own concerts, and has been recognized as one of blues' brightest young stars.

T-Bone Shuffle is a great example of this particular CD, with each guitarist singing a verse and soloing out before the next one steps up to the plate - and each one drives the ball right out of the park...

An essential CD to have in your blues collection, without a doubt.

Peace Out.

They're into something !
A great CD by 3 blues-giants, this album won a Grammy for the best blues album. Albert Collins had been brought to the very top of contemporary blues through his recordings for the Alligator-label, while Johnny Copeland hadn't quite received the response his talent deserved. Robert Cray was perhaps an odd choice for this group, for when this album was recorded in 1985, he wasn't really the big name he was to become a mere year later. But an inspired choice it turned out to be ! The tunes have been carefully picked to bring out the vast talent these men had. The 3 men take turns playing a solo and singing the vocals. As all 3 have a distinct style, both when it comes to singing as when it comes to playing the guitar, this is a well-varied album, which fans of modern Texas blues should really love !

Brilliant Collaboration
I've been listening to this effort for over a decade and it still sounds good. It's hard to imagine that these guys hadn't worked together for years. Many collaborative efforts come off as contrived. This comes off smooth and natural. The combination of Collins' guitar and Cray's voice on "The Dream" is spine-tingling. "Black Cat Bone" is another favorite.

Two Old Pros and an Upcoming Star
Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland were two of the pioneers of Texas blues, and major influences to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. These two guys work their magic on this CD, and bring on a young bluesman named Robert Cray. These guys just seem to have fun with this CD, never trying to outdo each other. Great riffs in the leadoff track "T-Bone Shuffle", harmonica on "Bring Your Fine Self Home", lyrics in "Black Cat Bone" (hear Johnny Copeland yelling "Hey Albert!") and the last track "Blackjack" where each does a tremendous guitar solo. Cray, of course, is now a major talent in his own right, and Johnny Copeland lives on in a way in his daughter Shemekia Copeland's music, but here is a playful, low-key yet powerful, piece of work from some of the masters of electric blues. Highly recommended for serious blues fans.

A must have for a guitar fan
These guys are great, and I wish this were a box set. I could listen to this trio for weeks. ... Read more

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A decade after his tragic, untimely demise, electric-blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan has left behind a void that remains largely unfilled, despite a number of ballyhooed young pretenders. The guitarist's career was long troubled by personal demons, and this album chronicles those deceptively languorous, slow blues jams where Vaughan did battle with them. The howling, fervent tone he coaxed from his instrument was a product of lessons learned only in the School of Hard Knocks, accompanied by a voice--perhaps the most underrated of Vaughan's talents--that perfectly underscored his tortured gospel. But those who stereotyped Vaughan as a paint-by-numbers bluesman misunderstood the breadth of his lexicon; listen to "Chitlins con Carne" (from the guitarist's posthumous The Sky Is Crying album) here and you'll hear tinges of Wes Montgomery and other jazz inflections. Especially notable are three previously unreleased cuts: a live version of "Texas Flood," a 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival duet-jam of "Tin Pan Alley" with the late Johnny Copeland, and an '84 outtake of Elmore James's "The Sky Is Crying"--plus a 15-minute TV-taping workout with Albert King on the elder legend's "Blues at Sunrise." Raw, passionate, and uncompromising, this is SRV at his gut-wrenching best. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Stevie Ray - Bigger than Life
Some live albums make it, some don't...and then there are the very few that really stand out. Blues at Sunrise "stands out" with the best. I was a SRV fan from the first time I heard Stevie's explosively raw blues guitar work on the title track to "Texas Flood," and Blues at Sunrise is a collection of SRV's best slow blues guitar work. The first cut, "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love," a SRV composition, sets the tone for this virtuoso journey through time to some dimly lit, smoke-filled, 2 a.m. whiskey bar in Austin, Tx., and, unlike some albums, this one builds on tension and talent right to the end. Here is a testimony to SRV's head on approach to the blues: he attacks some cuts relentlessly (Leave My Girl Alone) while exhibiting a seasoned subtle touch on others (Tin Pan Alley). Every cut is a bona fide winner. The title track, featuring legendary blues man Albert King, will blow you away - it brings back memories of venues such as the Capital Theater and the Fillmores, where live jamming was refined to an artform that never lost its edge. This album is a must for anyone who likes good, slow, live blues! An all around "five star" album.

