Reviews (1)

Great mix of new and old blues recordings
The House of Blues label has done it again with another incredible collection of blues essentials. From classics must-haves by Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and John Lee Hooker to more recent recordings by Taj Mahal and Luther Allison, this collection is calling to you.

Also have to mention that the album art and liner notes are beautifully designed and well-written.

Only reason not to give it a full five stars is too many tracks pulled from other HOB discs, but if you don't have them all yet, you won't mind. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Teasin' Pleaser....
The Chess Blues Classics. Bellisimo, Baby. Great for an intro to the Chicago style post-Delta electric blues music--heck, this is great even if you're a longtime fan. This chronicles Chess Records move to their Michigan Ave. digs and the consolidating of some of their satellite small record companies into one big happy homestead. Bass man extraordinaire Willie Dixon becomes the Chess A & R man, and these Blues? They wail, Man, they wail! Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy, Howlin', Etta, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy!!!! When the Buddy Guy track comes on, you notice how much smoother the recording technology, hence, the Blues itself, becomes. A Little Milton cut has sessionmen Charles Stepney on piano and Maurice White on drums. Etta James house rocks a live audience in Nashville. Willie gives a tune to KoKo Taylor. And Hooker does the Last Call...will you love this? Do you have to ask?

Great music
Like its companion volume, "Chess Blues Classics 1947-1956", this CD offers some of the best tracks by some of the best blues musicians of Chicago's famed Chess label.
A couple of selections are debatable, and "Chess Blues Classics" is of no interest to the more experienced blues fan (no rarities). But if you're a newcomer and would like to explore classic electric blues, this is a very fine place to start doing so.

"Chess Blues Classics 1957-1967" includes two excellent cuts by harp legend Aleck 'Rice' Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II), namely "Help Me" and the magnificent "Fattening Frogs For Snakes", as well as excellent tunes by John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, and legendary bluesmen Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and slide guitarist Elmore James. And Otis Rush's too rarely heard "So Many Roads, So Many Trains", with its smouldering slow guitar solo, is here as well.

Several of these tracks count among the greatest electric blues performances ever issued, including Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster" and John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer".
4½ stars. A great place to start.

Excellent doorway into the blues
I bought this CD 4 years ago, not knowing a whole lot about the blues, and it is now one of my favorite albums. An excellent anthology of the classic blues. Anyone who considers themselves a music fan should listen to this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great stuff
As soon as I heard this CD once I just have to go back to it again and again, in my home, in my car, and everywhere else I can take it with me. If you are a fan of classic blues with lots of fine guitar jamming this is the album for you.

Smooth Listening with a Kick
This album contains some of the finest blues hits on a single CD.A DJ was playing this album at one of my favorite clubs, and it truly set the mood for an enjoyable evening.If you love to hear guitars sing like I do,then this album is a must for your collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Environmentalism isn't exactly a common subject in the blues, where material tends to be more personal than political. Nor does every song on Fish-Tree-Water Blues deal with the subject at hand; one might pause to wonder what Ruth Brown's "Ice Water in Your Veins," cool as it is, is doing here. And, too, much of the material is available elsewhere, including the Joe Louis Walker and Branford Marsalis duet "The Road You Choose," or Tracy Nelson's "Mother Earth." Still, there's enough new material to make things interesting, such as Mavis Staples's hearty "I'll Fly Away," Alvin Youngblood Hart's instrumental "Rollin' River," a cool live "The Forecast (Calls for Rain)" from Robert Cray, and the bittersweet, if overly earnest, "Victims of Comfort" from Keb' Mo'. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ONE OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS RELEASED!
Earthjustice, which put together the Fish Tree Water Blues CD, is a nonprofit group whose goal is to provide free legal assistance to organizations fighting for environmental causes. The proceeds from this CD will go to Earthjustice to help fund their projects. If you like protecting clean water, preserving rain forests, protecting endangered species or just like good blues music, this might be a disc that interests you. The disc features 14 songs from a diverse field of musicians. For the most part, and with only a couple of notable exceptions, the compilation sticks to the discs earthy theme. Five of the songs have never been released or qualify for that first new recording in many years category. For example, J.J. Cale's "Stone River", Alvin Youngblood Hart's banjo heavy "Rollin' River", Robert Cray's live "The Forecast (Calls For Pain)", Mavis Staple's "I'll Fly Away", and the Charlie Musselwhite with Bob Weir's Ratdog performing "Take Me To The River", all great stuff. This is a really good compilation from start to finish and definetly a worthwhile acquisition.

The Real Deal
In a market glutted with pointless compilations, this CD stands out as a must-have. Original tunes from some fabulous blues artists designed to remind us of how vital, and threatened, our natural resources are. The numbers by J.J. Cale and Robert Cray alone are worth the price of admission, a portion of which goes to one of the country's most impressive environmental organizations, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund. Trust me on this one.

excellent blues for working to or relaxing with
A great listening album. Not too heavy for working to and just light enough to relax with.

