Amazon.com

Along with Robert Johnson, Son House, Charley Patton, and others, Blind Willie Johnson was one of the founding fathers of the blues. This 16-song collection features some of his best, most classic work, a distillation of the 30 songs he recorded (all of which are available on Complete Recordings of Blind Willie Johnson). Unlike his peers, however, Johnson's focus was on spiritual music, which he performed in church and on street corners, his chilling, gravelly voice complemented by guitar work that is nothing short of exquisite. Many of the songs taken up and popularized by Johnson's contemporaries and successors were written by him, and they're all here: "John the Revelator," "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed," "If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down," "Lord I Just Can't Keep from Crying," "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine," and of course "Dark Was the Night--Cold Was the Ground." Dark Was the Night is a worthy introduction to this seminal artist's work. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great blues
I came to Blind WIllie Johnson from Columbia's "Legends of The Blues Volume 1." I had it on and when i hit track for my head could've nearly spun off my neck. It was "Lord, I Just Can't Keep from Cryin'" - hands down the best song on that compilation. Johnson's voice was powerful and the female harmony was intoxicating. The slide work was great. It hit me hard. Anyway, I picked this disc up - i just had to - and was not disappointed. So many songs on this disc could easily be tossed into the "best ever" categorical debates. Johnson's voice may ruffle some as it is very strong and gruff, but it makes the songs that much better in my opinion. Great blues here, great blues.

New generation of music?
For many young adults, such as myself, the blues has truly become a new found love. In order to really appreciate the essence of the blues, several of my friends researched legend blues artists and I came across Blind Boy Willie...never in my life have I heard music played with such emotions, and realism. Message to all generations: open your minds, close your mouths, and listen...really listen to the blues.

Essential
The PBS series "The Blues" will hopefully introduce the work of Blind Willie Johnson to a mass audience. Recognition of this man and his contribution to American culture is long overdue. "Dark Was The Night" is the best and most affordable introduction to Blind Willie Johnson. The complete collection two disc set is pretty much for completists only.

That said, if you have never heard this music before, be sure to prepare yourself, because the spiritual force and gravity of this music may leave you exhausted and perhaps even frightened. Johnson's voice is one of the most unique and haunting instruments to have ever been recorded. The man's singing bespeaks experiences and a life lived that is almost too painful to contemplate. The lyrics of these songs are almost transcendentally poetic...the religious imagery is used to ask the most fundamental of philosophical questions. The female accompaniment of these songs only makes them a more poignant commentary on the human condition. Johnson's guitar work is similar in nature. In combination, this music is about as raw and emotive as human musical production can get. I think Wim Wenders is correct when he says that this music will teach you more about the American experience than just any history book. And Ry Cooder is surely right in his observations about this music.

These songs strip it and you bare; you simply have no place to hide. You will get ripped to shreds, ponder the nature of existence, and then eventually get "healed" as John Lee Hooker famously sang not too long ago. This is "deep" blues, about as deep as the blues and gospel can get.

One of the great, haunting, bone-chilling treats of music
This is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard.
You wouldn't think Willie Johnson's gruff faux-bass growl could be beautiful, but his singing, and his songs, is so incredibly powerful and sincere. His music is so melodious, and his slide guitar playing is unsurpassed even today - just listen to Johnson's pocket knife coaxing the most wonderful sounds from the steel strings on "You'll Need Somebody On Your Bond" and "It's Nobody's Fault But Mine".

This is not blues, mind you, even though there's sometimes only a fine line between 'Blind' Willie Johnson's brand of gospel and the country blues of men like Son House and Charley Patton. But gospel it is, and Johnson (and his wife) turn in fabulous renditions of "Praise God I'm Satisfied", "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning" and the awesome "The Soul Of A Man"."Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying" ventures into the blues idiom, but virtually all of Johnson's songs were strictly religious, songs about the hope of a better world than this one, in which Johnson laid on his bed of wet, bundled-up newspapers and slept after his house had burned down, contracted pneumonia, and died while only in his forties.

'Blind' Willie Johnson's singing and playing is powerful and strongly rhytmic, much more so than you would expect from a man who was essentially a gospel singer, but you can't help but imagine the big, thundering beat of a drummer keeping the rhythm section going behind him.
His rough, gravelly voice is awesome to hear, and it comes as a genuine surprise when he suddenly delivers in his own natural tenor on a few tracks, such as the classic "Let Your Light Shine On Me".
Only the awe of listening to Son House in his prime can be compared with the experience of hearing 'Blind' Willie Johnson doing "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" or "Dark Was The Night (cold was the ground)" for the first time.

Praise Johnson, I'm satisfied!
Blind Willie Johnson is different. You can actually detect his regret,his anguish, and his utmost yearning for salvation in hissandpaper-like voice, his superb slide-guitar playing and his songwriting. All the songs on this CD are great. They are, yes, very spiritual and religous. But they don't sound and feel like some religious nutcase preaching the end is coming and those who believe in God will be saved and be placed in somwhere up in the sky where everything is fine and jolly, yada, yada, yada... Johnson sounds REAL. He sounds like someone who doesn't really care about his audience. He would probably sing those songs of his even if there's no one around.

Johnson has a great voice(think along the lines of Howlin' Wolf and Tom Waits). You might not enjoy it on the first try, but it sort of stuck on your mind and won't let you go. I'm no expert in blues, but these songs sound very different from what you'd usually consider to be "blues"(I guess Muddy Water and his followers would fall into this realm). The female harmonic vocal is very powerful and moving, it gives Johnson's music a haunting and disquiet feel. I highly recommend you to try it, regardless of your view on religion.

One suggestion, you might want to go straightly to the Complete Recording of BWJ. I had the this first and then purchased the Complete set, now I don't know what to do with the this condensed version. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most live blues recordings have a feeling of intimacy, as if the concerts took place in some out-of-the-way venue for an audience who not only know all the lyrics, but know the performers personally as well. Live Alive, in contrast, feels like a large-scale rock concert, an epic production full of grand gestures. But really, nothing suited Stevie Ray Vaughan's style better; everything, from the overall sound to the solos, feels big. The roar of the audience, especially for favorites like "Pride and Joy," "Cold Shot," and "Texas Flood," is huge but distant, an arena sound. Overall, Live Alive leaves the impression of a series of stellar moments caught on tape, with an intensity rarely captured in the recording studio. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Superb
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan rocked on stage. His rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Commit A Crime" may lack the raw punch of the original, but that's a minor complaint - most of this album is simply excellent, filled with gems from Vaughan's first three albums.

Vaughan's guitar playing is masterful, with more grit than most of his studio orginals. His vocals are good, too, and the song list is magnificent, featuring the rare, non-LP track "Willie the Wimp" about the bizarre 1984 funeral of a Chicago "wiseguy".