One of the greats
There aren't many people who could do what Stevie Ray Vaughn did with a guitar. There's Hendrix, Albert King, and Stevie, who else, you know? This album is packed with the fervid guitar playing Stevie is known best for. If you're just getting into him this is probably the album you'd want to get, it covers almost every aspect of his music.
Old Stevie and Albert King play a classic, Blues at Sunrise, at the very end of the album. In between are songs like Tin Pan Alley, The Sky is Crying, and a blazing live version of Texas Flood, which I think just blows the studio take away. This is such a great album, NOT THE BEST, but definitely worth buying if you're just getting into Stevie or if you've already discovered him and want to hear more. Full of rocking blues, titanic guitar playing and gravely, red hot vocals.

Nothing new, but it's great anyway
Well, I felt a little bit bad about not actually reviewing the album...you can find my original "review" below, where I make myself interesting by pointing out that this is not new material but rather a collection of previously released songs (with the exception of "The Sky Is Crying", an outtake from the "Couldn't Stand The Weather" sessions, but that one also appereared on the similarly titled album of outtakes issued after Vaughan's tragic death, although that was a different take).

So if you're a tried and true SRV fan, you won't find anything new here...a live rendition of "Tin Pan Alley" doesn't really count. But if you only have, say, "Greatest Hits", this album would serve as a nice addition.
It brings together ten slow blues tunes, many of which are among Stevie Ray Vaughan's finest recordings, like the soulful opener "Ain't Gonna Give Up On Love", a swaggering rendition of Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used To Do", and the smouldering slow burner "Dirty Pool".
The live "Tin Pan Alley" is top-notch as well. Lots of magnificent guitar playing, and an excellent, expressive vocal by Stevie Ray. His playing on "The Sky Is Crying" is equally superb, but if you've ever heard Elmore James' blistering original you'll probably find that Stevie Ray lacks a little bit of vocal power. If you haven't, you won't care one way or the other :o)

Again, longtime fans will find nothing here which they don't already own, but more casual listeners should enjoy "Blues At Sunrise". The quality of the material assembled here is sky-high all the way through, and it is a great testament to Stevie Ray Vaughan's abilities on the guitar. Only reason I'm deducting a star is the fact that this is really just a re-packaging of already issued material. And the liner notes are kinda brief as well.
But the music? Oh yeah, A+ from beginning to end.

sloooow and easy
If you haven't already OD'ed on Little Rave On's post-mortal Hendrixonish blues-on-Reds Texas riff noodling, here's some more. This time it's the slo-o-o-w stuff, the blues as blue
can be, sort of a 'Stevie Ray Vaughan Plays Songs To Swing And Cry By' album. Course, it's all good, not a bad song in the lot, with a couple of originals, plenty of covers (Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf), a few unreleased gems (a live workout of Tin Pan Alley, a video version of Texas Flood)and a blistering live fret duet with Albert King on the title track (from last year's In Session album). Good for an hour or so of prolonged and pained soul-healing blues with an overload of apropos opportunities for face-scrinching air guitar theatrics.

Beware!
There is no faulting these wondeful songs.
The only problem is that this is not a "real" album - every cut has been released previously, except for two of the three live tracks, so "Blues At Sunrise" should really be presented as a compilation of Stevie Ray Vaughan's best slow blues numbers.

And as such, it is really too short and too narrow to work as a career retrospective - the double-disc "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble" is a much better place to start.

