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Bobby Bland's purr-to-a-scream vocals quickly made him an R&B star in an era when rougher-hewn blues masters such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf had fallen from the charts. Bland, a former valet for B.B. King, established himself with both up-tempo workouts ("Farther Up the Road," "I Pity the Fool") and devastatingly subtle ballad readings ("I'll Take Care of You," "Stormy Monday Blues"). Greatest Hits, Vol. One is a generous sampling of the discs that made him a steady seller throughout the '60s. A second CD chronicles his work in the '70s after Duke Records, his longtime label, was sold to ABC. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (2)

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Along with Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Bobby Bland was a rarity in the legacy of classic blues singers in that he was a singer who didn't play an instrument. However, unlike Turner, Rushing and Hawkins, Bland didn't come out of the jump/big-band tradition where such a dynamic was more commonplace.

The songs on this disc are not Bland's earliest recordings, but they are early, spanning 1957-1969 with an emphasis on the years 1960-1962, and they're his best and most seminal recordings. Not only that but the compilation comes at such a bargain price that even those unfamiliar with Bland would do well to pick it up.

Bland and his music, under the direction of bandleader Joe Scott, had a decided showbiz bent due to Scott and his orchestra that made generous use of horns as well as the usual guitar, bass and drums. The greatness of Bland was that his genuine and soulful stylings transcended the 'sweetening' agents of his accompaniment. That's not a knock on Scott and his orchestra though, for Bland's sound anticipated what came to be known as soul music in the '60s. Bland, well-groomed and dressed in a three-piece fronting an orchestra is something that really does it for me image-wise. He wasn't one of those other blues singers like John Lee Hooker who looked like a street musician thrown on a stage. Some would see Bland in a lesser light or less genuine than someone like Hooker because of his show and orchestra but that's b.s. Half those 'serious' blues musicians were just mailing it in and living on an image anyway, and these days they all are.

Included in this compilation is 'Farther Up the Road', Bland's first hit, later made more famous by Eric Clapton. On 'Cry, Cry, Cry' and 'That Did It' Bland loses his mind to a pleasing effect. The Brook Benton-penned 'I'll Take Care Of You' utilizes a haunting, spooky organ overdub that works as a nice wild-card element and 'Yield Not To Temptation' includes a manic hand-clapping beat and female backing vocals.

Great music, great price - what are you waiting for?

a great talent
Bobby blue Bland has always had the goods.this disc showcases his talent.i've also enjoyed the stuff that he has done with B.B.King.a good solid disc.his vocal style is one of a kind. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

finally I found this
Several songs from this CD are used on the radio show "Finkleman's 45's" which is heard on Saturday evenings on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). They do have streaming audio.

So after listening to parts of these songs for several years, I finally found them on a CD. This CD is amazing and well worth the price. When I bought it there were only 3 on this site, and no one else had it. Classic saxaphone jazz, with smooth stylings and a mellow sound. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The best of Buddy Guy's Chess sides
If you're only going to buy one Buddy Guy-album, I'd probably go with Rhino's career-spanning "The Very Best Of Buddy Guy".
But this one is pretty much a must-have as well. Rhino's disc does include a handful of Guy's Chess sides, but his years at Chess were arguably his best period, and this excellent 15-track compilation brings together the cream of the crop.

These classic 60s recordings burn with unbridled passion - just listen to the smouldering slow blues "Leave My Girl Alone" and "I Cry And Sing The Blues". George "Buddy" Guy is one of the very few bluesmen whose vocals (occationally) match the intensity of the great Elmore James, and his guitar playing is superb - an obvious source of inspiration to men like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Also, the sound on this anniversary compilation is magnificent. Excellent transfers and spacious stereo mixes make these forty-year old recordings sound as sharp as anything you'll ever hear coming off the laser beam. If you are into 60s electric blues, this is a must-have purchase.

smooth and smoking
Buddy Guy is THE definiition of the blues. This album is a collection of the Chess recording years and is one of those albums i can put on and let run straight through. The first song on the album "Worried Mind" is a great lesson in "less is more" guitar soloing. "I found a true love is buttery smooth and "leave my little girl alone" is a blues classic. If your not convinced that this is a great album just remember that Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton considered Buddy one of their biggest influences.

If you only want to buy 1 Buddy Guy disc, this is it!
An excellent overview of Buddy's 60's material, some of his best. You really can't go wrong with this CD. Great stuff!

Buddy's Blues
Great compilations of the performances from Guy's best time in his career.

great blues music
as always buddy plays great blues musi ... Read more

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According to legend, it was Son House's blistering bottleneck guitar that prompted Robert Johnson to pick up a six string. House's potent early recordings from 1930 and 1941 to 1942 showcased his raw, emotionally powerful style, but never received the acclaim of Johnson's. When he was rediscovered during the '60s blues revivalist movement, House's voice still possessed wall-shaking intensity and his idiosyncratic slide guitar still had bite. These 21 recordings (including five alternate takes) offer superior fidelity and significant room for House to stretch out. The first disc features his classic "Preachin' Blues," a stirring a capella "Grinning in Your Face," and a nine-minute "Levee Camp Moan," with Canned Heat's Al Wilson on harp. Disc two (outtakes and alternates) includes an odd homage to President Kennedy and a riveting version of the spiritual "Motherless Children." --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Better Son House Exists
These 1965 recordings by Blues elder Son House are decent. This powerful and compelling singer is aged, but still at the top of his form. The song selection is great, and the sound quality is also good, but better recordings exist. Fans should specifically look at the 1941 Library of Congress recordings capture a younger Son House, and Masters of the Delta Blues, for even earlier Son House songs.

HoosierDaddy
When it comes to the delta blues,this is it!Son House(Eddie James House Jr.)These recordings are a major plus for your collection.I'm trying too find the words to express this review but I can't, just buy it and injoy!

Son House is the real deal. Listen and learn
Son House taught Robert Johnson the slide blues. Son House taught Muddy Waters. When Son House started performing at Blues festivals again in the mid 1960s, some of Muddy's younger band members would start to go off for a smoke or whatever when the old man came on stage. Muddy wouldn't let them. Muddy Waters would tell all his band members to be quiet and pay attention when the man played because even compared with Muddy, this was the real deal.

Rediscovered in Rochester, New York, relearning to play the guitar, (how this country abuses the masters that come from its people, particularly its Black people), put back on the stage by the folk revival's blues section.