Other highlights include Vaughan's best song, the superbly groovy "Pride And Joy", as well as "Look At Little Sister", "Cold Shot", "Love Struck Baby" and the slow blues "Texas Flood" and "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love", but there are really no weak songs, and this album should appeal to fans of both blues and rock music.
The sound is good, and the band is excellent. Several songs actually sound better in this live setting than on the original studio albums, partly because of the blistering blues-rock arrangements which include keyboards (piano and organ).

(Some people seem to think that Vaughan's playing wasn't up to his usual standarts when this album was recorded, that he must have been having a bad night or something. I can't make any sense of that claim, especially since "Live Alive" wasn't recorded during just one show, but actually incorporates cuts from different concerts in both 1985 and 1986. He must have been having some bad years, then.)

This is a very enjoyable, soulful live album, and it is highly recommendable to anyone with an interest in Stevie Ray Vaughan, or contemporary blues and blues-rock in general.

****1/2
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan rocked on stage. His rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Commit A Crime" may lack the raw punch of Wolf's original, but that's a minor complaint...most of this album is simply excellent, filled with gems from Vaughan's first three albums.

Stevie Ray's muscular and versatile guitar playing is sublime, with more grit than most of his studio orginals. His vocals are good, too, and the song list is magnificent, featuring the rare, non-LP track "Willie the Wimp" about the bizarre 1984 funeral of a Chicago "wiseguy".

Other highlights include Vaughan's best song, the superbly groovy "Pride And Joy", as well as "Look At Little Sister", "Cold Shot", "Love Struck Baby" and the slow blues "Texas Flood" and "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love", but there are really no weak songs, and this album should appeal to fans of both blues and rock music.
The sound is good, although not always crystal clear, and the band is excellent. Several songs actually sound better in this live setting than on the original studio albums, partly because of the blistering blues-rock arrangements which include keyboards (piano and organ).

Apparently some people feel that Vaughan's playing wasn't up to his usual standarts when this album was recorded, that he must have been having a bad night or something. I've heard a lot of live SRV, and I can't make any sense of that claim, especially since "Live Alive" wasn't recorded during just one show, but actually incorporates cuts from different concerts in both 1985 and 1986. (He must have been having some bad years, then.)

This is a very enjoyable, soulful live album, and it is highly recommendable to anyone with an interest in Stevie Ray Vaughan, or contemporary blues and blues-rock in general.

Don't buy the cd, get the tape or record!
This is a great album the way it is, but without the 14th track (Life Without You), it's only half as good. For some reason, this track is not on the cd version, but appears on the cassette and vinyl version. It may take some hunting, but it is certainly worth it. Stevie may be stoned out of his mind, but the live version of Life Without You, with the three minute recitation at the end, is a beautiful, touching moment. Besides that, live Stevie Ray is always amazing. Highlights on this are "Pride and Joy", "Ain't Gone 'n' Given up on Love", "Cold Shot"(Check out the guitar tone on this one), "Texas Flood", "Voodoo Chile" and "Change It". Still, GET THE TAPE OR RECORD. You won't be dissapointed.

Heard only a few songs
This album is one of the only live albums that I don't have. I have heard samples, and a few extra songs on other cds though. The first thing I hear from somebody that tell about this album is basically that Stevie couldn't have been more high. His performance was just imbarrassing for the other members in the group (specifically Reese Wynans). Most poeple don't know this but, on the old vinyl copy of this album, (I've never heard it but someone told me) there was originally a 14th track. It was the song that usually comes close to the end of Stevie's sets. The song was Life Without You. Since it was the very last song, I'm guessing Stevie was more pooped than ever beacause it was the last song and that he was extremely high and everything. Being high is one thing, but being high and playing your last song in a set is terrible. In the old vinyl disc, Stevie was on his last song and he was so terribly slow that Reese Wynans walked off stage embarrased and discusted. This track was taken off the album because of its discracefulness.

SRV LIVE ALIVE
Stevie Ray Vaughan did not always play his best its one of those things that guitarist go through even Jimi Hendrix had a bad concert. This concert would prob have to be one of Stevie Ray's worst concerts. I am a huge SRV fan and I have about all of his stuff my favorite DVD is Live At Elbocambo this DVD SRV plays his heart out. Also on this CD they include the piano player who toured with SRV around the time of this concert and the Austin City Limits. There still is great guitar playing sounds good for what it is. Some cool songs are Pride And Joy, Cold Shot, Willie The Wimp, Voodoo Chile(Slight Return), Texas Flood, and Love Struck Baby. I was disapointed SRV did not play Lenny but it most have been one of those days I gave this CD 5 stars. If you love SRV then try this one out see how you like it listen to the samples. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jimmie Vaughan is a master of mood, but not ostentatiously so; he's too slick for that. You think you're getting a slab of solid electric blues with Do You Get the Blues?--and as a matter of fact, you are--but this particular slab cuts all the way to the bone. It begins innocuously enough, with a relaxed instrumental piece set to a shuffle beat, until you realize the track's called "Dirty Girl." Then things slow down even more for "Out of the Shadows," and this one looks like a downer, but no, Vaughan addresses an upbeat subject here. Likewise, "Off the Deep End" ambles along amiably enough, but there's a current of tension underpinning the song, until we reach the line "And the water's fine." Here, the music relaxes, mirroring the lyrics. And so on, through a cover of "Power of Love" (with killer vocals from fellow Texan Lou Ann Barton), so that when "Without You" suits music to sentiment, it has even more impact. This subtlety is Vaughan's mastery at work. He does what you don't expect, contrasting music with subject matter, avoiding musical clichés like the plague, and doing all of it so offhandedly that you never realize what he's up to. Hence the flute on "Don't Let the Sun Set" is moving, as opposed to cheesy, while "In the Middle of the Night" has a sexy, swinging beat and heartbroken lyrics. True, Vaughan is a better musician than he is a lyricist, but he's good enough at the former that few are likely to complain.--Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Brilliant...
...absolutely brilliant! Jimmie's unique adaptation of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's guitar style is as authentic and surreal as little brother Stevie's remarkable Albert King influenced bends. This is one great album from beginning to end. It begins and ends with smokin' B-3 driven instrumentals that ooozzzz (the latter including bongos and an uncredited flute). I never cared much for the Thunderbirds days, but this release solidifies a trifecta of fantastic solo albums for Jimmie.

Brother Stevie used to say that Jimmie was the best guitar player he ever knew. Well, he may not be the best ever, but man this guy has a cool groove and tone out the wazoooo! Guest vocalist on a few tunes is long-time Dallas/Austin friend of the Vaughan brothers Lou Ann Barton. It's 55 minutes in length so trigger the repeat button, relax with your favorite libation, and enjoy the ride.

