5 comments about Sad Days, Lonely Nights.

1. As you may know, most follow-up albums suck. This is mainly do to the fact that the main surprise that makes the artist so special has already been exposed, so when the second disc comes out it, the artist has nothing new to offer. Or they have taken there music in such a radicly different or over-produced direction, that it doesn't even sound like that artist. Well this CD is different. Even though Kimbrough keeps the sound that you're probably familiar with, he still has some new tricks up his sleave, like kenny brown's slide playing. It even has a verson of "Crawlin' Kingsnake" on it! This is the kind of album that makes you realize that I'm not crazy to like blues.



2. ...THIS IS THAT ALBUM! YOU WANNA GET DRUNK AND REMINISCE ABOUT A LONG LOST LOVE, FUSS ABOUT HOW YOUR OLD LADY IS DOIN YOU WRONG, FLIRT WITH THAT NEW GIRL WORKIN DOWN AT THE DOLLAR STORE OR GET UP AND GO GET BACK WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS TAKEN FROM YOU...THEN THIS IS THAT ALBUM TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD FOR ALLA THAT!
   THIS MAN IS SERIOUSLY SLEPT ON, BUT MR. KIMBROUGH HAS BROKEN THRU TO MY TOP 5 OF FAVORITE ARTISTS...JUST BEHIND ARETHA FRANKLIN, ISAAC HAYES, THE O'JAYS AND OUTKAST!
   THIS MAN IS PURE AND HIS CARRYIN' ONS WILL GET YOU CLOSER TO YOURSELF AS HE REACHES IN AND PULLS YOUR SOUL OUT!



3. I saw Junior open for Iggy Pop in about 1996. He sat in his chair, unmoving, for 45 minutes and played what seemed like one single, endless song. When he finished, I couldn't remember how he'd began, but I knew I'd been taken someplace far, far away, and I was sad to be back. This album conjures that same feeling for me. The word "groove" has been poisoned by association with post-hippie jam-band idiocy, but Junior's music grooves. It will move you in ways you didn't think possible. It will burn tracks into your brainpan and it will never leave once it's in you. Yes, you've lived this long without this album, but once you hear it you'll wonder how that could have been possible. Junior Kimbrough changed my life. Let him change yours.



4. Half mountain holler, half strangled cry, Junior Kimbrough's was a music in which the elementary components dripped with something deeper. He didn't just restore the hypnotic ramble and hum of classic north Mississippi blues, he gave it a steroid shot with his slow-boiling style and his wide groove. This is a far cry from the shred-manic, soul-deprived garbage which is being passed off as the blues most of the time today. And it's as close to the core of humanness as contemporary blues will ever get without yanking Robert Johnson or Fred McDowell up out of their graves, fitting them with electric guitars, and urging them to let it loose right there with the elder upstart.



5. I don't listen to Junior Kimbrough's music as often as I might but when I do, I binge. And Sad Days Lonely Nights is the one I start playing when I do. No one can get his tone. He was a stunning artist, one of the great under-recognized bluesmen of our time.

5 comments about A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

1. 
   Vaughan's old band, led by his brother Jimmie, and a group of big-name blues-rock stars, play tribute to the late-great blues man. Guests are B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr. John and Art Neville.
   
   In between the songs are tributes by those guests, and some short excerpts of Vaughan's performances from various concerts. Those excerpts are great, and really show off Stevie Ray's extraordinary talent.
   
   Speaking of talent, all the guests are entertaining and fun to hear. Buddy Guy is fun to watch, too. Does anybody have more fun playing blues on his guitar than Guy? Nobody, frankly, does a super song but they are all good and, for just $10, this is a good deal.. The best number is at the end when the group jam and takes turns with solos. The finale, "SRV Shuffle," to me, was the best song on the DVD. It's so good I get tears in my eyes every time I watch and hear that last number.