People outside of the blues life focus on the guitar playing or the rhythm of the singing, but where the power comes from is the feeling and the words that are put together, the life and the meaning of the blues. Son House in his youth and his old age, on this and his other sides, always gave it.

So Like Muddy Waters, I would like you to know that
Son House is the real deal.
Listen and learn

Essential listening of the highest order
First of all, this is not a pop record. I give it five stars, not because it makes you want to dance and party all night long, but because these recordings are so incredibly intense and so essential to anyone who want to learn about the origins of modern popular music.
Son House was an elderly gentleman in his sixties when these recordings were made, in the spring of 1965 in New York City. Some of these songs were first recorded in 1930, and most people claim that these "rediscovery" recordings do not quite match the power and ferocity of House's earlier sides.
Maybe they don't, quite, and maybe Son House's guitar playing has slowed down a bit, although his health was still quite good when these songs were comitted to tape.
But to me this is still the best place to start. The sound is clean an clear, unlike House's 1941-42 recordings and very much unlike his original 1930 Paramount masters. Son's voice is clear and strong, without the slur that marrs some of his 60s and 70s recordings. And his guitar playing is solid and powerful.

Most of these tracks features just Son House and his large steel-bodied National guitar, played usually with a metal slide, but on a few cuts, House is accompanied by Alan Wilson (later of Canned Heat) on either guitar or harmonica. This pairing works especially well on the 9½-minute "Levee Camp Moan" where Wilson plays harmonica fills which bolster the sound without ever becoming obtrusive.

This man is without a doubt the most intense performer I have ever heard, overshadowing even the might of the Howlin' Wolf. Son House's voice cuts through the air like a knife, belying his age, and he plays his guitar like a stringed drum, snapping the strings and coaxing mornful wails from the copper slide.

The nine tracks on disc 1 were the ones originally issued. They feature the incredible intensity of "Death Letter" and "Grinnin' In Your Face", the powerful call-and-response slide guitar workout "Pearline", and of course "Preachin' Blues", "John The Revelator" and the epic "Levee Camp Moan".
Disc 2 contains alternate takes of all of these tracks, plus several previously unissued recordings such as House's rendition of Charley Patton's "Shake It And Break It" and the tracitionals "Motherless Children" and "Yonder Comes My Mother (when the roll is called up yonder)", as well as a re-recording of "Pony Blues" and Son House originals "Downhearted Blues" and "'A' Down The Staff".

The fact that this two-disc set features several alternate takes, and a total of 21 songs, should deter no-one. This is one of the very few totally essential albums for anyone with even the remotest interest in traditional Delta blues, and this is the very best place to start appreciating the power and glory of the great Son House.

Skip the single disk version. Get the whole thing.
The problem is after listening to Son House everything else seems decidedly low-wattage. Look at how Death Letter Blues bludgeons your psyche:

I got a letter this morning
How do you think it read?
It said the gal you love is dead.

I got up my suitcase,
took off down the road.
When I got there she's layin'
On a cooling board.

I walked up right close,
looked down in her face.
Said "Farewell honey,
I'll see you Judgement Day."

After that sort of thing, Dave Matthews and his "angst" isn't really something for a reasonable person to get worked up about.

His lyrics always obey the "show 'em, don't tell 'em" aesthetic. When he sings "Late in the evening, I went out on the outskirts of town; I choose me a seat, and watch the evening sun go down" you know exactly how he's feeling. And the guitar playing? Good Lord.

So Son House is a must. The only question is what to buy first. House recorded three times: seven sides for Paramount in the 1930's, nineteen songs for Alan Lomax in the 1940's, and then this session in the 1960's. I'd say that this two disk version of the Vanguard stuff is essential. (I bought the single disk version and regretted it.) The complete Alan Lomax field recordings are on a disk called "Complete Library of Congress Recordings 1941-1942". The Paramount stuff is best heard on the Document CD "Complete Recorded Works". There are some other compilations (Delta Blues, Preachin' The Blues, etc.) but they don't give you the complete picture.

I'd say buy this Vanguard stuff first. As you move back in time the performances get more fiery, but the sound quality gets much, much worse. So start here until you get yourself acclimatized.

(Also check out his buddy Charley Patton.) ... Read more

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When The Band's drummer Levon Helm set up a Woodstock-based recording studio and production company in 1975, his first client was the legendary bluesman Muddy Waters. Surrounding him with familiar sidemen Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin, plus such simpatico rock and blues stalwarts as The Band's Garth Hudson on accordion and organ, Paul Butterfield on harp, and Howard Johnson on saxophone, the 60-year-old Waters responded with the smoothest and most supple singing of his career. These two sessions are as delightful as any in his long association with Chess Records, and they signify his last album with that label. Among this Grammy Award-winning work's highlights are Muddy's original composition "Born with Nothing," featuring his stinging signature slide; his joyful R&B covers of "Let the Good Times Roll," Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City," and Louis Jordan's "Caledonia," this last graced by a looping Hudson accordion solo; and the previously unreleased bonus track, "Fox Squirrel". --Alan Greenberg ... Read more

Reviews (6)

God Bless Garth Hudson
Not a five star album, but contrary to what other reviewers would lead you to believe, Garth Hudson's accordion and organ really add a nice flavor to this album. They provide a nice counterpoint to the blues harp and piano. What I appreciate about this album is the loose, swampy blend of accordion, harmonica, and piano. If you enjoy the textured arrangements of The Band's albums and you like Muddy Waters, you really can't go wrong with this disc at this low retail price. Three and 1/2 stars.

i think this is great
i still think this is an exelent cd unlike other reviewers i don't think it fair to compair this to fathers and sons this is different yes but you would'nt to keep doing the same things over & over the music & sound quality are great an easy 5 star cd a must have for a muddy fan unlike electric mud.

3 1/2 stars. Some fine moments
"Fathers And Sons" remains Muddy Waters' best collaboration with his many younger admirers, but his "Woodstock Album" is certainly worth a listen as well, even if Band organist Garth Hudson's accordion on songs like "Caldonia", "Funny Sounds" and "Going Down To Main Street" is a very unusual choice which doesn't suit the songs particularly well.

I would have given this album four stars if it hadn't been for that annoying accordion which only detracts from the power of Muddy Waters, because the songs are generally very good, and Waters himself plays great slide guitar on a couple of mercifully accordion-free numbers.
"Why Are People Like That", "Born With Nothing" and "Love, Deep As The Ocean" are particularly good, featuring excellent piano playing by Pinetop Perkins, and great blues harmonica by Paul Butterfield.
Waters' take on Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll" is pretty good as well, and so is the CD bonus track "Fox Squirrel".

