Reviews (1)

Some of the best and most unique blues you will ever hear
Fred McDowell was an eccentric among blues musicians. At the surface, his sound was similar to most of the Mississippi-based acoustic players, but his melodies and solos were far more elaborate than even Robert Johnson's. In some ways, then, his work is reminiscent of Lonnie Johnson, who was among the first blues guitarists to fit in equally well with jazz players. McDowell's work, though, had much less of the polished, urbanized sound. It was Mississippi, through and through. Slide-wiz Kelly Joe Phelps cites McDowell, along with Robert Pete Williams, as a primary influence, and on this album, you can see why. What makes this album particularly special, though, is that it is one of the cleanest recordings by McDowell. McDowell, like Robert Pete Williams, had a tendancy to sound sloppy every once in a while. It is a small price to pay for the unique beauty of his music, but on this album, it isn't an issue. Hardly a note is out of place here, and unlike several of McDowell's early recordings, there are no side-musicians playing combs or doing anything to distract from the man himself. If you want to hear one of the greatest visionaries of the Mississippi bluesmen playing the songs that inspired him, this is the place to turn.

Further listening: If you like McDowell and are ready for an even grittier sound, check out Robert Pete Williams' "Free Again." Williams played even more intricate and unusual melodies than McDowell, and sounds like nobody else I have ever heard. Be warned, though, his sound was much more rough than McDowell's, and a bit of an acquired taste. I will assume that if you know about McDowell, you know about Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, so I need not give recommendations about them. If you are looking for modern musicians influenced by McDowell, your first stop should be Kelly Joe Phelps' "Roll Away the Stone" or "Shine-Eyed Mister Zen." Not only is he a disgustingly good slide guitarist, he plays some of the most complex and soulful blues ever recorded. For an even more modern take, try the North Mississippi Allstars' "Shake Hands with Shorty." The songs on this album are covers of McDowell and RL Burnside songs, all done in a very creative, updated fashion, almost closer to a jam band than a blues band. Also, try the Tarbox Ramblers, who fuse Mississippi blues, hillbilly music and rock into an inspiring new style. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Pretty Good, But People Get Carried Away
I think it's obvious that Lockwood is a fine guitarist, and that when he gets going he can be very good. I think, however, that Lockwood gets a lot of credit from his connection to Robert Johnson that has nothing to do with his own power as an artist. If you listen to his music from the 50s and early 60s, before he took his hiatus from performance, you can hear a very distinctive accompanist who feeds off the energy of the company he keeps and basically goes as far as they can take him. He had a fine duet with Ottis Spann that illustrates this point beautifuly. But listening to his own solo material is never nearly as inspiring -- and I've seen him perform in Cleveland and other cities on many occasions, as well as hearing his CDs. His renditions here on Plays Robert and Robert are a beuatiful illustration of that: the man's just going through the motions. He has none of Johnson's power or passion; he always sounds to me to be smooth and fluent, but a bit mechanical. This is an okay album, like his others, but I don't share the opinion of Lockwood's cheerleaders that he's a genius. Good, no doubt, but not a genius. I know Lockwood wants his due..., but I think he's made a good career out his his connection to Johnson, and he wouldn't have had any solo career at all if that story had not been around to support him.