Back In The Saddle Again!
With this release, Vaughan picks up where he left off on his previous CD, "Out There" and proves that consistency can be a good thing. The CD opens with the moderate tempo instrumental, "Dirty Girl" which features some good guitar work by Vaughan and closes in similar fashion with the flute and bongo laced instrumental "Planet Bongo".

In between these two instrumentals the CD features three songs, "Out of the Shadows", "Power of Love" and "In the Middle of the Night" featuring Lou Ann Barton. The latter song was recorded for, and is also featured on, Double Trouble's "Been A Long Time". Lou Ann's vocals on all three songs are very strong and Jimmie offers a nice compliment throughout.

On "The Deep End" Jimmie demonstrates his capabilities on the slide guitar and the song also features some nice harp work by harp master James Cotton. This may well be the highlight of the disc.

Finally, another Vaughan, Tyrone, is quietly introduced on "Without You" which he wrote and performs ryhthm guitar. Overall, another excellent release by Jimmie Vaughan.

Smokin'
Jimmie Vaughan literally smokes on this Grammy-nominated set from 2001. The entire CD is great with 4 tracks hitting "classic" status for me. The opener instrumental "Dirty Girl" smokes with a classic Chicago blues feel; penned by organist Bill Willis, his Hammond B-3 blazes through the track. On "Power of Love" Lou Ann Barton's churning vocal blows through Jimmie's guitar like a cyclone making this track one that smokes with the best classic tracks. On "Let Me In" Jimmie creates a throbbing track with a deep groove that mesmerizes. Johnny Wilson's "In the Middle of the Night" has Lou Ann Barton coming back for another guest vocal that smokes from beginning to end. The other tracks are also great such as "Don't Let the Sun Set" with its extended instrumental opening before Jimmie lays down some impassioned vocals, "Are you just going to stand there and watch me go?" "Do You Get the Blues?" is another strong outing for Jimmie Vaughan, some of the hottest grooves you'll hear. Enjoy!

The magic returns!
Jimmie's magic touch is back! You know, the touch. The style of those early Fab T-Bird albums that made you sigh in elation. The touch that turned Stevie Ray (you may remember him, the Double Trouble guy) into a master player. Whatever it is that he lost in a sea of boring, over commercial, T-Bird albums or his sub-par solo albums, he got back with a vengeance on this Grammy-winning blues classic.

So what is it that grabs you about this album? A stripped back production (reminiscent of the T-Bird's Girls Go Wild), less attention on outside instruments and more on what you buy a JV album for (that powerful guitar), the duets with fellow hot Texan Lou Ann Barton (as much soul as Janis Joplin, she has), and a unique sound just as powerful as brother Stevie. Though while Stevie leaned towards the on-edge, caffeinated, power blues of Buddy Guy and Hendrix, Jimmie goes for a more laid back feel, relying on jazz/R&B arrangements (use of flute on Don't Let the Sun Set and Planet Bongo) and loose bar band blues (the sparse, clublike production), ala Guitar Watson and T-Bone Walker. Too add, Jimmie has a voice that perfectly compliments it, when his guitar isn't doing the talking. He never seems to be taking the music very seriously, just kicking back and taking it easy. (For some of the newbies to the blues, think Norah Jones.) And really, don't we need that?

So if you feel music sometimes works too hard, and long for the days of the real T-Birds, then Jimmie Vaughan's Do You Get the Blues is a Godsend to you. He's on to something here, now let's hope he sticks to it.

LUCKY ME
I'm the luckiest man alive! The first time I listened to this album, it was live in Austin, TX with Lou Ann Barton on hand and even ZZ Top guitarist jumping in on some incredible blues jams at Antone's (growing up ground for Stevie and Jimmie)! I hadn't even listened to the recorded album before I left there with my own personalized autographed copy of this album!! All I can say is that if you had the chance to stand three feet away from Jimmie Vaughan while he blistered out the guitar licks and blues you'd be sold also! Since that's not generally possible, buy this disc- you couldn't possibly regret it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fine latter-day Collins
These performances were recorded shortly before Collins' death in late 1993, but rather than sounding tired, they offer proof that the "Master of the Telecaster" remained a commanding stage presence until the end.

Albert Collins' highly original, percussive guitar playing is still sharp, and his vocals are strong and soulful. He is backed by an excellent band which includes two sax players and a trumpet, and they offer solid backing and the occational soul-revue riff without overwhelming the 60-year old guitarist.

Collins and his band swing on the superb "If You Love Me Like You Say" and the funky "Iceman", and they groove on the eight-minute blues workout "Put The Shoe On The Other Foot".
Other highlights include the rocking "Travelin' South" and the sweaty soul of "Talkin' Woman". And listen to Albert Collins' solo on "Iceman", and his take on T-Bone Walker's classic "T-Bone Shuffle"...Collins played without a pick, and often used a capo high up on the neck of his slightly metallic sounding Telecaster, plucking tinkling, piercingly clear notes from the strings (this was the technique which gave his playing its "icy" tone).

This is a strong collection of some of Collins' best and most accessible latter-day material. It is a great place to start if you're new to the music of Albert Collins, and a must-have if you're a fan.
Definitely recommended.

THIS TRUE MASTER WILL NEVER REALLY DIE !
An album made up of live recordings in 1992 and 1993, this album serves as proof beyond a doubt that Albert Collins was very much on top of his game right up until his final days. Distilled from performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland and two gigs in Rockford, Illinois and Peoria, Illinois, this is a cooking set of hard-hitting blues that could raise the roof ! Bringing some of his most familiar tunes, from "Frosty" to "Iceman" and "Put the shoe on the other foot" to "T-bone shuffle" he totally sweeps the audience off its feet. Crystal-clear recording of the man who shall forever remain The Master of the Telecaster. Recommended listening !

Live with the Iceman
Albert Collins "the Master of the Telecaster" comes out in full force on this CD. It is the first CD I have by Mr. Collins and I bought it after hearing I ain't Drunk on KPFT in Houston Texas. Thanks Mr. V! Albert and the Icebreakers basically blow nearly every bluesman out of the water. Not only is the guitar great and the band great, but it is FUNNY! Who says the blues have to be sad. This is especially touching when you realize that this was his last tour before his tragic death and he knew that his time was almost up, but he still lived it up all the way. My only regret is that I won't be able to see him because he is one of the best entertainers I have ever heard. Yes it comes through that clear on disc. Buy this CD, turn up the radio loud, and don't worry about what your friends say about how lame the blues are because they probably listen to Britney Spears anyway. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Christoofer Anderson Is Wrong
This is by far the best representation of ZZ Hill at his peak. He is in full stride throughout this record.

I have purchased this for friends, family and several times for myself in various formats through out the years.

If you want to start a party, this is the kicker.