Not too many people realize how incredibly important the drummer is in electric blues music...the reason why many contemporary blues recordings fall flat is simply because the drummer can't play the blues, resorting instead to a stale, plodding rock rhythm.
If you listen to blues drummers like Willie "Big Eyes" Smith or the great Fred Below you'll understand what I mean. They knew how to get a real swinging groove going, and fortunately the Band's Levon Helm proves to be a fine blues drummer.
This album was Helm's brainchild, and he and Perkins are the main reasons why it works in spite of that awful accordion!

not true Muddy
This album was a disappointment. I was looking forward to Muddy's covers of "Caldoinia" and "Kansas City" but it wasnt what I thought itd be. Dont get me wrong, Muddy himself was fine, but he gets overshadowed by the musical collaborators. There is an overuse of harmonica and organ, and the annoying presence of ACCORDIAN! Accordians and Waters do not mix. This over-instrumentalization leaves the album sounding lame and folky and not bluesy. If you're looking for Muddy's later work, try "Blues Sky", with Muddy working with Johnny Winter and his back to basics production.

Funky!
Winner of a Grammy in 1975, The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album is one funky, greasy taste of Muddy at his finest. Driven by Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of the Band, as well as blues stalwarts Pinetop Perkins, Paul Butterfield and Bob Margolin, Muddy sounds like he's having a good old time, breathing new life into such standards as Caldonia and Kansas City. If you like the blues, Muddy-style, you'll love this album. ... Read more

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One of Cajun music's chief qualities is its cheerfulness; it's impossible to listen to it and stay depressed. This same quality makes it perfect music for kids, and Papillion succeeds admirably, from the rollicking gaiety of "Down on the Bayou" to the zydeco rhythm of "Zydeco Dancing" to the bluesy shuffle of "Sugar Bee." Most of the songs, as one might expect, will move the tiniest feet, from "Oh Papillion!" to "Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!" (which means, unsurprisingly, "Let the good times roll") to "Let's Go!" There are slower songs as well; "Fais Do Do" ("Go to Sleep") is a lullaby, and the highly recognizable "You Are My Sunshine" closes the CD. Between musical tracks, Papillion takes his young listeners on a journey through the Louisiana bayou, with an odd French lesson or two along the way. Recommended! --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Cajun for Kids...and Grownups!
This CD is infectious. The songs are great and the narration in between does well to teach both child and grownup alike about the cajun culture and music. The lyrics and music are so catchy even adults end up singing along. My 5 year old daughter's (and my personal) favorites are "Cocodrie" and "Crawfish!" It is a great CD to keep in the car! We have had it for probably four years and still love to listen to it.

Aieee! This CD has it all!
I have never taken the time to write a review. But, as I say, this CD has it all... pleasant music for people of ALL AGES, and the most delightful monologues which include discussion of Cajun culture, and language instruction (French Acadian dialect). Papillion is a charmer, and Cajun for Kids is a pleasure to listen to. Many of adult friends who don't have children buy copies for themselves because it is a treasure. Papillion puts everyone in a good mood. I wish there were many more CDs like it. Laissez les bontemps rouler!

My Kids and I love It!
My kids (ages 4 1/2 and 6 1/2)and I just love this CD. We listen to it on drives all the time. We all sing along. The narrations between songs are very interesting. They've helped my children learn something about the Cajun heritage. I highly recommend this if you want something different and fun. But then again, my kids also enjoy the Beatles and Santana so they enjoy a wide variety of quality musical styles.

Cajun artist Papillion leads us in a Fais Do Do!
Papillion's "Cajun for Kids" is the Music for Little People album I have enjoyed the least and it is still a really good album for kids. I must not like Cajun music as much as I would have thought. Like most of the excellent albums in this series we alternate between songs and narration, as Papillion introduces each song and tells us some stories from Cajun culture. Adults will probably recognize only a couple of the songs, "Jambalaya" and "You Are My Sunshine," but the fun about these albums is hearing new songs from different cultures. The Music for Little People series is absolutely great. Apply any and all adjectives that come to mind. In fact, if you do not have children, plan on having some just so you can pick up all of these albums.

Delightful! More Papillion Available on his Web Site!
My daughter and I love Papillion's Music!
Cajun for Kids is absolutely Delightful.
We have listened to this album for 3 years now and it is still her favorite.
I find that she has (in a way) grown with the CD... first when she was 2 she responded to the beat and joyful nature of the music... she began "Shouting" along with Papillion! As she has grown I find her listening more carefully to the songs and stories and asking me questions or telling me about her favorite parts. I love that this is quality music that I enjoy as an adult and that Papillion provides many levels for Children to relate to and grow into and discover new treasures in the songs and stories. We were tickled to discover Papillion's colorful and interesting ... and to Purchase ... Papillion's New CD "Hugs and Smiles!" This CD is just as much of a treat as Cajun for Kids!
Check it out at www.papillion.com! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Master of the Blues Guitar
Absolutely stunning collection of Freddie King's two instrumental albums from the early sixties. All the favorites are here (Hideaway, The Stumble, San-Ho-Say, etc.). A cram course for aspiring blues guitarists. In impecable stereo for the first time.

The "Holy Grail" of blues guitar
I was looking for the song "Remington Ride" when I stumbled across this CD last week. My motivation is that I am learning blues guitar (at the tender age of 40-something) and the name Freddie King is one I have been hearing about for some time. Little did I know that I had found a "blueprint" (pardon the pun) for learning the blues. This disk is packed with some of the best blues licks imaginable, starting with the much covered Hideaway. Whether you're a blues purist or a newcomer to Freddie King, like I am, this is one for your collection.