Or you could just get Vaughan's original four studio albums, and the excellent "Live Alive" and "Live At Montreux"! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Guitar lovers will flip over this reissue's new bonus tracks: a conversation in which Stevie Ray Vaughan extols the virtues of Jimi Hendrix's playing and then essays them all in a medley of "Little Wing/Third Stone From the Sun." There's also the brief slide-guitar instrumental "Slip Slidin' Slim." What's breathtaking about these and the 10 remastered cuts that were the original 1985 album are the remarkably live amplifier tones. It sounds as though Vaughan's plugged directly into your stereo--especially at the climax of "Little Wing," where his Stratocaster feeds back through a wall of spinning Leslie speakers in a fit of psychedelic bliss. Otherwise, this CD still seems like a creative holding pattern for Vaughan, despite the addition of keyboardist Reese Wynans to broaden his band's palette. Nonetheless, the prophetic "Change It," which foreshadowed Vaughan's recovery from addiction by a year, and his in-concert staples "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love" and "Life Without You" debut here. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Some Badness from Stevie
I love this album for that reason Stevie was and still is such a well loved artist...GUITAR,GUITAR,GUITAR!!! Stevie's playing is blazingly powerfull, and his tone is still that clear, slightly overdriven Stratocaster sound that he did so well (In Step is a great album but I like his earlier tone better). Soul to Soul seems somewhat overloaded with blues shuffles; Lookin' Out the Window, Look at Little Sister, Change It, Empty Arms..but nobody could do a shuffle like Stevie Ray. Change It has to be one of the most powerfull shuffle-based tunes ever recorded, it's not a Texas Flood this time, Stevie's riding a tidal wave! In all seriousness, this album may not be a masterpiece in terms of song integration, but as a collection of singles, it's amazing, ranging from raucous blues rock, jazzy soloing and Hendrix inspired heaviness to funky R&B and slow blues.
The added tracks are interesting. The interview part is rather short, the Hendrix covers of Little Wing and Third Stone from the Sun are great to have, wrong notes and all, but leave little doubt as to why they were unreleased. Same for Slip Slidin' Slim, a slide instrumental that brings to mind blues musicians like Hound Dog Taylor.
There are a few weak spots, Stevie sounds a little off time and a bit short of energy on Come on, (pt. III) ...and Stevie's Hendrix influence can wear a touch thin at times..this is still an artist searching for his voice to some extent. But this album really makes me wish he was still around. There's plenty of Soul on Soul to Soul.

An essential blues-rock album
Stevie Ray Vaughan only lived long enough to release four studio albums and one live (everything else has come out after his tragic death in a 1990 helicopter accident).

This is his third album, originally released in October 1985, and for "Soul To Soul", Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble abandoned their original trio format and included keyboardist Reese Wynans and (occationally) saxist Joe Sublett.

The music hasn't changed too much, though. It's still a superb blend of blues and rock, and even though Vaughan's guitar is perhaps a little less prominent on some songs, his playing is still masterful.
The material is very strong, with only one or two lesser tunes, and "Soul To Soul" is highlighted by the slow blues ballad "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love", the swinging "Empty Arms" in 2/4 time, and the terrific rockers "Change It", "Lookin' Out The Window" and "Look At Little Sister" (excellent piano playing on that last one, and a nice saxophone solo as well).

Stevie Ray also covers Howlin' Wolf's "You'll Be Mine", and considering that no-one in the world has yet been able to match the vocal power and ferocious attitude of the Wolf, and probably never will, he does a good job with it, although it's not really one of the highlights of the album.

The three bonus tracks consist of a short interview snippet and two songs. Well, three songs, actually, since Vaughan plays a medley of "Third Stone From The Sun" and Hendrix' "Little Wing".
They're perhaps not quite as interesting as some of the bonus cuts on the other three remastered Stevie Ray Vaughan-albums, but they're not bad by any means, and Vaughan's playing is great as always.

"Soul To Soul" has perhaps the strongest track list of any album released during Stevie Ray Vaughan's all-too-brief lifetime (well, alongside "Texas Flood"), and it is highly recommended to any and all lovers of blues-rock and contemporary blues music.
It rarely gets any better. In fact, it rarely gets quite this good.

A bigger sound with a new member.
With the addition of Reese Wynans on the keyboards the band get a fuller sound & new inspiration. As Reese adds some great keyboard playing to the music it lets Stevie concentrate on his singing a bit more, with very soulful results. Opening with Say What!, an instrumental on which Stevie plays with two wah pedals, the album goes through every song with a renewed passion for the music. Included on this one are songs like Change it & Come on (part III), but all the tracks on the album are great.