2. This is one of the best of ACL and that's saying a whole lot. This 1995 tribute to Austin-based Stevie Ray Vaughn featured an all-star cast, including Stevie's brother, Jimmy, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bonnie Raitt, and more.
   
   "Pride and Joy" by Bonnie Raitt is probably my favorite of the bunch, but there's not a bad song in the collection.
   
   For such a short life, Stevie Ray Vaughn made an outstanding contribution to blues and guitar and he will be sorely missed. In my opinion, this is one of the best tributes I have ever seen or heard.



3. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King are my two favorite electric blue guitarists. I've had this CD for 10 years and it's just as great every time I play it. Until the last month (December 2006) I didn't know about amazon.com's venue for reviews, so Shaq is making up for lost time. This is without a doubt a 5 star classic! With stars paying tribute to Stevie, such as Bonnie Raitt, BB, Buddy Guy, Clapton, Doctor John, Robert Cray, brother Jimmie, and others. Buddy Guy performs a "haunting" version of "Long Way From Home". The lyrics for "Six Strings Down", which basically, welcomes Stevie to blues heaven, where he joins with the likes of Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, T-bone and others, is intelligent, touching, and oh yea! Has a good beat! SHAQ BLUES HISTORICAL TRIVIA NOTE FOR MY LOYAL BLUES FANS: "The night Stevie died, at the end of the concert in Wisconsin, Eric Clapton, told Stevie, with witnesses, "You're the best blues guitarist I ever heard!" By the way, read all of Shaq's blues reviews for all kinds of nuggets like these. P.S. Stevie's last recorded CD is "Family Style". I'll rate it a 5 here because I can't find it on amazon. It's a 4 musically, but the fact that it was the last CD he recorded, in addition to being the reuniting of brothers Stevie and Jimmie, and the hatchet between the brothers was buried.



4. Tribute albums aoften strike me as a collection of poor imitations of the original- but this is different. First and foremost, everyone on it was close to SRV, from his brother on down. They knew him, they played with him, and they understood his style. Second, and perhaps even more importantly, this was a live concert. Instead of a bunch of gunslingers trying to out-SRV each other in a studio, you have a group of great musicians, each a great stylist in their own right, and none of whom has to prove anything to anyone. The result is magical music that serves as a true tribute to that great Texas guitar player, Stevie Ray Vaughn.



5. This CD has the best blues musicians in the world paying tribute to SRV.
   Bonnie Raitt opens with a killer slide version of Pride and Joy,
   Jimmy Vaughn does a great version of Texas Flood second only to the version by Stevie.
   BB King does Telephone Song. Buddy Guy almost steals the show with Long Way From Home.
   Eric Clapton does a solid version on Aint Gonna Give Up On Love.
   Robert Cray does a strong version of Love Struck Baby
   This is a fitting tribute of musicians who are honoring SRV along with SRV's former band members.
   This is a must for any SRV fan, or any blues fan............

5 comments about Super Session.

1. Marc Greilsamer has it dead wrong. When this album was released I was 17 years old. At the time, it was considered to be a must have album for music lovers that liked the guitar driven jam sessions. In the late 60's everything on the radio was a 3 minute commercialized song. The long jam session albums were the real music of the time. This album was one of them.



2. Of course, Kooper and Butterfield did greater work backing Dylan's recordings but this is a very interesting combo of styles. Stills has worked with so many other musicians but his work here is worthy of praise. Worth getting if you want something to take you back to the 60s.



3. In the absence of any intelligible listener reviews (such as the well written entry by BluesDuke below) I usually defer to Amazon's editorial reviews for guidance on unfamiliar music. As I am well familiar with the music on this disc I find Mr. Greilsamer's comments to be pretty far off the mark. What he dismisses as "enjoyable but dispensible noodling" I have for almost the last three decades considered to be some of the finest electric blues guitar playing I have ever heard. Indispensible. Opinions in music vary widely to be sure but to provide a more founded perspective than the editor who either listened to this disc only once or has no real insight into the music he's reviewing I have been studying guitar for 30 years and have found Mike Bloomfield's playing on this disc to be some of the finest I have ever heard, unqualified. In attempting to learn the craft of blues guitar improvisation I have learned more from "Albert's Shuffle" and "Really" than most all other albums combined. From what I have derived over the years, many other listeners and guitar players alike share this opinion. I'm a little concerned when I read supposedly authoritative reviews by people who have no more than a superficial knowledge of the genre and the music they are panning.