Freddie King, more than "just picking"
For my money, this is the best Freddie King available. It is actually a combination of his two all-instrumental lps, "Let's Hide Away and Dance Away" (1961), and "Gives you a Bonanza of Instrumentals"(1965). It contains his classics, "Hideaway","The Stumble", "San-Ho-Zay", the extended raveup "Remington Ride" (based on the bluegrass original!) and many other great tunes. In his playing you can hear the roots of Clapton, Peter Green, Magic Sam,and almost any other blues-based guitarist who came after him. The playing is almost architectural at times, humourous at other times, and, especially in some of the longer instrumentals, monsterously expressive. His music combines qualities of Chicgo and Texas blues with instrumentation that is like surf music and early rock n roll, making for an overall unique sound. Don't miss it! ... Read more

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Austin's Lou Ann Barton displays her sassy blowtorch blues style splendidly on her third recording, on which she receives assistance from friends and former bandmates such as Kim Wilson, David "Fathead" Newman, and current duet partner Jimmie Vaughan (Do You Get the Blues). But Barton, a past member of both Roomful of Blues and an early edition of Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, doesn't really need much help; her amazingly rich, blues-drenched voice is a musical force of nature. Whether using it on a sizzling remake of Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips," digging deep into Irma Thomas's Crescent City classic ballad "It's Raining," or energizing "High Time We Went," Barton saturates her sound with raw emotion and unerring blues sensibilities. Even semi-novelty numbers like Lazy Lester's bayou funk standard "Sugar Coated Love" and the tough-woman anthem "You Can Have My Husband" somehow seem more substantial. She further accentuates her no-nonsense image with superlative takes on Barbara Lynn's "You'll Lose a Good Thing" and renegade country legend Wanda Jackson's "Mean, Mean Man." --Michael Point ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Solid Effort
A very good effort from Lou Ann Barton. I had never heard of her before a friend in college at the University of Boston turned me on to her. This CD moves from slower blues to rhythm and blues with a very strong common demoninator, which is Lou Ann's voice. Very strong and hypnotizing. Her voice pulls you in and wraps you in a cacoon.

A very good introduction to Lou Ann Barton. I can't wait to get more and see what else she is up to. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great blues-slash soul-slash funk!
Magic Sam Maghett was a bluesman from the Mississippi Delta first and foremost, but he was also instrumental (so to speak) in introducing an element of soul in his music, which was called "soul blues" or "west side soul".
The soul element is especially prominent when listening to Magic Sam's vocals, which are those of a soul singer rather than a blues singer, but most of the songs are structured and played mostly like blues numbers (except for the funky drumming by Odie Payne).

This album doesn't contain the obvious number 1 (or five star) hit - unlike his previous album, "West Side Soul" - but the quality of the songs is uniformly high, with "I Just Want A Little Bit" and "Keep Loving Me Baby" among the best songs.

"Black Magic" is a fine album, made with a contingent of very skilled musicians (Maghett himself being one), well produced (that is, not over-produced), and certainly recommendable to everyone with an interest in both blues and soul.

This is perfect, what can I say.
Sam is first rate. If you like Buddy Guy you might like Sam. If you like Otis Rush, you will almost certainly like Sam. If you like good music with soul, rythm and feeling- this is it. Not too much production, not stripped down either. It is a happy medium for most blues fans. There isn't an overboard horn section or interfering keys, or crazy looped guitar tracks. This is pure taste. A piano that plays perfectly to the music [ Sam learned by West side soul to only play with the best. ] and one Tenor Saxaphone for a few tracks to add some layers. Sam plays lead and some extra rythm. He is the only vocalist. There are two tunes that are kinda soul/ r and b. And the rest are solid blues, sometimes funky, sometimes slow. Sam is one of the great blues singers and innovators. This record does have a happy medium in a lot of respects. You got an instrumental. You got guitar playing that is technically respectable and creative but totally tasteful and with a feel for the music. Sam doesn't drill over the music with confused lines that go no where in particular like alot of bluesmen tend to do. He plays with his band. He solos and he shines, but he doesn't ever mess up the sound of the songs. Its got the slow soul, the feel good, the funk, everything. This album and West side soul are Sam at his peek, and the cream of the electric blues players. The man was an all around innovator of blues music, live he played bass, drums, Harmonica, Piano or whatever the band needed, it didn't matter. He Pushed the cool blues ahead. He and Otis Rush changed the game. And Sam has a respect for Otis because he did his songs, like Keep loving me on here and My Love Will Never Die on West side. I tell everybody I know who likes good music- If you don't know this guy, then you are missing a big piece of the puzzle. This is where it's at. His two major studio records and only real studio Lps are two of my favorites out of hundreds of albums. I can't even see how anyone could not like this.

Magic Sam ---One of the greats who died too soon
Magic Sam's Black Magic and West Side Soul are 2 of the greatest blues albums of all time--absolutely essential for any one who loves urban electric blues. The singing is absolutely incredible --one of the most powerful and expressive voices in the history of the blues. His guitar playing, rhythmic drive, and arrangements are also excellent and unique-he died soon after these 2 albums were recorded just as he seemed about to break out into stardom. His slow songs exhibit a soulfulness that is incomparable and the faster songs have a drive and excitement that is also beyond compare. You can't go wrong with these two albums--highest recommendation possible.

A Definitive Electric Blues Album
I first heard this album (as vinyl) in 1969. As a guitarist and bass player who lived in Chicago on the South Side at the time, blues was in my BLOOD then - as it still is. I had several opportunities to play with Otis Rush on the West Side, and was going to play with Magic Sam . . . when he died.

This album is sheer beauty. Unlike his other blues counterparts in the city at the time, Magic Sam had a very R&B flavor to his blues - clean, always in tune, using that Fender reverb in ways that Otis, Buddy and others didn't. Yet he had an intensity that truly . . . well, touched me. Magic was a wonderful guitar player - and one hell of a singer. he was a gifted musician.

I Love This Album
Honestly, I'd never actually heard Magic Sam when I bought this album, but a lot of reading on the blues brought me to purchase Magic Sam's "Black Magic." I now own everything Sam-related I can get my hands on. This album is my favorite, and while others may recommend "West Side Soul" over this, "Black Magic" seems to be his most steady and arranged material available. Magic Sam blends Chicago blues sound with a soul inspired voice that is both riviting and relaxing. Everyone I have had listen to this album ends up loving it. "Black Magic" is constantly in my listening rotation, and I would recommend this album highly to anyone who has any taste for soul, R&B, or the blues. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Awesome
"Son House & The Great Delta Blues Singers" isn't entirely devoted to Son House. There are cuts by several other musicians, including Rube Lacy, Joe Calicott, and House's onetime playing partner Willie Brown, but this disc, which contains Son House's complete 1930 session, is the best place to get his earliest songs.
The sound quality is not excactly stellar, mainly due to the inferior quality of Columbia Records' original masters and horrible quality pressings, yet the power and intensity of Son House's huge voice and slashing slide guitar playing cuts through the pops and hisses like...well, a cutting thing. Knife and butter, brick and window, you make the choice.
Also, this CD is one of the very few which features both the previously unreleased test acetate of "Walking Blues" (the basis for Robert Johnson's song, not the other way around), and the second parts of House's three two-part singles. Listen to "My Black Mama part II", and you'll recognize it as the original version of "Death Letter Blues", complete with House's magnificent, wailing slide guitar riff.