The most underrated of SRV's albums...
Many is the time I've heard somebody pick on Soul to Soul. I rememeber when it came out, some critics predicted that Stevie had lost that something that made him so great earlier on. I'd just like to say that they are REALLY wrong. Soul To Soul is a humbler, gentler album than the others, a bit more subdued, but every bit as awesome as In Step or Texas Flood. The songs are traditional but catchy. My personal fave is "Lookin' out the Window", the most underrated song on an underrated album. It's worth noting that this is a great party album too- seriously, put it on in the background sometime, it's perfectly conductive to the part atmosphere. The Bonus tracks and new photos/liner notes round out this excellent package. Ignore some others' advice and pick up Soul To Soul. You won't regret it.

Low point for Stevie--
I don't know whether the drugs were too much at this point or what but this is not the usual SRV album. No blazing solos or speedy riffs that leave you baffled. No tracks stand out overall. This album is not even comparable to Texas Flood or Couldn't Stand the Weather. ... Read more

Album Description

Asian edition of the blues rock act's 2003 live albumincludes two bonus tracks, 'Green Tea' & one unmarked,hidden track. Rock Empire. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

KICKS MAJOR ASS!!! SMOKING SLIDE GUITAR WIZARDRY
THIS CD ROCKS!!!! YOU KNOW EDDIE KRAMER ISN'T GOING TO WASTE HIS TIME PRODUCING SOMEONE WHO ISN'T REVOLUTIONARY,BUT THE ONLY WAY TO SEE ERIC IS LIVE,HE NO DOUBT IS THE HOTTEST PLAYER ON THE PLANET HANDS DOWN!!!! THE PEOPLE THAT WROTE MEDIOCRE REVIEWS HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM PLAY LIVE.THEY WOULD BE APOLOGIZING IN A HEARTBEAT

Cliche Blues album.....Rubbish
This album is too cliche. Its just a very very generic blues album. Boring is the best word that describes his music. I think he's a cool guy but man, come on! This album is just a wannabe and it spits it out in full force.....I would recommend him to do better.

I tried to like it....
After hearing so much about this guy I thought I'd check it out. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. First things first, the songwriting is medicore at best. The lyrics really lack any substance. As far as the electric dobro thing, it's a novel idea: thus, making it a novelty. I can't get over the feeling that this is more of a gimmick than a viable artist. His rhythm section is pretty solid. You don't have to do much with a one regular format all day. And last, this guy's voice just isn't very good. I will say he performs well live. He exudes lots of energy and really knows how to entertain. The production quality is very good, thanks to Eddie Kramer. Not sure why he picked up this project, but....Bottom line, I wouldn't recommend this CD if you're looking for substance, musicality, or well written songs.

Good for a third album "jinx"
In this day and age when some blues-rock acts go soft and fluffy on their third album, Eric has beaten the odds here with a solid effort in Black Pearls. It's not quite as raw and nasty as his first album, but the songs are good. I do wish he would have showed off his masterful slide work more, though. The sound quality is a definite improvement over his second album, which I thought put the drums and bass too much in the background. I guess we have the legendary Eddie Kramer to thank for that, although how hard can it be to get a good mix between three instruments?--Hello! Anyway, good job on this album.

the real deal is here
i have all 3 of erics cds. i had read and heard about him for years. i even had his cd in my hand at one time to buy. i didnt because i wasnt sure if i would like it. so i was going to see him live but i never made it. so i bought his black pearls cd. when the first song kicked in, i was like yes!! hendrix,kravitz,led zep,johnny winter, etc etc. the music i live for just poured out. as each song played i couldnt believe this album was this strong from start to finish. this is my favorite of his 3. if you like more of the blues rock and slide guitar this is for you, if you like more of the traditional blues and slide the first 2cds are for you. if you like or love johnny winter you will be right at home with all 3 cds. buy it and enjoy.eric sardinas plays incredible slide guitar, he is the real deal. ... Read more

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Like 1999's tribute to Gram Parsons, Return of the Grievous Angel, this successful collection revives the tired "tribute" concept and applies it in homage to a key figure in country music. Interpreting songs from across Hank Williams's short and troubled career, a range of high-profile artists use different approaches with equally gratifying results. Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, and Hank Williams III play familiar songs with traditional arrangements (Ms. Crow's yodel is an eye opener); Beck, Mark Knopfler, and Keb' Mo' stay closer to their own idioms. Keith Richards's reedy vocal makes "You Win Again" all his own, and Bob Dylan, who has only rarely lent his services to these sorts of projects, leads his touring band through a blues shuffle on "I Can't Get You Off of My Mind." The estimable Lost Highway label has assembled an illustrious cast to sing the praises of the artist who inspired its name, and in doing so it has created a far better testament to its musical mindset than can ever be captured in the term Americana. --Rob Stewart ... Read more