4. If you want Bloomfield's best blues, and jazziest, most soulful, most lyrical album, then this is your Holy Grail. With the passage of time some things wear thin, like Kooper's vocals on "Man's Tempation", the tape-whoosh dual-flanger effect on "You Don't Love Me," and the overkill of the 15-minute "Season of the Witch," but "Harvey's Tune" (with no guitar!) is a beautiful, soulful, lovely jewel of a song, and Stills' guitar-work on "It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" and "You Don't Love Me" are first-rate, with Stills sounding an awful lot like Jimi Hendrix on the latter tune, which really deserves that treatment. In the end though, the more you listen to it, the more beautiful Bloomfield's playing becomes on soulful tunes like "Really" (and if you like this tune you should buy Barry Goldberg's Two Jews Blues just for "Blues For Barry And" with Bloomfield on it). Bloomfield's best straight-ahead blues is "Albert's Shuffle," and the beauty and creative lyricism (as well as the speed) of his jazz improvisation on "His Holy Modal Majesty" is breathtaking--it absolutely must be heard to be believed. And on every second of this album, Kooper's organ is just as beautiful, exquisite and soulful as Bloomfield's guitar. His organ playing is truly one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It's such a dirty rotten shame that this didn't turn out to be Bloomfield's first solo album, as Kooper had planned it. But considering each side of the album was cut with in only one day with Bloomfield and only one day with Stills, this album is a genuine miracle!



5. This is an album composed almost entirely of blues, with a little soul (Man's Temptation) and jazz (Harvey's Tune) thrown in. It is Al Kooper's creation, and his keyboards (mostly organ, some electric piano) anchor the entire effort. Mike Bloomfield lays down sizzling lead guitar jams, but only on four instrumental tracks. Steven Stills fills that role less inspiringly on the subsequent, less guitar-driven tracks. Horns provide backup throughout, but never take the lead until the last track (Harvey's Tune), indicating that after being booted from Blood Sweat and Tears, Al backed off the idea of horn-based rock. Although Mike's solos merit a close listen, the album as a whole rates better as background music to a late night party than it does as a front and center event. It definitely has the feel of a "session", a very good one, but hardly "super", and you can get bored if you try to focus all your attention on it! So why 4 stars instead of 3? Simply because the 2-minute jazz masterpiece "Harvey's Tune", written by bassist Harvey Brooks, brings the whole album up one notch. As jazz, it doesn't even belong here, and would have been much more fitting on the occasionally jazzy Blood Sweat and Tears debut album "Child is Father to the Man". It has a gorgeous major-minor melody (sax in the lead), exquisite harmonies and counterpoint from trumpet and trombone, and Al's electric piano brilliantly defining the theme and the complex chord progression. It is moody and sophisticated and utterly beautiful - and much too short! So give the album 4 stars, and hooray for Harvey!

5 comments about Everything Is Everything.

1. I love this cd. The is music great, with Donny's vocals. The horns in Everything is Everything are kickin' some serious butt. It makes me feel happy, joyous. I feel like shoutin'. The spirit is movin' me. I am listening while writing this review. The piano playin' is bangin'. Come y'all lets get our dance on!
   
   Every track offers you something. This is real music. The music is happy, kind of sad, and just fun. It covers the spectrum of life.