House's seven songs are the highlights of this collection, but there is a lot of other stuff here which is certainly of interest to fans of classic Delta blues. The gruff-voiced Willie Brown's two cuts are almost as powerful as Son House's, particularly the great "Future Blues" (listen to Brown snapping the bass strings).
And fine waxings by Kid Bailey and Joe Reynolds in particular makes this a great collection of Delta blues as recorded by Paramount Records in 1929-30.

A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE FINEST DELTA BLUES
I absolutely love this CD and find myself listening to it over-and-over again. I ordered it for the Son House material but have found the Willie Brown and the Garfield Akers songs to be every bit as fantastic! Although I especially like the three musicians already mentioned, there is not a dud in any of the remaining tracks. If you like delta blues and don't have this CD you are missing one of the greatest musical treats you're liable to find.

The Greatest
In my opinion, Son House was the greatest of the Mississippi Delta bluesmen, whether you are listening to his astounding Library of Congress tracks from the 1940s, his historic studio album with Columbia in 1965, or his frightening live performances during the blues revival. The songs on this collection, however, are from his first and only session for Paramount way back in 1930--there are seven tracks in all.

Son House's playing was phenomenal. He was ferocious on the slide guitar and his growling and moaning vocals can--and will--make your skin crawl. "My Black Mama" (which was later reworked into his most famous song, "Death Letter Blues"), is Son at his best. "Preachin' the Blues", unfortunately, doesn't exist in a highly listenable format (the only known copy is a damaged 78) and is clouded by white noise, but much of it has been digitally cleaned. This is such a powerful song--and one of Son's signature tunes--that it has wisely been included on this collection.

Document has also included songs from Son House's contemporaries, namely Willie Brown, Rube Lacy, Kid Baily, Garfield Akers, and Blind Joe Reynolds. While shadowed by the geniuses of Son House, Skip James, Tommy Johnson, and Charley Patton, these 'lesser' artists should not be overlooked. Each had his own style and the tracks included here are great. Standouts include Willie Brown's "Future Blues", Garfield Akers' "Cottonfield Blues", and Rube Lacy's "Mississippi Jailhouse Groan".

This collection is valuable to any fan of the Delta blues--those who are fans of the great Robert Johnson (who isn't?) will learn that he found much of his inspiration in these recordings. While Johnson has surpassed House in fame and recognition, it's arguable that he held the highest talent. Only Son House can make your hair stand on end with his wrenching weeps and groans.

A collection with the roots of the great american music
Son House is certainly the king here. But all the other performers here were also top-notch delta blues performers of the 20's-40's. Son House is leading of this collection with his classic Grafton, Wisconsin 1930 recordings. Incredibly powerful, magic and enduring music that set the stage for things to come. That voice is just stupendous! His slide guitar is a killer too. Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters were avid followers of this man and incorporated some of Mr. House's songs, and way of playing in their music. The first 6 songs is from 3 officially released 78's in 1930. 'Walking blues' was a test recording, that ironically was not recorded for official release, though being one of Son House's theme songs. A great song anyway, and you can hear the inspiration that influenced a lot of blues artists up to this day. Another seminal figure here is Willie Brown. He used to travel around with Charley Patton and Son House in the delta, being a superb accompanist and guitar player. His two only recordings are masterpieces of the genre, powerful and classic stuff with strong lyrics. The other performers on this CD collection are all great performers in their own right. Blind Joe Reynolds was a more engimatic figure of whom little details are known, but his songs are great with fine guitar playing. Ruby Lacy was an influence on Son House and his two songs here are typical of classic delta blues. He became a Reverend some years later. You won't find much better blues than this anywhere.

Really THE BLUES!! (Can your heart stand it??)
This remarkable CD features the work of performers from the Mississippi Delta region that later spawned Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters and so on;it was a pretty tight-knit community with the musicians often knowing one another;such were the case here - Son House and Willie Brown knew Charley Patton (they all traveled to Grafton Wisconsin to cut records for the Paramount label)and House is of course the pivotal figurehead on this CD,-if youre faint-hearted this music is not for you,unfortunately,-no,this is the Holiest-God honest BLUES if ever there were such a sound.House rips his guts out in a flurry of white heat and intense passion,whether he grapples with the flesh vs, the spirit in "Preaching the Blues" or with the disasterous drought and crop failure in "Dry Spell Blues" AND his unfettered lusty despair on "My Black Mama" ;Willie Brown cut only two sides at his session but they cleary equal anything else in the Delta. I Fully agree with the gentleman from Jerusalem,naday haber,there IS a powerful African folk song influence all over this CD,-if anything it forces us to revise how we think about the Blues and its great history.The Roots of the Delta Blues emanate straight from the African villages,and if you like the low-fat Eric Clapton sort of 'Blues' then DONT buy this CD! BUT if youre not afraid to be exposed to raw naked human emotion then BUY THIS CD. If anything it'll cause you to rethink Robert Johnson's place in the historic pantheon,yes,he deserves his acclaim,but This community of artists made him possible to begin with.Mr.Naday Haber you are a most perceptive critic!Thank You!! ... Read more

Album Details

One of the Most Influential and Original Blues Musicians, Lonnie Johnson Virtually Created the Modern Blues Guitar Style on his Own, Sending the Music off in the Direction it Has Subsequently Taken. Combining Elements of Jazz Into his Technique Meant that He Blurred the Boundaries Between the Two Emerging Musics During the '30s, Later Slipping Out of Music Only to Return as an Elder Statesman in the 1960s. This Lavishly Presented Four CD Set Takes in all of the Recordings Made Between 1928 and 1952 that Created a Blues Legend and also Includes Comprehensive Liner Notes and a Full Discography. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Forty-three tracks of the seminal bluesman's recordings for Aladdin in the 1940s, The Complete Aladdin Recordings is a must-hear. Performing alone with his guitar or with sparse accompaniment--usually pianist Wilson "Thunder" Smith--Lightnin' dishes out the best of Texas country-blues. Starting off with "Katie May," Hopkins's first recording for Aladdin, the two-CD set winds its way through the guitarist's years with the label, showcasing what he was up to before his decline in popularity and eventual revival with the folk boom of the 1960s. Those expecting the almost-rock & roll of the latter period won't here any of that here, but they will hear its germination in such rollicking tunes as "Big Mama Jump" and "Let Me Play with Your Poodle." Definitely required, not only to hear the best of early Lightnin', but to hear the best of Texas country-blues. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (7)

From the Cotton Patch to the Big City
Learning at the knee of legendary Bluesman Mance Lipscomb, Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins blazed an incendiary trail through the urban Texas landscape.