These are not Z.Z. Hills Greatest Hits - steer clear!!
The title of this CD is blatant false advertising.
These recordings were made for the Malaco label in the 80s, and sound generic, synthesized, dull and have nothing to do with ZZ's greatest achievements, mainly his 60's and early 70's output.
Although the singing is great at times, you just can't get that great southern soul feeling when the backup tracks sound like they were played on a 40$ Casio synth.
Try and get some of his older stuff instead.

A Non-stop Blues Party. Get This Right Now!
This is the late great ZZ Hill's best. Gauranteed to start your party! "Down Home Blues", "Cheatin' in the Next Room", "Friday is My Day" and on and on to the crack of dawn...it doesn't get much better than this, period! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another good sampler
This is a really good CD...it's just a little hard to figure out who its audience is supposed to be. It certainly isn't the definitive word on slide guitar blues, or on any of the artists represented. And the seasoned blues fan probably owns most of what's here already.
But as a sampler it does work very well, featuring a lesser-known (but very good) rendition of "Dust My Broom" by Elmore James, and well-chosen cuts by Muddy Waters, J.B. Hutto, and Robert Nighthawk (a superb medley of two of his best songs, "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel").

The compilers at Rhino have included the Allman Brothers' version of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues", "Shake Your Moneymaker" by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Canned Heat's take on "Rollin' And Tumblin'"...I would probably have gone with McTell's own "Mama T'Ain't Long Fo' Day", which is one of the most beautiful acoustic slide guitar blues tunes you'll ever hear, but that's just me.
But where is Robert Johnson? And where the heck is Son House's "Pearline"?
Okay, I'll stop complaining now. This CD does have a lot going for it, including some lesser-known tracks which should appeal to the experienced blues fan, like "Homesick's Shuffle", "I Am The Black Ace", "If You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry", and a rare opportunity to hear Chuck Berry wielding the slide on the odd instrumental "Deep Feeling".

Awesome!
This is must buy for any fan slide guitar. From beginning to end, from Elmore James to Johnny Winter, it's non-stop blues. You'll find yourself hitting the repeat button on the CD player, so you can hear the great blues slide guitar again. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Alan Haynes is the most impressive guitarist I've heard live
Why doesn't Amazon have Alan Hayne's "Live at the Big Easy" album? I want to hear him by himself! I was in Austin for a conference, and accidentally wandered into Joe's Generic Bar on 6th Street, and was totally blown away by Alan Haynes! Apparently, he's better known in Europe than in his home country (the U.S.), and that's a real shame for us. I can't ever remember being so impressed, and I would have been just as impressed if he had been playing Carnegie Hall, and I had paid $50 for tickets.

Not Much Better Than This
Jim Suhler is good but Alan Haynes is great!... Check out the Red Guitar he has, it was Stevie Ray's on the Albert King Record- IN Sessions. Alan has been playing since he was 8 years old and is tremendous. Buy this CD and go check him out at Joe's Generic Bar on 6th Street in Austin (every tuesday night!). He will rock your world!!

buy now
their shows are really this good!buy now you won't be disappointed

good drink'n music
my title speaks for itself............these two guys gotta get together more often........if you play this though; you should warn your neighbors

Blues at it's best
This is the best blues from Texas I've heard in a while. When will these guys get together again? I am living in Australia right now and I miss real BLUES music. Stores over here don't sell it. These guys are great! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A founding father of electric blues in general and Texas blues in particular, guitarist T-Bone Walker influenced countless blues players and, by extension, countless rock & rollers as well. The Complete Imperial Recordings date from the early to mid-1950s, when the idea of electric blues was really taking hold, and the two-disc set is a wealth of classic songs exquisitely performed. While definitely blues, there's more difference between this and the acoustic blues that predated Walker than amplification can account for; there's jazz and swing mixed in as well, as on tracks like "I Walked Away" and "Strollin' with Bone," and something of that feel has remained in electric blues ever since. From B.B. King to Buddy Guy to Stevie Ray Vaughan and beyond, Walker's influence is felt in the blues up through the present day. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fine collection of Walker's Imperial sides
Not quite as seminal as "The Complete Capitol/Black & White Recordings", this is nervetheless an excellent collection of T-Bone Walker's 52 sides recorded for Lew Chudd's Imperial Records.

Unlike the Capitol and Black & White-waxings, this double-disc set features almost no alternate takes, just the masters and a couple of 78 versions (the only exceptions being a few alternates that have been chosen over the original masters).
And there is plenty of great stuff here...no "Mean Old World" or "Stormy Monday", sure, but a lot of excellent songs like "Glamour Girl", "The Hustle Is On", "Tell Me What's The Reason", "I'm About To Lose My Mind", "Cold, Cold Feeling," and the classic instrumental "Strollin' With Bones".

This music is not meant to be listened to in one long sitting, obviously...even lead guitar innovator Walker's smoky, jazz-flavoured blues isn't quite varied enough for that, and if you're looking for a place to start, you should go for Rhino's "Blues Masters: The Very Best Of T-Bone Walker", or the excellent "T-Bone Blues" album from Atlantic.
But these 136 minutes of music is a very fine collection for the fan who wants more, and a great tribute to the most influential electric guitar player of all time, the idiom's first true lead guitarist, and still one of its best.

Aaron Thibaux "T-Bone" Walker, my greatest inspiration.
This great musician is my greatest sources of inspiration. He created a unique combination of jazz and blues on his big, acoustic Gibson Es5, a style which can be heard in the playing of many of the legendary guitarists since the mid`40s. Great musicians behind him, great vocals & great guitar. I dedicated my new CD(on amazon.com)to the memery of Aaron Thibaux "T-Bone" Walker. T-Bone; your music is alive and well!

truly excellent value
This 2-CD set was such a pleasant surprise. It's not rough, raw blues, which has its place, but more soft, gentle blues, with a marvelous jazz feel to it.

Most of the tracks are backed by a fine, but not in-your-face horn section.

The guitar playing is superb, bluesy but melodic, and the guitar tone is perfectly adjusted to the material.

Sound quality is excellent--I'm playing it through a valve amplifier and the sound is very satisfying.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but this music is almost a bridge between jazz and blues.

T-Bone, Well Done
This collection is a great, and economical way to experience one of the giants, not only of blues gutar, but guitar period. T-Bone was one of the pioneers of electric guitar along with Charlie Christian. His Imperial works are smooth and urbane, but still pack a solid wallop. The price is right!

As smooth as the blues can get!
This is a blues collection to put on your CD player, flip it to continuous play and let run over and over all day. Blues as smooth as the finest bourbon. T-Bone is a master and it is no surprise that BB King and a lot of others learned from him. A must! ... Read more

Album Description

Full title - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues. From thePBS series produced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, thisrelease features 16 tracks including 6 live versions andthe previously unreleased 'Leave My Girl Alone'. Sony.2003. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

SRV
I haven't had much exposure to Stevie up until I got this CD for my birthday last November. I didn't even like the blues that much. In fact, from hearing only Texas Floods and The Sky Is Crying, I thought he was black. That's how little I knew about this man. I was almost three when he died, and had missed the SRV craze.
But WOW. Stevie Ray Vaughan is now my idle, thanks to this CD, and I plan on majoring in music theory or composition, then heading south to play the blues. This CD changed my life by exposing me to SRV and a whole new style of music.