2. This album is one that I always end up returning to. Donny Hathaway's vocal and piano talent really shine on this one and that combined with the strong song selection made for an impressive debut album. I don't usually like instrumentals that much, but "The Ghetto" remains one that I never tire of. The addictive groove of Donny Hathaway's keyboard work and the drums have made this a favorite of mine. "Thank You Master (For My Soul)" also remains one of the most moving songs I've ever heard. Donny Hathaway's vocals are simply amazing, and he attains just the right touch of gospel delivery in this thank you to God. Donny Hathaway is someone who deserves more credit than he gets for his contributions to music, and any fan of R&B should own this. His live CD is also highly recommended if you enjoy his music. When Donny Hathaway died the world not only lost a talented musician, but also lost a very spiritual and caring brother. Thank God he left us with this music to remember him and his message.



3. Every time I hear Donny Hathaway, I am so moved
   with both great joy and awe of his god-given gifts
   as well as sadness over how his career bascially went
   under the radar while he was alive and of course,
   how his life ended so tragically!
   I often think about how pleasantly surprised he would
   have been to see his work have such an influence on a
   whole generation of younger talents who were but embryos
   when he was doing his thing all those years ago!
   I also imagine him being pleased by his daughter
   Layla and her success!
   This was his best and most cohesive studio album
   and it has some great gems on it..my faves are:
   "Je Vouz Aime Vouz (That Means I Love You)", "Misty",
   "Sugar Lee" and "Thank You Master For My Soul"
   all which kill me in their own unique ways!
   Of course, I prefer the live versions of "The Ghetto"
   and "Young, Gifted & Black" to the ones on here.
   Donny was one of the few artists who could create
   something live that was better than what he did
   in the studio!
   Donny Hathaway is the invisible every man of
   R&B / Jazz / Soul and his influence, vocal and
   instrumental-wise is eternal!



4. It's everything you would expect from Donny Hathaway. Thank you Master feeds the soul.



5. Listening to this disc reminds me of why I love music - Donny Hathaway is gone too soon from this world (musically). I wish he could have gotten the help he needed to deal with his inner demons but his musical legacy definitely helps ME get through my own Tryin Times and battle my own demons and for that, I am forever greatful.
   
   This entire album is exquisitely excellent, there's not one bad track but there are some that stand out to me:
   
   Voices Inside (Everything is Everything) - great musical production!! 10/10
   
   Je Vous Aime (I Love You) - so soulful, such a beautiful love song. 10/10
   
   Misty - excellent remake 10/10
   
   Tryin Times - timeless song expressing commentary about what was going on then but also speaks to what is going on in today's times 10/10
   
   Thank You Master For My Soul - excellent soulful gospel song that doesn't overpower 10/10
   
   The Ghetto - although I prefer the live versions of this song, it's pretty damn close to a masterpiece & just as powerful as any song on Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin On' 10/10
   
   To Be Young, Gifted & Black - one of my favorite Donny tracks, picks up my spirits every single time I hear it 100/10
   
   A Dream - words can't suffice for how much I love this song - the arrangement and Donny's phrasing throughout...make this song heaven for me. 100/10

5 comments about The Collection.

1. One of the beat CD collections I own.
   LOVE HER VOICE!



2. For the purist. Not digitally remastered so it does not have the same sound quality that we are used to hearing today. For that reason the lyrics will often be unclear and sound like they are being sung from very far off. And they are - the distant past.



3. This is a great disc. It is my first disc of old blues crooners and I plan to continue exploring the genre. She has so much SOUL!! The old analog sound gives character to the disc but is not too disracting from the music. You can feel the history in the recording but can easily feel and relate to the emotions that Betty is tellin.



4. This is a great disc. It is my first disc of old blues crooners and I plan to continue exploring the genre. She has so much SOUL!! The old analog sound gives character to the disc but is not too disracting from the music. You can feel the history in the recording but can easily feel and relate to the emotions that Betty is tellin.