These early tracks show the base upon which he built through the 60's and 70's. His concerts were often legendary, including one unforgettable night when he played at the University of Houston, on the same night as Abbie Hoffman was giving a speech across town at Rice University, at a far more ballyhooed event.

I know for a fact, because I saw them, and I was one, that most campus politicos chose to attend to Lightnin' instead of Abbie. Us Texans do know our roots.

Unforgettable moments of his concerts included such nicities as his swigging from a half-pint of Bourbon, and playing for as long as the tips came in. Late in the evening, his foot would become loose and begin pounding out the rhythm of the bass lines which his drop-thumb played. And a sly grin would sneak across his life-worn face. This was when he would impart his greatest wisdom to us.
He's a legend who has been missed.

From a man who loves the blues:
Many bluesmen have come and gone, but certain ones seem to have been around forever. Their music predates the fancy new singers, and while those new guys rise and fall, the old bluesmen stay the same, unchanged by time and just as beautiful and appealing as ever before.

Lightnin' Hopkins is one of those classic blues singers. Like Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, and all the rest, Hopkins is one of the founders of the blues - whoever plays the blues today is merely standing on the shoulders of these legends.

This collection of Lightnin' Hopkins recordings is truly worth investing in. The quality of the music cannot be contested, and the enjoyment of listening to them cannot be underestimated. And you can't beat the price! Where else can you get over 40 classic blues tunes for this price?

If you enjoy classic blues: get this album, sit back, and watch the world around you slow down for a while.

An Overlooked Founding Father.
There is a lot of John Lee Hooker here, and a lot of other stuff as well...

There early stuff has the wonderful gritty feel of Hooker's early pieces like "Teachin the Blues," but then the two start to part company.

Lightnin' has an endearing high pitch vocal style that immediately seems wrong for a classic blues musician, but grows on the listener until you cannot imagine the music any other way.

The later recordings make use of fun upright piano and slightly rocky tempos.

Not as earthy as Hooker, not as blue as Muddy, not as orchestrated as B.B., Lightnin has nicely balanced sound that may not always stictly qualify as blues.

Please note: this is a two-disc set! For $12! Ka-Ching.

Blues as personal as a hushed conversation
Sam Hopkins was a throwback - a vanishing breed, the troubador, the street musician...and his music was/is intensely personal. Lightning's lyrics and delivery combined with his guitar licks and irregular measures are unique. It's not music to boogie to although I have; it's music to reflect on, to enjoy Lightning's wry humour and observations. Rough around the edges but that's part of its appeal. Most fans will tell you that he was like no other.

Bright, beautiful Lightnin'
No praise can be too high for this landmark set. This is where it all started; if Lightnin' Hopkins had made no other music, these 43 tracks recorded from 1946-48 in Los Angeles and Houston would have cemented his reputation as a blues great. As it is, you see where everything came from. Four of the first nine tracks feature pianist Thunder Smith on vocals, and these are less enjoyable. The rest feature Lightnin' playing clever, conversational, concise Texas blues with verve and brilliance. Sound on a couple cuts is rough, but generally is quite good. Don't listen to all this music at once, but do listen. And the price for these 43 gems is astonishing. Get this set! ... Read more

Album Description

36 of the late great blues guitarist/ vocalist's finest recordings for the Vee-Jay label, including 'Bright Lights, BigCity', 'High And Lonesome' and 'Ain't That Lovin' You Baby'. Double slimline jewel case. 1999 release. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BIG BOSS MAN!
LOVE JIMMY REED ALL OF HIS MUSIC! #1 THE BEST! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Awesome, but Wed & Thurs in SF even better!!!!
Albert is THE master!! This CD is truly powerful guitar playing and great vocals! A must for ALL Blues and rock fans.
As great as Live Wire / Blues Power is, it is very misleading to say that these were the best songs of the live SF shows. ALL songs were great, and the "leftovers" that were placed on the Wednesday night in San Francisco and Thursday night in San Francisco were just as good. All three CD's form the greatest collection of the sweetest guitar playing ever!!!! He was the TRUE master. It's amazing how few paople know about this secret pearl of music.

One Of The Great Live Blues Albums!
Legendary blues guitarist Albert King really hits his stride on this CD (originally released in 1969). Worth it just to hear the uptempo classic "Night Stomp". Arguably, this is King's best album. All the tracks are great, and this is one disc that really sticks-to-your-ribs, and one that you will go back and play again and again! A great disc for budding blues guitarists to listen to... you'll be hard-pressed to find a better teacher (with the possible exception of Freddie King). Regardless, this disc is a must for both blues and rock fans alike. Well worth the price.

king of the flying v's and more....
This is a seminal album....one of the finest live concert recordings ever, irrespective of genre. I saw King Albert twice at the Fillmore East in the old days [this one was recorded at Fillmore West], and this CD [or my old vinyl LP for that matter] captures him in all his live glory. Albert was a consummate professional who hadn't played large venues for the most part in his career when Bill Graham tapped him for the Fillmores, and he succeeded in pleasing [no, knocking out!!] audiences and turning them on to the blues....if you're counting your coins and wondering which next blues CD purchase will best serve your budget [or even if you're made of money and don't care either way but love the blues] - BUY THIS ONE!!!

Albert King's Most Influential Live Album!
Well the Blues is meant to be played live. It was never a genre for three minute radio songs. When Albert king signed at Stax he produced several hit singles beginning with "Laundromat Blues" and going on from there. This was his first live album- ever. He produced three recordings from it, this one and "Wednesday and Thursday Night in San Francisco". The latter two were not released until 1990 when the Stax label was ressurrected under the Fantasy organization. Albert plays a host of new material and reworkings for this LP. It was his first outing at the Fillmore where he was the headliner. He woos the young audience and introduces them to what the blues is all about. He opens the set with Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", a tune he used for about a dozen years after this as his opening with his line "take off your shoes and slip them under the seat". He goes into the title track "Blues Power" from here. This a Talking Blues, a type that Albert excelled at. B.B. and Freddie never did any talking blues, Albert loved to talk! It is interesting that this type of blues originated in Appallacia with white players in the 1920s. Albert is the all time virtuoso of the talking blues witness "Matchbox", "Cold Feet" and others. This ten minute outing contains a comprehensive overview of his guitar style. It is very excellent and the tone of his guitar is fabulous. It of course has his signature stop break he first recorded at Chess in 1961 with "Won't Be Hangin Round". SRV used it in Texas Flood (Live)! This song has a lot of jargon that places Albert as an older player with a young audience, such as "Soda Fountain" and "Guys and Gals"..however, it's over their heads, they were into his guitar. The title "Blues Power" is of course the catch phrase of the sixties various "Powers" (Austen Powers!!) and like "Born Under A Bad Sign" (Age of Aquarius!!)these attempts at contemporizing the blues were lost in the fabulous guitar work outs. No one cared about the lyrics or content only the sound.