MARTIN SCORSESE THE BLUES
Martin Scorsese The Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan is a great way to start your SRV collection. This CD spans SRV's whole career including some of my favorites Pride And Joy, Texas Flood, Come On Pt.3, and Leave My Girl Alone. You can save alot of money and buy this on amazon for $10.99. I enjoyed this CD alot its a great complination of all SRV's greatest recordings of all time. So enjoy!

It's Still SRV, but not enough new material
Everything you can find on this CD somewhere else, except Mary Had A Little Lamb(which I haven't heard yet). Get the El Mocambo DVD, that is the best SRV live!!! This is good music becuase its SRV, but why distribute another CD with the same music. Its not like SRV has many albums. You can buy 5 or 6 albums and you have the whole SRV collection. Don't waste you're time with this CD if you have the original recordings or are familiar with his live material. Go get the El Mocambo DVD, it will blow you're mind.

4 1/2 stars.....a very good single-disc compilation
Not as thorough as "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan", but much better than the flawed "Greatest Hits" CD, this installment in the "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues"-series focuses on Stevie Ray Vaughan the bluesman rather than Stevie Ray Vaughan the blues-rocker.

Almost all of these songs are blues tunes, and since this is called "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues", that's how it should be.
It features Stevie Ray's (generally excellent) covers of classic 50s and 60s blues tune like Hound Dog Taylor's "Give Me Back My Wig", Otis Rush's "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)", Buddy Guy's "Leave My Girl Alone", and Elmore James' legendary slow burner "The Sky is Crying".
But it's not all covers; several songs are SRV originals, and almost every one of them ranks among Stevie Ray Vaughan's best self-penned material: The slow blues "Texas Flood", "Dirty Pool" and "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love" are here, as is the swaggering boogie of "Pride and Joy", and the fiery, up-tempo "Empty Arms". I would have liked to see "I'm Cryin'" inluded as well, but that's certainly a minor complaint, and we get a cover of Hank Ballard's "Look At Little Sister", a rare "Hug You, Squeeze You", and the smouldering instrumental "Slide Thing" instead.

This is a very, very fine and varied look at Stevie Ray Vaughan at his bluesiest. It doesn't match "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan" as far as career overviews go, but it blows "Greatest Hits" out of the water.

"Obscure Stevie Ray Vaughan Tracks & Some Hits"
This is basically a collection of tracks covering Stevie Ray Vaughan's entire career during the 1980's. Starting off with some live tracks from 1980, and ending with a track from his last studio album "In Step (1989)." Some big hits are also featured, including "Pride & Joy", "Texas Flood", "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love (live)", "Mary Had a Little Lamb (live)", and "The Sky is Crying (live)." For a mere $10, this CD offers lot's of great songs, but most if not all of them have been previously released on SRV's other albums that followed his tragic death in 1990. I still think that "Voodoo Chile" & "Life Without You" should have been on this collection instead of "Give Me Back My Wig" & "Empty Arms." I strongly suggest the Greatest Hits albums released a few years before this, as well as last year's "Essential Collection." ... Read more

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Long, tall Marcia Ball kicks off her new album with the title track, "Let Me Play with Your Poodle," a rollicking, double-entendre blues number originated by Tampa Red. In Ball's version, she reinforces the salacious lyrics with a punchy horn section, her own second-line New Orleans piano solo and her own giddy vocal. And Ball doesn't need to dip into blues history for a bawdy song; she proves she can write her own on "The Right Tool for the Job." The rest of the album isn't quite so blunt, but whether she's admitting she "Can't Trust My Heart" or declaring there's "Something I Can't Do," Ball locks her voice and piano parts so firmly into the syncopated Gulf Coast rhythms that there always seems to be a party in full swing on this recording.

The album is dominated by the sights and sounds of Ball's native Louisiana, from the culinary delights of Clarence Garlow's "Crawfishin'" to the ironic history of Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927." Ball is now based in Austin, however, and she is backed by some of the finest blues musicians in Texas, including Clarence Hollimon, who plays guitar on "I'm Just a Prisoner," and Doyle Bramhall, who sings the duet vocal on "How Big a Fool." Ball doesn't possess the strongest voice in the blues world, but few revivalists can match her instinctive grasp of rhythmic phrasing.--Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (7)

great album!!!
Enough said. Marcia knows her way around the piano. Well-written songs and a tight, supportive band bring out the best of this great musician.

Let me play with your poodle
Marcia is a great New Orleans blues singer. She has a wonderful stage presence and should get more national recognition.

party music from the Bayou
I've been following Marcia off and on for the last 10 years...always thought of her as a fun artist with a nice voice and enough piano to make her credible.

Then I heard this album...she cranks out a bunch of blistering pounding piano solos that impressed this old hard heart.

Go get this one...by far the best of her albums

Make it talk girl!!!
This was a chance purchase by my Father who shares my love of blues. I feel like I have been let into a new field of boogie~woogie, key dancin...world. This lady is fantastic, I would give my right left toe to be able to do what she does to those ivorys. Play with Your Poodle is a piece of mastery that would bring anyone out of the deepest funk they have ever been in. I thought for a minute this lady knew me in 'can't trust my heart'... Wonderful mix of boogie and soulful heart breakers... I will be working my through the rest of these! If you love piano music of this kind as I do, this is a must have..the whole CD is great....

Marcia Ball is HOT
"Play With Your Poodle" is great upbeat blues album that isn't too syrupy and depressing. It is a pleasant blend of tradtional blues licks, great vocals with just a touch of country toe tapping rhythm. Eric Clapton look out! ... Read more

Album Details

Reissue Includes 3 Added Bonus Tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Title says it all
For my money, the best T-Birds album hands down. One of my all-time fave road CDs too. Buy it! ... Read more

Album Description

MONTE MONTGOMERY’S LATEST ALBUM TITLED NEW & APPROVED WAS RECORDED LIVE AT THE RENOWNED CACTUS CAFÉ IN AUSTIN, TEXAS FEATURING MONTE AND DRUMMER PHIL BASS AS A DUO IN A SPECIAL "ACOUSTIC" SETTING.

NEW & APPORVED INCLUDES UNIQUE RENDITIIONS OF SOME OLD FAVORITES ALONG WITH SONGS NEVER BEFORE RELEASED BY MONTE SUCH AS "LIE TO ME", "IN THE GAZE OF THE SPOTLIGHT’S EYE" AND "NORTHEAST TEXAS WOMEN". ALSO INCLUDED ARE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES OF "SARA SMILE" AND "ROMEO & JULIET".