Fabulous -- And I only heard it on the net
I truly love the blues and usual I only like live in a smoky bar. This is one captures it -- down, dirty, and bluesy. I didn't know Brandford could really swing, until I heard this recording and this is just one of many highlights. Everything is worth many listens. Definitely in my collection.

If you like the blues...then this is for you!
Excellent mix of new and traditional blues artists. Makes me want to hit the smokey bar scene from my youth. Great listening, really brings back the memories. Definitely worth a listen and/or addition to your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hard to FInd Slow Blues in One Place
Finding a slow-jam blues compilation is tough.

There's tons of upbeat blues tunes, but not a lot of the stuff people generally associate with the blues: the drawling, lazy, kicked-back, heartbreak stuff.It's even harder if you're the type of person who is attracted to this apsect of the blues alone, but discover that most blues records are filled with jumping numbers and maybe 1 or 2 ballads.It's tough, and tryig to put together a compilation on your own can be expensive.

So here's the "Depression Blues" set, each CD (3 in the series) ready to knock you back on the couch and make you sip that Kool-Aid thinking about an old love gone bad.It's great stuff, pulled from popular and not-so popular sources.You need not have to beat the racks for a blues slow jam again.

This particular CD of the set, sold boxed and separately as well, is a little more upbeat in notion than the rest of the set.You can get your jook joint slow dance on, and find something to cry about.Great stuff, and great for beginners to blues. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally issued in 1942 as the fourth title in an Alan Lomax-edited six-part Library of Congress series, this collection's title, Afro-American Blues and Game Songs, says it all. The blues portion of the program is highlighted by very early recordings by Muddy Waters (cut a couple of years before young McKinley Morganfield set off for Chicago to write a chapter of his own in the history of 20th-century music) and Sonny Terry. Interspersed are field recordings of children's games and dances. As with all the titles in the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture series, a superior booklet rounds out the package splendidly. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Library of Congress Collection: Afro-American Blues and Game
This is possibly the worst transfer of data into digital format that I have ever heard. I have a 30 year old copy of this album on vinyl that I carefully recorded in MP3 format. The quality of this home recording maintains the fidelity of the original recording infinitely better than this CD. I bought the CD hoping for a better digital format, not worse. I am sending back this opened and played CD to Amazon.com today. Let's see how they respond to a return that is based soley on the fact that it is an incredibly inferior product. One final note. The music of the original recording will make any effort you take to find one of the older vinyls well worth your effort. ... Read more

Album Description

UK compilation is ideal for followers of The Dead as wellas fans of good old time southern music. 18 tracks,'Sitting On Top Of The World' Mississippi Sheiks, 'ViolaLee Blues' Lewis, Noah, 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl'Williamson, Sonny Boy, 'Kassie Jones' Lewis, Furry, 'ItHurts Me Too' Tampa Red, 'On The Road Again' Memphis JugBand, 'Deep Elm Blues' Prairie Ramblers, 'New MinglewoodBlues' Lewis, Noah, 'Walkin' Blues' House, Son, 'Blue Yodel No.9' Rodgers, Jimmie,'Spike Driver Blues' Hurt, John,'Goin' Home' Carlisle, Cliff, 'Someday Baby' Estes, John,'Samson And Delilah' Leadbelly, 'Louis Collins' Hurt, John, 'Big Railroad Blues' Cannon, Gus, 'Katie Mae' Hopkins,Lightnin' & 'Fields Have Turned Brown' Stanley Brothers.2001 release. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Deadhead or not.......
this is a great collection of sides. Nicely remastered jug band, blues and early country tunes covered by the Dead. Would make a nice Roots Music 101 disc for the uninitiated. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essential blues music
Thanks to Yazoo, many of these lesser known blues masterpieces will not be forgotten, at least not for a while. This set contains two of the brilliant Geeshie Wiley's rarer sides. Blind Willie McTell accompanies his wife Ruby Glaze on "Lonesome Day Blues." Blind Blake plays magnifecently behind Bertha Henderson on "That Lonesome Rave." Anyway, you know what you're in for, so buy it. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (1)

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

Reviews (2)

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

Hot Harps
Chicago Blues Masters

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

Reviews (1)

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

Amazon.com

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

Reviews (8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (2)

Truth in Advertising
This album is exactly what the title says it is - the best of the best of blues piano. "Essential Blues Piano" spans generations, styles, and record labels. A masterful sampler and a great listen, this is must-own music for the blues piano fan, and a great starting place for the newbie.

A great sampling of blues pinao styles
A fabulous sampling of various blues styles paints a vivid picture of how blues laid the foundation for 50's and 60's rock and roll. The piano instrumentals and vocals in this collection bring to life the raw excitement and passion of the various blues styles, many of which have made their way into pop music. To hear these in their more pristine blues form is exciting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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

Reviews (2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (1)

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

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

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

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