Classic Blues from one of the all time greatist bluesman
Blues at it's best, every song a true blues classic. Robert plays a collection of his and his stepfathers songs.(Robert Johnson-King of the Delta Blues) My favorate track is Robert's enduring rendition of See See Rider. All These songs are performed solo on the 12 String Guitar. Great liner notes that gives you great insight to the history of this legendary performer. If you ever get the chance to see Robert live, don't miss the opportunity to see one of the last living roots bluesman, it will leave a lasting impression on you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Harmonica Classics Kicks Off with THE Classic
On the first track, the masterpiece "Easy," Walter Horton achieves a tone comparable to a concert violinist. The slow but intense harp and guitar duet is worth owning, almost worth the CD price by itself. Not far behind is Horton's "In The Mood." After three cuts featuring Walter's precise, rich harp work, the CD turns raucous. Hot Shot Love's "Wolf Call Boogie" successfully combines funny barroom banter, an uptown guitar groove, and Sonny Terry-like harmonica riffing and vocal whooping. The rest of the CD features uptempo, exuberant, raw music, mainly by two one-man-bands, Dr. Ross and Joe Hill Louis. I love listening to this CD, but I don't give it five stars because other than the first four tracks the cuts sound a bit too much alike. Perhaps they suffer from having to follow the perfection of the Horton pieces and the delightful carrying on of Hot Shot Love. The rest is very good, but for me those first four cuts make the CD. A slight aside: All these cuts come from the early to middle 1950s. These were some of the people who were recording at Sun when Elvis first entered that same studio. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Guitar blues at it's best.
This is a must have for anyone with a love of the blues and the guitar artist who made it great. The last track on the CD is a live recording of Texas Flood by S. R. Vaugn, the best live track of his I have ever heard. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sonny Boy Williamson (this being version 2.0, Rice Miller) was one of the great characters in blues, and his 1959 debut album absolutely overflows with personality. The Arkansas native was 60 years old by this time, but the years, if anything, made him an even more headstrong, commanding artist than he was by nature. Williamson was a truly gifted songwriter capable of penning vivid lyrics that ranked with the best in the genre. Indeed, Down and Out Blues is rife with Sonny Boy songs that have become blues staples, including "Don't Start Me to Talkin'," "Fattening Frogs for Snakes," and "Your Funeral and My Trial." Chess Records' crack regulars, spearheaded by guitarists Muddy Waters and Robert Jr. Lockwood, provide suitably gritty support, helping to make this 12-song set one of the touchstones of electric blues. Great cover art, too. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Some great Sonny Boy
Sonny Boy Williamson, who played with everyone from Robert Johnson to Robbie Robertson, earned his fame fronting the King Biscuit radio show with Robert Lockwood, Jr. in the early 40's. Although he stole the name of another great blues harmonica player Williamson developed his own style of harmonica and this album, with a lineup including Lockwood, Muddy Waters, Luther Tucker, and Otis Spann, is a great example of mid-period Chicago blues.

A true classic
If you don't want to dig deeper into your pockets for Chess Records' double-disc "The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson", this could be what you're looking for.

"Down And Out Blues", along with Howlin' Wolf's two first LPs and Muddy Waters Newport-album, are probably the best LPs the classic Chicago blues label Chess had to offer. This album, which was first issued in 1959, is filled to the point of overflowing with some of the best blues songs ever recorded, courtesy of Aleck 'Rice' Miller's nasal, world-weary vocals and tremendous songwriting skills.
Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) is backed by Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Fred Below, Luther Tucker and Otis Spann in a virtual blues summit, and his rhythmic harp blasts alternate with quivering solos and fills.

Three of Rice Miller's greatest songs are on this album, all penned by himself: "All My Love In Vain", "Fattening Frogs For Snakes" and "Don't Start Me To Talkin'". This is an essential addition to any blues collection.

Old album, not a new package
You can find any of these tracks on many of the dozens of sony boy's compilations. The exciting thing about this release is that this is an original album of the late fifties. That means that many of the artists that were influenced by Sonny Boy, first got to listen to him via this album. In fact, John Mayall once said that this is one of his all time favourite albums. All these recordings are from Chess, and are among the best lyrics ever written in blues history.

Classic album by Sonny Boy
Sonny Boy Williamson was the first blues artist I started listening to, and he opened a world of exciting music for me. Sonny Boy was one of the major artists at Chess Records and Little Walter's greatest competitor in the 50's on blues harmonica. He had a delta background from the south, and soon developed an urban Chicago sound when he moved north in the early 50's. This album is a great starter to get into this man's many great songs. What was so great with Sonny Boy Williamson was not only his singing and playing, but he also wrote a lot of classic songs with exciting and intriguing lyrics. He was a bandleader at the stature of Muddy Waters and a good arranger too. Among my all-time favourites are 'I don't know', 'Fattening frogs for snakes' and 'Cross my heart'. Escpecially the last song, which is a slow intense blues, gives you a feeling what the blues is all about. The harmonica solo on this song is one of the best I have heard on record by any artist. This album is a must-buy for the music lover. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

****½ - another excellent reissue
The last of Muddy Waters' four Blue Sky albums is often considered the least as well, but you wouldn't know it listening to this superbly remastered and expanded reissue.