NEW & APPROVED IS MONTE’S FIRST RELEASE IN OVER A YEAR AND HIS FIRST ON HIS OWN RECORD LABEL "HARMONIC RECORDS". ENTERPRISES - HARMONIC RECORDS P.O. BOX 790494 – SAN ANTONIO, TX 78279 MONTERAY@SATX.RR.COM ... Read more

Reviews (8)

THE Best Monte Album
This is a great cd! Monte really knows how to put on a live show & the studio albums just can't capture that energy. Monte, on guitar & vocals, & Phil, on drums, are really ON! "Sara Smile", the Hall & Oates cover, is my favorite song on the album, but "Lie to Me" & "Took Too Long" aren't too far behind. This is one of my 2 favorite cd's that I own tied with "On & On" by Jack Johnson.

A great live performance
This very well-recorded cd is done in the spirit of the MTV unplugged series-- just Monte plus percussion. He manages to show off the fact that he can make a two-piece sound like a four piece. Very pure recording, the guitar sounds great, one of the best live albums I've ever heard, up there with the Pretenders' Isle of View, Clapton Unplugged.

Amazing!!!
Monte Montgomery's music is incredible and the songs on this album prove he is one of the greatest guitar players of all time. The live performances put all other guitar players to shame. Monte's solos, vocals, and melodies are killer. The only song that wasn't on here is "When Love Comes Knock'n" which was featured in the awesome movie "Pico de Gallo". Otherwise, this is a top notch album and should be purchased by all Monte fans.

Amazing Vocals, Great Guitar Work!!!
I've seen Monte live several times and I'm always amazed more with each performance I catch. I urge everyone that enjoys real music to order this CD and anything else Monte puts out. With performances like those on New & Approved, I feel Monte's well on his way to being a huge star. I highly recommend his latest release "The Story Of Love" (I found it at his official website www.montemontgomery.com a few days ago) - ROCK ON MONTE

in one word......Wow
Had the pleasure of hearing his music last night for the first time at a gig he was playing locally.This man is an extraordinary talent. I immediately bought this cd at the merchandise table they had set up there.My only complaint about this cd is that it doesn't include everything we heard him perform last night........he will literally drop your jaw to the floor.He has the whole package..........the licks,the voice,and the songwriting skills. I guess I became a "Montiac" last night. Wish it were a double-live set. Bert ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Robert we're glad we knew ye
As with any Robert Shaw conducted chorale, this CD far supercedes traditional expectations about the performance of a single genre of music. As with his Sea Shanties recording, in this set of songs Mr. Shaw focused into a particular area of choral literature, this time with old Irish Folk Songs. Although each song has had a makeover by Alice Parker, the arrangements are a welcome sight into their appeal to a current listener. No, unfortunately every song may not appeal melodically or emotionally to a particualr listener, but if nothing else listen to them for the tremendous aesthetic value of a superior chorale. As with any typical Shaw recording, the voices are richly blended within each piece to bring about the finest aspects of it. From the beginning the resonance of the men of the chorale is obvious but not too prominent and never becomes a distraction. The women blend well without coming close to screeching or scratching away valued musical methods. Through such pieces as Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye and The Girl I Left Behind Me Shaw showed great control of dynamics and intonation. This CD is yet another example that should be produced for today's and tomorrow's singers as a model of how to correctly perform choral literature. A worthy addition to any collection of Shaw/Parker collaboratins.

Gorgeous!
For me, terms like "lush," "beautiful," and "gorgeous" are usually pejorative when applied to music, being most appropriate for describing Readers Digest boxed sets of dinner music. But there are always exceptions, and this is a big one. This disc is superb.

This was originally recorded in the late 60s, near the end of The Robert Shaw Chorale's reign as arguably the finest chorus in the U.S., and the arrangements are by Alice Parker, who I personally consider to be among the best choral arrangers since Bach.

There is nothing particularly challenging on this disc, but everything is just so well done. The interpretations are tasteful, never unduly bombastic or corny. Except for just a few passages, the a capella intonation is spot on throughout the entire disc (sadly, too much the rarity). And despite the somewhat limited tibral palette of an unaccompanied mixed chorus and the single genre of traditional Irish folk songs, this disc has not grown boring, even after repeated playings.

The sonics were a pleasant surprise, too. The sound is reasonably warm and clear, much better than I expected from late-60s RCA. BMG did cheap out on the liner notes, though. Nothing more than song credits and a cheesy stock photo of the shore. Otherwise, a great reissue. ... Read more

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It's not the familiar, fiery playing of Stevie Ray Vaughan that tips listeners off that this set's first disc has captured an extraordinary moment in modern blues history; it's the jarring, rising chorus of boos that accompanies it. As with previous musicians as disparate as Dylan and Stravinsky, Vaughan's willful tweaking of staid genre conventions initially infuriated purists. Though few could have imagined it at the time, Vaughan and company's July 17, 1982, show at the Montreux Jazz Festival (included here in its entirety) ignited not only a brilliant career, but a widespread revival of the blues as well.

David Bowie was there that night, but he was not booing. He secured the Texas guitarist's services for his smash Let's Dance album on the spot, nearly a year before Vaughan would make his major-label debut.

Straight from the Austin club scene, the band displays their nervous energy in a set that contains several previously unreleased/rare gems from SRV's early repertoire, including the Hound Dog Taylor romp "Give Me Back My Wig." By the time of this set's second disc, recorded just three years later, SRV was a worldwide star, the boos had turned to rousing cheers, and Vaughan's nervousness was replaced by an incendiary swagger he seemed all too happy to push into the crowd's faces. With the band (drummer Chris Layton, bassist Tommy Shannon) now augmented by Reese Wynans on organ and guest guitarist Johnny Copeland sitting in on "Tin Pan Alley," the triumphant show (11 of the 15 songs are included here) centered on the cream of SRV's first three studio albums. While some of these tracks have found their way onto other releases (Live Alive, Blues at Sunrise), the show's "Scuttle Buttin'," "Voodoo Chile," "Gone Home," and "Couldn't Stand the Weather" are released here for the first time. The set's comprehensive liner notes contain new commentary from the band's Shannon and Layton, David Bowie, early confidant Darryl Pitt, and many quotes from the guitar legend himself. All history lessons should be this riveting. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Double disk set of live blues rock from Texas axe slinger!
This recent 2 disk set is another great live release from the vaults by Legacy. The first disk contains Stevie Ray Vaughan's first appearance at the Montreux Festival in 1982. The second disk contains a later appearance at the festival in 1985. The set contains nineteen tracks (The songs "Pride And Joy" and "Texas Flood" appear on both disks). The first disk contains an interesting set list with the inclusion of some rarely played (by Vaughan) covers of Freddie King's "Hide Away", Hound Dog Taylor's "Give Me Back My Wig" and Albert Collins' "Collin's Shuffle". The set while short (approximately 42 minutes) provided fans and musicians alike a preview of what Stevie Ray Vaughan was about. He was unsigned at the time of this first performance and while he wasn't a hit with all the fans (some even booed him), he gained the respect of musicians like David Bowie and Jackson Browne who attended this show. The musicians enabled Vaughan to further his career by inviting him to guest on an album (David Bowie) and allowing him free studio time to record what would eventually become his first album (Jackson Browne). Stevie's playing was already developed by this time and is highlighted on the Grammy nominated "Texas Flood" from the "Blues Explosion" compilation album of this festival. Vaughan's slide playing is spotlighted on the aforementioned "Give Me Back My Wig".