Reviews (27)

oh please understand
I never heard 1 single song by Hank Williams. I came across this CD just by browsing the musics shop country collection. I took a listen and skipped the first song by Bob Dylan, sorry but i dont like his voice.. Then came Sheryl Crow yodeling! Wow! So fresh and I loved the lyric..like a tragicomedy. Keb Mo is great blues. Beck...so sweet, a wonderful production...do I hear several old records mixed with todays music? Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris sing a perfect country duet...not campy or over the top but quiet and touching. Tom Petty then gives away a rocker that is so country it makes u wanna drive on a highway forever! Keith Richards then does a huge blues track, a highlight on this record. Emmylou again with Mark, very tragic song that makes me shiver. Hank III, what a punk, this guy just has it. Ryan Adams sounds like we all want to be sung too...so sensitive. Lucinda Williams...almost too much pain...the song makes me angry to the person it is addressed to. Finally Johnny Cash makes me cry over the memories about his mother. This CD is a work of art, believe me.

Hank in the 21st Century
Hank Williams' music is still thriving here in the new century. Some great artists have gotten together for this loving tribute to his music. Bob Dylan's expressive snarl rocks happily on "I Can't Get You Off of My Mind." Sheryl Crow's take on "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is remarkable for how well she does country! Heck, we might have to stick her up there with Patty Loveless & Trish Yearwood! Blues master Keb' Mo's voice caresses the melody with a beautiful fiddle and transforms the classic "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" with a reading more wistful than sad. Beck's voice is fragile with a music box arrangement of "Your Cheatin' Heart." Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame does a churchlike take on "Lost on the River" with Emmylou on background vocals. One of my favorites is Tom Petty's country rocking on "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)." The beauty of the melody really comes out even if the lyric seems somewhat dated in retrospect where you "ball her out at night." Keith Richard's ragged voice is like Stones-go-country on the slow "You Win Again." Emmylou Harris takes lead on the sad lament "Alone & Forsaken." Another favorite of mine is Hank III's uptempo vocal on "I'm A Long Gone Daddy." The great fiddle work is classic and singing must be in his genes! Ryan Adam's "Lovesick Blues" works less well for me. The spare arrangement is fine, but the squeeky voice doesn't carry the melody. Lucinda Williams milks the sad, slow "Cold Cold Heart"; and David Mansfield's gorgeous violin is worth the price of admission. The song-talk style never worked well with me, and although I love Johnny Cash's voice, I'd have preferred a stronger close than this talked "I Dreamed of Mama Last Night." However, the strong points from Dylan, Crow, Petty, & Mo' more than adequately show how important Hank Williams' music continues to be in the 21st century! Don't miss it!

Aweful
Hank Williams is the King of Country. This CD is garbage. Exactly how can you have a Hank Williams tribute with Ryan Adams? Johnny Cash is the only one on this CD that really deserves to be. No one wants to hear Keith Richards butcher one of the greatest all time songs "You Win Again."

How can you have a Hank Williams tribute without Hank Williams Jr? He is the only person who can honestly do justice to Hank's songs. They could have at least had some better modern singers. Try country singers. Toby Keith, George Straight, etc. Not Keb' Mo. Not Ryan Adams.

Stay clear. It is garbage.

I am a huge Hank Williams fan....but
This CD is not very good. I do like Sheryl Crow's version of Long Gone Lonsesome Blues, and Tom Petty's version of "You're Gonna Change." Of course, Johnny Cash is a good choice for tribute. I find it hard to justify leaving Hank Williams Jr. off of here. To be honest I have never heard of Keb' Mo', or Beck.

I would recommend people who have never heard Hank to stay away from this. A lot of it sounds nothing like anything Hank would have done.

A better tribute to the best singer ever would include COUNTRY music stars. That would include Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, etc.