Originally issued in 1981, "King Bee" was recorded at a time when Muddy Waters, then 65, was slowing down because of health problems, and his band was losing money because they were gigging less, finally causing them to quit en masse.
Guitarist Bob Margolin's candid liner notes are much more brief and a lot less jolly than the warm and often humorous mini-essays he wrote for the reissues of "Hard Again" and "I'm Ready", and while his fondness for Muddy Waters is very obvious, it is equally obvious that he did not have a good time recording this album, Muddy Waters' last.

Because of the tensions in the studio preceding the breakup of the Muddy Waters Band, producer and occational guitarist Johnny Winter felt the sessions had not produced enough solid material to yield an entire album, so he padded "King Bee" with outtakes from the 1977 "Hard Again" sessions (and this 2004 edition adds another two previously unreleased numbers).
But there is certainly nothing wrong with the songs that did make the cut. "King Bee" is as lean and mean an album as Muddy ever made, and though the guest stars from the first two Blue Sky albums are missing, the "regular" Muddy Waters Band is every bit as competent as any all star combo. Muddy may have been ailing, but his voice is still strong and confident, and the rhythm section of Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (bass) and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith is rock-solid, digging a train track groove on each and every song. Well, except the acoustic slide guitar workout "I Feel Like Going Home", a wonderful re-recording of one of Muddy's earliest waxings.

Muddy Waters and his killer ensemble lifts relatively lightweight numbers like "Deep Down In Florida", "My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble" and "Champagne And Reefer" high above mediocrity, and songs like "No Escape From The Blues", the swaggering "Too Young To Know" and the gritty title track pack an immense wallop.
There are no weak songs here, actually. The re-recording of "Sad Sad Day" should be a blueprint for all slow blues numbers, and the two bonus tracks are by no means throwaways.
Muddy recorded James Oden's "I Won't Go On" (which is suspiciously reminicent of "I Feel So Good") way back in the 50s, and here it is again, rough and tough and sung in a deep, manly baritone by Waters. And the slow grind of "Clouds In My Heart" is one of the finest songs on the album, featuring a sublime soulful lead vocal, masterful drumming, and some tremendous lead guitar playing courtesy of "Steady Rollin'" Bob Margolin.

Johnny Winter plays excellent slide guitar on several songs (although that is Muddy himself wielding the bottleneck on "Sad Sad Day"), and there is not a glimmer of rock commercialism in is playing, it is pure blues. His abilities as a producer are equally fine, and while "King Bee" doesn't usually get the attention of "Hard Again" or Muddy's classic Chess sides, it should be considered a must-own for any semi-serious Muddy Waters-fan, especially this expanded edition.
4½ stars. Highly recommended.

A Lion In Winter
This CD lacks the feel-good, party-time atmosphere of the rest of Muddy's Blue Sky period. According to Bob Margolin's liner notes, the somber atmosphere of these recordings were due to a discontent between Muddy and the band over money. Some of the tracks are actually outtakes from 1977 sessions to complete the album. The band quit, and Muddy carried on performing live until his death in 1983.

The two outtakes are excellent additions and worth upgrading this CD in your collection. But if you'd rather listen to a blues band having a great time in the studio, buy Hard Again or I'm Ready instead. They are both a better listen than King Bee.

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL AND REQUIRED, PART 3
This final document from the end of his storied career is a blend of studio tracks that were not quite finished for what would have been his third CD with Johnny Winter at the helm, plus a few additional tracks from the previous two years' sessions. While this did not garner the acclaim on its initial release that the other 2 CDs did, it may actually, in its remastered form, be the best of the bunch. Haunting in a way that Johnny Cash's last CD is, this is the sound of a man who knows he has come to the end of the crossroads, as it were.
From the previous sessions you have the full band at full throttle and the intensity is devastating. From the uncompleted sessions, the songs are more introspective, more intimate, perhaps truer to his cotton field roots than he had been in a very long time, and they are positively spiritual. But what trily sets this apart are the final two bonus cuts that somehow wrap and sum up the legacy of Muddy Waters: "I Can't Go On" amd "Clouds in My Eyes" are so upsetting because these are in fact his very last songs recorded. They are his best as well. Odd that inadvertenetly he would save the very best for last, but these two songs will haunt your soul much as Cash's rendition of "Hurt" does. Columbia and Johnny Winter and the remastering team have done the world of music a very great service in preserving and restoring these tracks.
Bob Margolin penned intimate and heartfelt liner notes for each of these reissues that are so to the point that they bring you inside the world that Muddy lived. For this last session, they all knew the end was near and somehow drew strength inspite of the oncoming sorrow from their leader's bravery and integrity and deep down grit. Muddy Waters was an ontological and existential hero of the first order, and his coda is as powerful a departing testament as Beethoven's last string quartet, as Tchicovsky's No 6, as Mahler's 9th. This is African American Blues-Gospel-Spiritual requiem in all its soulful acquiessence to a more pwerful Creator. Positively, this was both his most intimate and his most powerful collection of music and it will haunt you the rest of your life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another Excellent Sony Retrospective
I heartily recommend this two disk set to enthusiasts and neophytes, alike. For some reason, the Amzn. site is showing only a partial list of the tracks. That's a shame, as it leaves out many of the real gems on the collection. Peruse the entire list below and you'll see what I mean:

CD1
1. Ezekiel Saw De Wheel - Fisk Jubilee Singers
2. Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds
3. Careless Love Blues - Bessie Smith
4. Frankie - Mississippi John Hurt
5. Lord I Can't Just Keep From Crying - Blind
Willie Johnson
6. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today -
Washington Phillips
7. Sitting On Top Of The World - The Missi-
ssippi Sheiks
8. Blues Before Sunrise - Leroy Carr & Scrap-
per Blackwell
9. If You See My Saviour - Thomas A. Dorsey
10. Broke Down Engine - Blind Willie McTell
11. Mister Tom Hughe's Town - Leadbelly
12. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
13. Key To The Highway - Big Bill Broonzy
14. Nine Foot Shovel - Joshua White
15. Cowboy's Lament - Burl Ives
16. Me And My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
17. Swing Down Chariot - The Golden Gate
Quartet
18. Dere's A Man Goin' Round / I Know De Lord -
Paul Robeson
19. Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
20. Hard Day Blues - Muddy Waters
21. I'll Never Forget - Ira Tucker & The Dixie
Hummingbirds
22. I'll Fly Away - The Trumpeteers
23. I Will Move On Up A Little Higher - Mahalia
Jackson
24. Greenfields - The Brotehrs Four

CD2
1. Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan
2. The Patriot Game - The Clancy Brothers &
Tommy Makem
3. Green, Green - The New Christy Minstrels
feat. Barry McGuire
4. We Shall Overcome - Pete Seeger
5. The Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
6. Death Letter - Son House
7. Little Boxes - Malvina Reynolds
8. Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Staple
Singers
9. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
10. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox
Blue - Taj Mahal
11. These Days - Tom Rush
12. Mean Mistreater - Johnny Winter
13. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Willie Dixon
14. Blue River - Eric Andersen
15. Longer - Dan Fogelberg
16. Romeo's Tune - Steve Forget
17. Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan And
Double Trouble
18. Steady On - Shawn Colvin
19. Galileo - Indigo Girls
20. Stand Still - Shirley Ceasar feat. John P.
Kee
21. Every Morning - Keb'Mo'

BEK

An absolute must for any true fan of American Blues and Folk
This album is so good it's unbelievable; It's such a great listening experience. I especially love the rendition of
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" by The Staple Singers it carries so well and the emotions come through.

There are so many great songs on this album for true fans of classic blues and folk that I would almost venture
that it has no equal. The 60-page booklet is a nice added bonus, plenty of insight into the artists and songs.

If you have never really listened to bluesy folk music, give this disc a try. I definitely recommend adding this album
to any collection of American folk and blues recordings.

Another great entry in the series!
The entire series put out by Sony, "Soundtrack for a Century" is a wonderful enterprise, especially if you love historical curiosities as well as great hits. From the rare to the very popular, each volume brings a wealth of great music.

This particular volume is a curious mix from turn of the century gospel and blues to the folk music of The Clancy Brothers and the New Christy Minstrels. If you are a fan of the Clancy Brothers, nopte that there is an error in the liner notes. The notes say it is Tommy Makem singin "The Patriot Game" while in fact it is Liam Clancy.

While it is hardly a "soundtrack for the century" since it only contains artists who recorded for labels in the Columbia family, this volume and all volumes is a very valuable addition to a complete music library. ... Read more