The second disk adds organist Reese Wynans to the band to flesh out the sound. The 1985 set is longer and contains the rare cover "Gone Home". Other highlights include the smokin' instrumental openers "Scuttle Buttin'" and "Say What!" Other notable cuts include the touching "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love" and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" which also contains bits of Hendrix's "Power Of Soul". Follow bluesman Johnny Copeland shares duties with Vaughan on the epic slow blues "Tin Pan Alley".

It is great to have both of these shows together to compare Stevie's evolution as a player during the three year interval. A drawback for some purchasers may be the fact that 8 of these nineteen cuts are previously released on various other Vaughan disks. Five of the eleven cuts from the 1985 show appear on Vaughan's "Live Alive" disk. It is interesting to compare that live disk with this one. I purchased "Live Alive" when it was first released and it was the first Stevie Ray Vaughan disk I bought. While I miss cuts like "Cold Shot" "Willie The Wimp" "Look At Little Sister" and the covers of "Superstition" and "I'm Leaving You (Commit A Crime", it is great to have a copy of rarely played numbers like "Hide Away", "Give Me Back My Wig", "Collin's Shuffle", and "Gone Home." This set also provides a contrast to the "Live At Carnegie Hall" disk with the many guest musicians and horn section. "Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985" shows the evolution of the stripped down trio or quartet versions of Double Trouble sans horn section and guests. This new set also presents the songs within the context of the actual concert set list rather than the more piecemeal approach of "Live Alive". Despite the fact that many of the cuts are previously released this set provides a good addition to Stevie Ray Vaughan's legacy.

Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985 [LIVE] ~ SRV & Double Trouble
This newly released cd is another example of Stevie Ray Vaughan's incredible ability playing live. At the 1982 show, the crowd wasn't being too kind to this unknown (at the time) incredible guitarist's amazing performance, or the effort he put into each and every note - They didn't welcome him from the moment he began his set. Even with the crowd booing him, Stevie still didn't let that affect his playing. He played strongly until the end, and left the stage upset from the little response from the audience and the constant booing.

When he returned in 1985 however, this was completely different. The crowd accepted him and loved him. He once again played another incredible show, this time a lot more confident with a great response from the crowd.

This 2 cd set is awesome for any SRV fan, any guitarist, or as a matter of fact, any body who has the slightest intrest in the blues at all. These cd's are up there with the Live at the El Mocambo show, and shows some of SRV's best live performances. I recommend this 2 disc set very strongly, as a huge SRV fan. Get a hold of it as soon as you can!

a good live album
I think this is a good live album. Many people say he's copying Jimi Hendrix, but he ain't copy. His guitar sounds very different. And in this concert he plays really well. The performances sound alike to the studio ones, but it's good anyway.

Excellent
This album is very good. He is a very good guitarist. His guitar sounds very different. In this concert he plays well. But his blues kinda turn into rockblues. The blues are hard. But it's ok. They are not that hard. I recomend it.

The best available live recordings of Stevie Ray
Well, first of all, the 1985 Montreux show is very good. The fact that several of the '85 cuts were released back in '86 on the "Live Alive" album is a bit of a drawback, but the performance itself is flawless. Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band perform superbly throughout the set, resulting in magnificent renditions of "Tin Pan Alley", "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love" and several more.

But the 1982 show is the real revelation here. I have heard all the official live albums by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, and this magnificent performance outdoes them all.
It is somewhat unpleasant to hear the crowd's reaction (unlike the 1985 show, Vaughan was met with indifference and even hostility when he first performed in Montreux), but the music is white-hot.

Opening with two instrumentals, Freddie King's "Hide Away" and his own "Rude Mood", Stevie Ray Vaughan plays some of the very best and bluesist guitar you'll ever hear, particularly on a smouldering ten-minute version of "Texas Flood".
He was sometimes accused of playing ten notes when three would have done the job, but that accusation certainly doesn't hold up on these fabulous recordings.
Also, his vocal performance is superb. He rocks on "Give Me Back My Wig" and growls menacingly on "Dirty Pool", and the production is excellent. Sometimes a live album will suffer from the vocals being too low in the mix, but here the mixing is perfect. And Vaughan's playing on "Pride And Joy" and "Love Struck Baby" makes it hard to believe there was only one guitar player present.

This is one of the very best live blues and blues-rock albums I have ever heard, and if you like the genre you can't go wrong with "Live in Montreux". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hardly A Collection Worthy Of The Ultimate In Southern Rock
This 2-cd collection called "Ultimate Southern Rock" doesn't quite live up to it's name and misses the mark by not including The Marshall Tucker Band, ZZ Top, .38 Special or Pure Prairie League. Also, some songs are not southern rock as the cd title suggests. For example, "Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson is pure country, not southern rock. "Sweet Suzanne" by The Buzzin' Cousins is not southern rock, nor is "Tic Toc" by The Vaughn Brothers, nor is "Mississippi Queen" (a hit by Mountain) by Molly Hatchet & Ted Nugent. While this collection includes four songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd with "Gimme Three Steps", "Saturday Night Special", "That Smell" and "Freebird", strangely, it includes only two songs from the band that were the originators of southern rock, The Allman Brothers Band with "Jessica" and "One Way Out". However, The Gregg Allman Band's hit "I'm No Angel" is included. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are included with "Jackie Blue" and "If You Want To Get To Heaven", Blackfoot with "Train Train", The Outlaws with "Hurry Sundown" and "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (what no "Green Grass & High Tides"?), Elvin Bishop with "Struttin' My Stuff" and "Travelin' Shoes", The Atlanta Rhythm Section with "So Into You" (where's "Doraville" or "Champagne Jam"?), Johnny Winter's "Johnny B. Goode" (this Chuck Berry cover is not southern rock), Wet Willie is included here with "Street Corner Serenade" ("Dixie Rock" or "Keep On Smiling" would have been better choices) plus other artists and songs. The liner notes are interesting but the author states "No band is more important to the history of southern rock than Lynyrd Skynyrd." While Skynyrd were certainly one of southern rocks best groups, it was The Allman Brothers Band that influenced them from the beginning. This collection isn't bad, but it is lacking as I've already mentioned above. ... Read more