Apart from Dylan and Cash, not much of a tribute
How hard it must be to cover Hank. Well, it shouldn't be. Dylan is good. Cash is classic. Some others are ok. Not very impressed, though, with the package as a whole. ... Read more

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Taj Mahal's been chasing the blues around the world for years, but rarely with the passion, energy, and clarity he brought to his first three albums. Taj Mahal, The Natch'l Blues and The Real Thing are the sound of the artist, who was born in 1942, defining himself and his music. On his self-titled 1967 debut, he not only honors the sound of the Delta masters with his driving National steel guitar and hard vocal shout, but ladles in elements of rock and country with the help of guitarists Ry Cooder and the late Jessie Ed Davis. This approach is reinforced and broadened by The Natch'l Blues. What's most striking is Mahal's way of making even the oldest themes sound as if they're part of a new era. Not just through the vigor of his playing--relentlessly propulsive, yet stripped down compared with the six-string ornamentations of the original masters of country blues--but through his singing, which possesses a knowing insouciance distinct to post-Woodstock counterculture hipsters. It's the voice of an informed young man who knows he's offering something deep to an equally hip and receptive audience.

Soon, Mahal turned his multicultural vision of the blues even further outward. The live 1971 set, The Real Thing, finds him still carrying the Mississippi torch, while adding overt elements of jazz and Afro-Caribbean music to its flame. But it's overreaching. His band sounds under-rehearsed, and the arrangements seem more like rough outlines. Nonetheless, these albums set the stage for Mahal's career. (For a condensed version, try the fine The Best of Taj Mahal.) Today, he continues to make fine fusion albums, like 1999's Kulanjan, with Malian kora master Toumani Diabate, and less exciting but still eclectic recordings with his Phantom Blues Band. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Very good follow-up to a magnificent debut album
Henry St. Clair Fredericks' first album, the eponymous "Taj Mahal", was a stripped-down collection of superbly produced acoustic Delta blues, and his second album, "The Natch'l Blues", opens with more of the same.
But the scope quickly broadens, as Al Kooper is added on organ, and the album then moves on to a much bigger sound, as Taj Mahal is backed by a full electric combo on songs like "The Caught The Katy" and "The Cuckoo", and a soul-rendition of "You Don't Miss Your Water".

Depending on your taste, this album is either better than its predecessor because of its greater variety, or slightly lesser because it lacks some of the originality and the sparse, "bluesy" feel of "Taj Mahal".
The slightly stereotypical soul of "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Ain't That A Lotta Love" may not be to everybody's liking, but Taj Mahal's rendition of "She Caught The Katy", and his own "Corrina", "I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll", "Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue", and the jazzy "Good Morning Miss Brown" are all excellent, as is the band and the clear, uncluttered production.

AT HIS NATURAL BEST!
'THE NATCH'L BLUES' is a Taj Mahal masterpiece, yet ironically, this 1969 treasure seems to be one of the most under-rated blues records of all time, subsequently making it the early Taj album that's been the most difficult to find over the years. This re-issue momentarily solves that problem, but grab it while you can, 'Natch'l Blues' historically goes 'out of print' at record speed. The humorous conversation of 'Good Morning Miss Brown' slides along a sensual grooving bass-line while Taj on his 'National' guitar courts a rolling piano, interjected with some very tasty licks from Jesse Ed Davis. 'Corinna' is simply down to earth country blues at it's best, and 'I Ain't Gonna let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll' is a sexy delta-blues strut if you ever heard one, and watch your skirts while that guitar sizzles! 'Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue', is classic Taj, written around the time he moved to Topanga Canyon, this song captures a feeling and mood of the late '60s, when so many were drawn to the rural counter-culture enclave in the Santa Monica mountains, yet the message is timeless & more than relevant today. Besides fine writing and arranging, 'Mailbox' features nice harp by Taj and a righteous Jesse Ed Davis solo. 'Done Changed My Way Of Living' is a punchy percussive delta-flavored dance among bass, drums, symbols, and Jesse Ed Davis' guitar work, another example of Taj's considerable competence at reworking traditional blues components and making them his own. 'She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride' cuts Taj loose on harmonica, cooking up a nice resurrection for this old Yank Rachel tune. I saw this band perform many times, from the very early days on the back of an old flat-bed truck in the Topanga Shopping Center, through their many gigs a the 'Topanga Corral', and for me, 'The Cuckoo' most powerfully demonstrates how these guys could gel into a single voice pulling you right into the groove, crank it up & check out the jam at the end of this tune, it's as close as you're going to get to being there. On 'You Don't Miss Your Water' and 'A Lot Of Love' Taj dives into the kind of soul music more associated with Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, or Marvin Gaye, horn sections & all, showing us another facet of his ample abilities. I write this review from an out of print Edsel edition of this album (ED CD 231), so I can't comment on the bonus tracks included on the Sony/Columbia re-issue, but this top notch album needs no bonuses to earn five stars. Nothing could be more natural, cue it up early some Saturday morning, roll over in bed, kiss your honey on the lips, and have yourself a very nice day.