Albert does a reworking of his first minor hit with King Records "Blues At Sunrise" with a small amount of Hendrix type feedback (he'd been doing this for a long time) and it's a great slow blues offering. He also does the closest thing to a slide riff he'd ever done with B.B. King's "Please Love Me". "Night Stomp" is an interesting reversal of the famous 9th chord runs he did in Overall Junction. He wrote this tune with the album's producer Al Jackson, Jr, the famous drummer of the MG's. He also wrote "Cold Feet" the talking blues, with Albert! The album closes with "Look Out" which was of course "Overall Junction" redone. This is interesting with the strange almost Buddy Guy bends he produced- it's different from anything he ever recorded.
This is a classic recording. It was at a time when the blues revival of the sixties was waning and Jimi Hendrix (who played with Albert) had taken the blues to a new level of blues-rock. Albert became accepted as an innovator of modern urban blues with his soulful recordings for Stax records. However, live he always played traditional blues and often his set included tunes from the 1940s (check out the other two albums e.g."Driftin Blues"). I saw him in 1990 and his set included "Stormy Monday" and "Move To The Outskirts of Town". Get all three of these CDs, they are an historic record of the blues influence on music of the 1960s.

Forget SRV? I dont think so.
I agree with all the positives about Albert King, he certainly is CLASS. I do disagree with the person who said "forget SRV" yeah right! He was CLASS too, wasn't he?? ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

For the completist, this three-CD, 72-song box remains the definitive collection of one of the leading lights of Chicago blues. The collection spans 25 years, beginning with rare early recordings with pianist Sunnyland Slim and moving through Waters's peak '50s period, which offered the legendary support of Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, and Otis Spann. Luminaries including Pat Hare, James Cotton, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Pinetop Perkins all make valuable contributions to his '60s work. Along with his original hits and his noteworthy Willie Dixon interpretations, Chess wisely includes his lesser-known covers of Big Bill Broonzy, Howlin' Wolf, Guitar Slim, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Boy Williamson. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The best from the best
This is the only box set that I can think of that could be essential. All of these historic recording, represents one of the greatest achivements of popular music in the 20th century. Muddy Waters changed music forever. The first half of disc one alraedy delivers some of best performance ever, like 'feel like going home'and 'cant be satisfied', Muddy's first big sellers that turned him into a star. He was still playing very much in the Delta style, although by that time he was cooking in juke joints with one of the best blues band ever. The recordings included in the second half of disc one and practically all disc two are simply in a league of its own, comparably only perhaps to Elvis sun sessions and Loui Armstrong hot five and sevens in terms of perfection and influence in music. Disc three proves that the man could not make a bad record, and includes a live track from Live at Newport, your next essential purchase.
The box includes a booklet with details of every session, and essays on Muddy the man and the musician. This is as good as blues music can get.

If You Only Had One Blues Album.....Yep, This Is It!
A comprehensive collection from the best bluesman ever. Sure, others have done significant recordings, established new sounds, forged creative sounds, but no one has been *the man* for decades, like Muddy has. Regardless of whether it is these priceless early recordings where the genius was just starting to come through or whether it is any of the numerous eras Muddy went through, they are all well represented on this set.

The supporting book is one of the best I've seen ever. It is comprehensive, has new and unusal photos, and gives a good history of Waters' recordings.

The one belongs in the "if I was on a desert island and take only one CD, which one would it be" category.

The most complete overview of Muddy Waters' Chess sides
More casual fans will probably be better served by MCA/Chess's much cheaper (but very good) two-disc compilation "The Anthology: 1947-1972". But if you're looking for the best and currently most thorough available overview of Muddy's recordings for Aristocrat and Chess, this is it.
It is not the final word on Muddy Waters - his excellent latter-day recordings with Johnny Winter as producer aren't here, and you'll need some of his live stuff as well - but these 72 tracks do include the vast majority of his best songs from 1947 and twenty-five years on.

Disc one spans 1947-1954, and most of the 24 tracks feature just Muddy Waters on slide guitar and bassist Ernest "Big" Crawford backing him, although the great Sunnyland Slim rolls the ivories on a few songs, like the delightful 1947 single "Gypsy Woman".
Muddy's arsenal of slide guitar riffs may seem limited, but his playing on the 1948 hit "I Can't Be Satisfied" and the mellow "Train Fare Home" is really great, demonstrating what a fine guitarist he actually was.

Percussion doesn't show up until two-thirds of the way through the disc, when the "classic" Muddy Waters band begins to take shape: Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar, drummer Elgin Evans, and Otis Spann playing the piano.
Along with the songs already mentioned, the lean, mean "I Feel Like Going Home" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'" are among the highlights on disc 1, which ends with the tough, swinging "Blow Wind Blow" and the classic "Hoochie Coochie Man". Big Walter Horton plays superb harmonica on "Blow Wind Blow".

Disc 2 includes the majority of Muddy's classic 50s singles, from "I'm Ready" and the thumping "I Just Want To Make Love To You" to "Got My Mojo Working", the Bo Diddley-ripoff "Mannish Boy", and the superbly swinging "I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love". Harpist James Cotton appears for the first time on "I Love The Life I Live", blowing a truly inspired harmonica riff.

There are several lesser-known songs here as well, including previously unreleased takes and singles which make their LP/CD debut on this album. Most of them are good, although not quite great, with the exception of a very fine rendition of Jimmy Oden's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet".

Disc 3 covers 1960-1972, and includes a few live recordings, as well as two alternates from the sublime "Fathers And Sons" sessions. Opening with the great live "I Feel So Good" from the Newport album, it is highlighted by Muddy's version of Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours", the definitive renditions of his mid-60s hit singles "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", and a hornless version of "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone", one of the few good cuts from the otherwise forgettable "London Sessions" album.