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It's impossible to hear Doyle Bramhall's swaggering rendition of "Life by the Drop" without thinking of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not only is the Bramhall original strongly associated with Vaughan (whose posthumously released recording provided a poignant memorial), but Bramhall's gritty, smoky vocals were plainly the major influence on Vaughan's singing. The second CD by this veteran singer-songwriter-drummer celebrates the blues legacy that he and Vaughan share, with the guitar virtuosity of son Doyle II and the raucous harmonica of Gary Primich powering such highlights as John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" and Howlin' Wolf's "Sugar (Where You'd Get Your Sugar From)." There's no new material from Bramhall ("Life by the Drop" is the only original), and the jamming on familiar fare such as Buddy Miles's "Changes" and Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" borders on bar-band excess, but the soulful renewal of "That's How Strong My Love Is" and "It Ain't No Use" reaffirms Bramhall as a Texas treasure. Somewhere, Stevie's smiling. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Best of 2003
There are two artists I can name who make me want to buy hundreds of copies of their albums and run around the world handing them out to people. One is Doyle Bramhall, and the other is his son. I discovered Doyle Sr through his son's music, and there is something about their music that blows my mind. Call it purity, magic, soul -- the Bramhalls know how to create great music, the perfect solution to the processed and pre-packaged crap that receives mainstream radio attention nowadays. These guys are too good for radio, that is until radio wises up and realizes what they're missing.

Fitchburg Street I first heard live at Gruene Hall -- the perfect venue for any Texas muscian. Before seeing Bramhall live, I knew none of his work, didn't even know he was a drummer. Now I've got both albums (Birds Nest on the Ground & Fitchburg Street), a pair of autographed drumsticks, constantly hound his website waiting for new tour dates, and have read enough to write a biography. He exploded my interest in blues and Texas music culture.

Everyone here seems to be in agreement that Fitchburg Street is an amazing record. All the songs are great, there's something special about each one. The band rocks -- 10 pts for Bramhall II and Dru Webber on guitars, and Mike Judge on bass -- and Bramhall's vocals are the best part of listening. What prompted writing this review happened the other afternoon when my 15 year old sister was listening to "That's How Strong My Love Is." She looked up at me and said, "This guy really means it. Who is this?"

If anything, what this album has done is made a deeper blues fan out of me. I've started listening to the musicians who originally wrote these songs and acquiring a much broader blues-base than the post-Stevie renaissance. Fitchburg Street, while totally contemporary, urges history -- urges you to look into the original recordings and get involved with earlier blues.

Doyle -- please keeping putting out more albums and tour New England! Thanks for everything you've brought to music.

Knee Deep in the Blues
Doyle Bramhall's second offering is a great batch of cover tunes that fit so well to Doyle's swaggering vocals that they seem more like originals. John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" which I first heard by the Animals and then Spencer Davis Group is knee deep in electric blues. "I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled & Crazy" which bluesman Phillip Walker nailed on his 1998 "Sweet Tooth" CD pulses with great energy in Bramhall's hands. "Changes" is a great churning storm of guitar. In 1966 when the Hollies enchanted me with their album "Beat Group!," they included one tune whose melody repeatedly winds up on my turntable and that Doyle recasts here as a classic slow soul song, "That's How Strong My Love Is." Since the song has been one of my favorites for many years, it's great to hear it dusted off and given such an expressive performance. Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" is made to march with Dru Webber's lively guitar throbbing throughout. Although I've enjoyed Gary U.S. Bonds from early rock days to his incarnation as Bruce Springsteen buddy, "It Ain't No Use" is newly encountered. Its stately blues smokes slowly with Doyle's vocal swagger. My second encounter with "Maudie" since the Animals' "Animalization" works well as a trad blues shuffle. "Fitchburg Street" is a great second set from Doyle Bramhall that consistently smokes & throbs knee deep in the blues. Enjoy!

This CD is getting a lot of reaction in Hartford, CT
Too long between CD's, this one makes the wait worth while.
Doyle's version of Hooker's 'Dimples' is making the phones ring at 106.9 WCCC. No wonder with son Doyle II on guitar, Mike Judge on bass and Gary Primich on harp.

I love this album for it's Texas flavor as well as for Doyle's singing and drumming.

Doyle 1 is back and the results will get you on your feet!
Austin blues legend, drummer Doyle Bramhall returns with a smokin followup to "Bird Nest On The Ground". Although I own both albums, it didn't hit me the first time around, what an influence Doyle's vocals were on his friend Stevie Ray Vaughan. The resemblance is downright spooky. I would imagine that some will assume that it is Doyle who has been influenced. Some of the highlights for me were "I'd Rather Be(Blind,Crippled and Crazy), "Life By The Drop" and "Forty Four". If you add the fact that Doyle II and his sizzling guitar are present most of the time, this is one killer set. If you're a blues rock fan, "Fitchburg Street" is destined to be one of your top ten favorites for 2003. The Bramhalls rock my world!

Bramhall of Fame
Note to DeepBlueReview: I believe (Doyle) Bramhall ll , who recorded "Jellycream" and played with Double Trouble in The Arc Angels is actually the son of this texas singer/drummer, Doyle Bramhall.

This LP sounded good to me. I love the standards, and I think he hits high notes on all these covers, plus his own classic. His son is a fine GTR player in backing band as well.

If anyone ever gets a chance to see Bramhall II on Austin City Limits, their version of "Shape I'm In" that opens up the show, is about as good a song as this Blues Fan has ever heard. ... Read more

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Fleet-fingered fretman Monte Montgomery has quietly carved out a name for himself on the competitive Austin music scene as a poll-winning guitar hero and a must-see live act. What's more, on a scene known for blazing Stevie Ray-style Stratocasters, he's done it all with an acoustic guitar! Montgomery's first live effort, a double disc recorded at Fort Worth's palatial performing-arts venue Caravan of Dreams, showcases his guitar prowess and the popular appeal of his live band's propulsive power. Most of the acoustic rock-oriented material comes from Montgomery, as self-penned staples from his live show are interspersed with such favorites as "Wishing Well," "Whirlwind," and "When Will I" from his two studio albums. Montgomery and the band make the most of the live setting, stretching out the songs--five go past 10 minutes--with creative instrumental interplay. Montgomery also successfully mixes in a diverse selection of cover tunes, including a percussion-driven rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "World Turning" and a radically reworked, almost satiric take on Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings." TheHall & Oates hit "Sara Smile" and Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet," the latter the 13-minute album closer, also appear in personalized versions spotlighting Montgomery's aggressive acoustic-guitar excellence and his crowd-pleasing personality as a live entertainer. --Michael Point ... Read more

Reviews (14)