Newport69.....were learning..
back in the late sixties if you were a music fan in So. Cali you got wind of Taj Mahal...he was an underground radio staple but you only heard his commercial sounding blues/rock stuff...when this album came out it was a shocker because it was so eclectic in the sense it was a blues primer 101....it was honest and most of all not blantly commerical...everything except "aint that alot of love" and "and your gonna miss your water"...is stripped down to the basics...you feel the emotion and care given to these songs....listening to these songs now is not a trip down memory lane but a cultural experience of the highest musical order....endulge yourself...alot of us "so cals" did

'Lighthearted' blues, but great music nevertheless
I first bought this (early spring 1969) probably more for the astounding-looking cover (both front and rear) than for any other reason; but I had an idea that the music was going to be really good, and I was right. The breezes would be blowing through open windows, and listening to this made me feel like I was already outside, someplace way out in the country.

Taj Mahal plays/sings the blues with an uncharacteristically light, almost happy manner [despite what many would consider to be out of character], and in doing so, makes these tunes his own. Many of the songs mine the sub-genre of blues which uses more emotionally upbeat melodies and whose often humorous lyrics include plentifully adroit turns-of-phrase.

"My baby she long . . . my baby she tall. She sleeps with her head in the kitchen and her big feets out in the hall. So crazy 'bout that hard-headed woman 'o mine!"

Maybe that coterie of listeners which persists in honking about how the blues have to be down, dirty and depressing won't like this, but I'd say they might be missing something. If, as people who know the blues say, one sings it in order to better survive, there must be times when the blues uplifts into a comedy zone, or else music like this collection wouldn't have a genuine reason to exist. Myself, I'm very grateful it's here, intact.

Professional, Commercial, NO Passion
There's lots of competent musicianship here but I keep waiting to hear the passion that the blues signify for me. The tunes are occasionally catchy but otherwise these songs smack of covers of songs that have been made more palatable for a mass audience. The originals say a lot about the African-American experience, this album appears to eliminated most of that identifying emotion. There is more soul and passion in John Hurt's Corinna, Corrina than in this whole album. I don't hear anything "natch'l" and I don't hear the "blues". If this album turns others on to wanting to hear authentic blues, then it will have served a purpose, otherwise it's just a precursor to someone like Keb Mo. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Texas roadhouse veteran Delbert McClinton hit upon his masterful mix of country, blues, and R&B stylings decades ago, but it took the Grammy-winning 2001 release, Nothing Personal, to fully showcase his talents. Room to Breathe, once again benefiting from a diverse selection of original McClinton songs, updates and embellishes the approach with most of the same participants present. McClinton uses his classic blue-eyed-soul voice with full authority and more than a little eclecticism, bouncing through "Blues About You, Baby" with an almost Jerry Lee Lewis boogie feel, while infusing the snaky "Jungle Room" with laid-back nightclub coolness. "Ain't Lost Nothin'," cowritten with producer Gary Nicholson and harp hero Kim Wilson, is the purest blues expression, although the piano-led ballad "Everything I Know About the Blues," a McClinton-Nicholson tune cowritten by Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, also works well. McClinton rocks through "Same Kind of Crazy," gets funky on "The Rub," and even conjures a distant Lynryd Skynyrd echo on the uptempo "Money Honey." Yet his biggest effort is saved for the star-studded sing-along "Lone Star Blues," a tribute to Texas complete with fiddle and pedal steel guitar and featuring an anthemic country chorus from a host of famous McClinton friends and fans.--Michael Point ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Pure McClinton!
"Room To Breathe" follows two really good releases, "One Of The Fortunate Few" and Grammy winner "Personal Best". In a way, it's unfortunate for Delbert that the prior two releases were so good as comparisons to those releases are now inevitable. Simply stated, "Room To Breathe" will not win any awards for best record of the year and does not rise to the level of excellence of the of the prior two discs. All that being said, the disc is not bad. Delbert opens with two upbeat country blues numbers that would have easily fit comfortably on either of the last two releases and then slips into a very interesting Tom Waits like number, "Jungle Room". "Everything I Know About The Blues" is a slow ballad, which seems to be a little out of step with the tempo of the rest of the disc. "Blues About You" is a Jerry Lee Lewis styled blues number. From there you get a good mix of regular McClinton fare until you hit the pitifully slow "Don't Want To Love You" which sounds as though it needs a couple of hounds howling in the background to complete the mood. Delbert turns it on again with "Ain't Lost Nothin'" and "Milk Honey" before ending things with the exceptional jazz flavored "New York City". Not enough oomph for 5 stars but a solid four stars nonetheless.