5. The sound quality is excellent. Bessie Smith the singer is excellent. I've listened to the CD three times and enjoy it more each time I hear it. First rate. I'd give it 6 stars if there were that many available. She has a good voice for blues and she never sings off key. The piano backing is nice too. I look forward to listening to this CD again and again.

2 comments about Crucial Rockin' Blues.

1. Crucial Rockin Blues has several of the current blues greats performing an assortment of straight rocking blues and rocking r&b. It is a great CD to broaden straight rock enthusiasts', or straight blues enthusiasts' tastes.



2. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SELECTION OF MULTI-ARTIST ELECTRIC BLUES. SUPRISINGLY A NUMBER OF THE SONGS ARE VERY RECENT, SUCH AS COCO MONTOYA'S "LAST DIRTY DEAL" ONE OF THE BEST FROM HIS RECENT RELEASE. TINSLEY ELLIS' "THE NEXT MISS WRONG" IS TINSLEY AT HIS ABSOLUTE BEST. PERFORMING A FOOT STOMPING, ROADHOUSE COOKER! DAVE HOLE IS HIS USUAL MAGICAL, WHIMISICAL, AUSTRALIAN, SLIDE MASTER, WITH HIS GUITAR JUMPING AROUND, LIKE AN UNATTENDED WATER HOSE TURNED ON FULL THROTTLE! GUITAR SHORTY'S SONG "i'M GONNA LEAVE YOU" IS PROBABLY HIS BEST COMBINATION OF STRING BENDING AND VOICE YET RELEASED. THE ONLY NEGATIVE IS THE ATTEMPT OF ROY BUCHANAN, REDOING THE ALL-TIME ROCK CLASSIC BY EDWIN STARR, "25 MILES"! IF YOU'RE GOING TO REBUILD THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, DON'T USE POPSICLE STICKS, USE GOLD! (ANOTHER BAD EXAMPLE IS OCEANS ELEVEN) IN SUMMARY, THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE STEAL AT $8.00! SHAQ "THE KING OF THE WORLD BLUES REVIEWER'S" SAYS BUY IT! P.S. SONG #2 "ROUTE 90" BY JOHNNY WINTER IS ROLLICKING GOOD FUN, BUT IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE "SURFIN U.S.A. BY THE BEACH BOYS!

5 comments about The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw.

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BLUES FAN TO OWN THIS CD
   
   This is pure Genius, such a substantial sound, one of his best CD's.
   The best blues Harp in the business, of course Paul Butterfield is one of my Musical Heroes, need, I say more. Just tune in and listen.
   
   HMR Music Lover



2. I have loved this record since the first time I listened to it oh so many years ago. This is, in my opinion, the best blues record ever recorded and that's saying alot. All of the songs hit the bullseye. "Driftin' and Driftin'", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Tollin' Bells", and all of the rest were truly inspired renditions of these songs. I appreciate all of the previous and latter Paul Butterfield Blues Band recordings but "The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" is their zenith. Do yourself a favor and get this fantastic recording.



3. From Kim Whitesides colourful images to the blistering music inside this cd. This is the best of the Butterfield band during that tumultous period between its 'start' in 1965 to the late 1967 period. This album cooks with driving tunes such as 'Drivin Wheel', 'Driftin' and Driftin' and Born under a Bad Sign. After the departure of Mike Bloomfield Elvin Bishop kicks this band up several notches. His stinging solos and dynamic rhythmic interplay with other band members including drummer Phillip Wilson make this a hands down success. Phil Wilson here pumps one beat after another into this creative ensemble. He is worth the ticket alone. Sadly this wonderful musician was murdered in the 1990's. Butterfield's singing catapaults this band into 4th gear. This is the blues as it was meant to be played. Tollin' Bells is the sad and lonely blues harp wailing at life's misfortunes. The band sounds fresh and excited about this music and it still burns after several decades. Go get it!



4. 
   Yes, this is the great PBBB's 3rd album, but it's not the CD you should be buying.
   
   This domestic CD was released in 1989 and has never been remastered.
   