There is nothing here from the misguided and completely superflous "Electric Mud", or from Muddy's last Chess-effort, "The Woodstock Album", but that detracts nothing from the greatness of this compilation, the finest overview of Muddy Waters' Chess sides available.

Great place to start.............
For those of you who like the old blues,then I suggest that you get this one.It may not have everything he ever did and there may not be very many rare tracks,but why quibble? Great playing,soulful singing and memorable melodies......Listen to this legendary bluesman who inspired The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton,among others....BUY IT!!!

In short: all you need
Okay, that's it, that way my review right there in the title.
These three CDs have every important studio recording that Muddy Waters made for Chess - all you need besides this is "Live at Newport", and you're set. Well, that, and maybe the acoustic "Folk Singer" album.
Having said that, this is an expensive set, and in spite of some extra tracks (most of which aren't absolutely necessary), it may be too expensive.
The double-disc "The Anthology: 1947-1972" costs almost twenty bucks less, and serves its purpose almost as well. And you can use the money you save to buy Waters' three Blue Sky-albums :o) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The other side of the Delta
Skip James was a contemporary of Robert Johnson who possessed an eerie falsetto voice and pristine fingerpicking. James quit music entirely after making some legendary sides in the 30's and this recording was his first in over 20 years. The title track, his anthem for the Great Depression, was featured on "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?" when Chris Thomas King played it by the campfire. This album intimately captures James' haunting playing and offers a chance to hear an original master in a high quality recording.

Excellent Remastering of a Classic Album
This remastered edition of Skip James' 1964 Biograph LP GREATEST OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS is a testament to how well his material as aged over the past four decades. James first recorded for Paramount in 1931 and then virtually disappeared until 1964 when (among others) John Fahey rescued him from obscurity. It had been nearly 20 years since James was convinced to perform at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. His reception prompted him to enter the recording studio for the first time in 30 years. The result is this amazing album. Twelve stellar songs featuring James' haunting falsetto and stunning picking. There's an eerie quality to James' music that will give you chills. One listen will convince you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Blues Classic Remastered!
It might not be readily apparent, but this is not a compilation but a straight reissue of Skip James's finest album, originally recorded in the mid-'60s. Actually, it's not quite a straight reissue--in addition to the remastered sound, it has a new (and superior) cover and a shuffled track order. It also has very good liner notes that I think were included in the original release. According to the notes, half the albums are new version of classic tracks he recorded for Paramount in the '30s. The others are completely new songs. This is a seminal blues album that belongs in ANY blues collection.

A Haggard and creaky musical euphoria.
The late Skip James rules! This is true musical bliss, powerful in all its' worn beauty and solitude. Skip James is my hero! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

just the funkiest !!!!!
i have loved johnny guitar watson since 1977 (real mother4 ya)and yes ,have tracked down the albums and cds in merry old england!!this is the grooviest from the out attack of "i need it",to the slow burn of "since i met you baby".this is probably the mans most complete recording,for my money.i would guarentee you would not be disappointed with this.jgw was never massive in uk apart from soul underground,and those who got his groove remained loyal.those of us who love this mans music should spread the message.

A Great Album
THis Album is a Must.Johnny Guitar'Watson is a Great Underrated Talent.He Is a Genius.As Writer,Arranger,Producer,Instrumentalist&Vocalist Johnny Guitar Watson is one of the baddest ever.This is a Great Album.this Grooves are Timeless. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Trying to boil down a prolific 40-year career into 18 songs is an impossible task, but that doesn't stop Rhino from taking a shot. To its credit, this single-CD compilation reaches across many labels, highlighting Guy's explosive work for Chess and Vanguard in the 1960s, Atlantic in the 1970s, and diverse labels in the 1980s. On the other hand, his Chess and Vanguard work deserve significantly more attention than they're given here. In addition, Guy's rejuvenated 1990s work for Silvertone is completely ignored. The result is a rather cursory overview of Guy's career, despite the high quality of what is present. The benefit of this approach, however, is that it displays Guy's versatility: The Guy of feverish guitar pyrotechnics, wailing vocals, and rocker intensity lives alongside a smoother, more soulful and melodic Guy.--Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The all around best intro cd to Buddy Guy!
There are too many great blues artists out there to spend a fortune on every artists complte recordings would cost tens of thousands of dollars, so getting comprehensive samplers of the artists earliest recordings in the best way to go. This cd have mostly the 50's & 60's sessions, his early stuff, and a bit towards the end of the cd his later works, but just a small sampling, the majority of the cd is his best work for Chess and other jump blues labels. This cd is exellent and is the difinitive sampler(though one should not overlook his duo albums with junior Wells), this cd will do a fine job of summing up Guy in his early prime and middle years. Guy has an incredibly piercing voice, similsr in texture and feeling as BB King, though less of a baritone, and his guitar solos, are creative, and even jazz and improvisation occur every so often. This cd is full of energetic performances, from shuffling jump blues to slow blues drags, it's all great stuff. Essential for any blues collection, to be complete.

Like sands thru the hourglass, so are the days of our lives
This is the life, a great cd of blues, lot's of love, peace and yeah man, his guitar is sweet soundin' with some jazz licks. As the world turns baby...

****1/2
This is a very credible attempt to summarize Buddy Guy's entire (pre-Silvertone) career on a single disc.
"The Very Best Of Buddy Guy" encompasses Guy's 1957 demo "The Way You Been Treating Me," a couple of Cobra sides, four of his hottest Chess sides, a few recordings for Vanguard and Atlantic, and three from Buddy Guy's days with the British JSP label.

Four Chess sides isn't really enough, but the compilers have done a fine job considering they only had 80 minutes of disc space to work with (the CD clocks in at approximately 75 minutes), and many songs, such as "First Time I Met The Blues", "Sit and Cry (The Blues)", and "My Time After Awhile", do rank among Guy's very best songs, showcasing his powerful, intense vocals and smouldering guitar playing.
A very good introduction to the reigning king of Chicago blues.

a must have
Buddy Guy is one of the baddest ever.he lays something on those strings.this set is a great introduction to this Genius.he really is something else Live.hearing his Rawness here is a must for any Lover of Guitar based music.what a Great Musician!check this out.

This is where it all started folks!
A wonderful collection from possibly one of the best guitarists there has ever been. Alot of older stuff, so the quality on CD is a bit less than sharp. But, that is what it was back then! A must have. This man should be on the finger tips of every blues guitarist... ... Read more