A little this.. a little that.. a lotta' good!
I am not a big country music fan, nor an R&B fan. I am kinda' a Delbert McClinton fan, but he can tire me quickly. This album, however, is a great mix of a lot of sounds. Track 9, "Don't want to Love You," is a beautiful, sweet, old-fashioned tear-jerker. Here is a portion of the lyrics:

don't wanna' love you any more
if I could I'd close that door
it's not the way it was
and it hurts me way too much
don't wanna' love you any more

don't wanna' love you any more
it's uncertain, that's for sure
it's time to face the fact
that you don't love me back
don't wanna' love you any more

I don't wanna' need you like I need you tonight
dont wanna' want to and live this kind of life
you give me just enough of what I want
to keep me hangin' on
don't wanna' love you any more

It's a pity that Amazon does not offer a clip of this song. No, it does not require any dogs howling in the background; it is not that far country. But I dare you to listen to this song and not be moved by it. It is Delbert's best ballad. Whew! Great stuff!

Great Album
"Don't Want To Love You Anymore" is worth price of album. Starkly simple, elegant, and the saddest love song I've ever heard. (This should have been the single!)

True Confessions
I have to confess something. I made a mistake. Delbert's new CD was released in September. While I always get each of his releases, I put this one on hold because of a professional review, "...on Room to Breathe ... a sense of going through the paces permeates the project. Chord progressions are predictable...not much compositional substance is evident." This guy must be hearing a different CD than the one I get; I'm sorry I waited 5 months!

Delbert McClinton's "Room to Breathe" is an excellent accomplishment. Delbert went through a creative period where he turned out a lot of songs and was ready to head back to record within a year after "Nothing Personal." 4 tracks are instant classics. The opener "Same Kind of Crazy" bounces with a great punching rhythm section, "Ain't no doubt about it; she's the same kind of crazy as me." "Everything I Know About the Blues" (I learned from you) is a slow burn that has "standard" written all over it with Todd Sharp's bluesy piano and Kevin McKendree doing some very classy strings on this track. If Etta James doesn't record this, I'm gonna lose a BIG bet. "Blues About You" is a great boogie woogie, "The hardest thing honey 'bout having' the blues, like I'm walkin' the floor in a dead man's shoes." "Ain't Lost Nothin'" has that great Jimmy Reed kind of beat with Lynn Williams' drums propelling this burning rocking blues. The other tracks including "Don't Want to Love You" are also great. So my advice is to not try to compare this Delbert CD to his others because, quite frankly, he's consistently brilliant! So plunk down the spare change and get some room to breathe! Enjoy!

the great mcclinton does it again - and even better!
Delbert McClinton has, to my knowledge, never mad a bad record. He even took up a few songs I thought nobody would dare touch, like PleasePleasePlease or Have a little faith in me, or Let the good times roll. Everyone thought the originals were impossible to beat, but he did it.
And this man gets better and better with age. It's unbelievable. This is his very best album yet.
His gritty, relaxed voice is doing great, the band plays with a nice rough edge, the songs are great and it's a fantastic album.
I've played it again and again in different ways, and it keeps getting better. For instance: I think Money Honey doesn't last long enough, it should keep on rolling for at least half an hour, so I put it on repeat. That's when you start to find the subtleties in this music, and you never get bored.
This man should be world famous. ... Read more