   The import 2CD version of this title (backed with the PBBB's 4th "In My Own Dream") is the one to get. It was remastered in 2004.
   
   Ditto for "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band" & "East West"; the 2004 import 2CD is also remastered (and sounds incredible) and the domestic CD's are not.
   
   Why WEA and Elektra have not made these four remasters available domestically is a mystery.
   
   Don't waste your money on these inferior versions: Get the imports!
   
   Link to the remastered import of Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw/In My Own Dream



5. This is my favorite Butterfield album. I do love East-West and the debut album too, but it can't get any better then this. The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw is blues full of soul.
   
   Elvin Bishop shines with his spare, "Claptonish", blues playing. Butterfield sings better then he ever done on any other album and his harp wails as never before. The addition of horns make the songs rich and very soulful. The music is deep rooted in the southern blues and soul of America.
   
   Put on the opening number, One More Heartache, turn it up, feel the bass and hear the beat when the handclapping starts, no one can resist tapping their foot, I promise!

5 comments about Chicago/The Blues/Today!.

1. I bought the three separate Vanguard vinyl LP's years ago. Wore 'em out. They got me started on the harp and I have played ever since....or at least, tried to play. I memorized and absorbed all of this inspiring stuff, I played it so much. It has had a major influence on my entire life. What a brilliant idea by Sam Charters in the first place, and then to actually pull it off, with all these blues giants, is a simply amazing feat. Prior to that the only blues I had listened to was the Stones and Paul Butterfield, and from there I went back to the originals, like Little Walter and Muddy and Wolf and Sonny Boy.
   Those last four legends are NOT on these recordings--Walter and Sonny Boy had passed by then--but just about everyone who meant anything in Chicago blues is. Muddy's former harp player James Cotton and the one and only Otis Spann, his favorite keyboard man, are both in strong form. Cotton's version of Rocket '88 is the most rocking and explosive jump blues you will ever hear, truly a gigantically important recording. His harp performances on this set are tremendously powerful and creative, showcasing his inimitable style. Junior Wells and Buddy Guy play a strong mini-set, with Junior's vocals on Vietcong Blues some of the best he's ever done.
   It is simply incredible that these recordings feature three guys who, over the years became some of my all-time favorite musicians, and remain so to this day: Johnny Shines, Otis Rush, and Charlie Musselwhite. Not that race matters, but Charlie, just as in the very first Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969, is the only white guy on the records. Since it's Chicago blues, Johnny Shines plays electric here, and he blows the doors off with his powerful and impassioned vocals. I am convinced that Shines, unlike any musician I can name, is at least as great acoustically as he is amped up. The great Big Walter "Shakey" Horton lends superb harp to Shines', and Johnny Young's sets, and Charlie--billed then as Memphis Charlie--plays a really nice harp duet with Big Walter.
   The immortal Otis Rush, again, only in my opinion, the greatest combination blues singer/guitarist ever, tosses off a sublime version of I Can't Quit You Baby, which rivals and possibly exceeds his Cobra version.
   This is an absolutely essential recording for anyone interested in blues Chicago-style: amplified, electric, stunningly powerful. These blues will grab you and will not let you go.



2. As a serious blues musician, I am always on the lookout for those few seminal recordings which I might have heard about, but not owned. To go over to the jazz world for a moment, I would put Chicago the Blues Today
   in the realm of A Love Supreme by Coltrane or Kind of Blue by Miles et al in terms of influence. And, as a harp player, the Junior Wells and James Cotton tracks are absolutely killer!!! I can't believe how good this is-one of the crown jewels.



3. Chicago: The Blues Today! contains great and classic performances. This three-CD set features two to three different artists on each CD, such greats as Otis Rush, Otis Spann, James Cotton, JB Hutto, Johnny Young, Homesick James Williamson, and Johnny Shines.
   
   Highlight are Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby, My Black Mare by Young, Spann's Stomp by Spann, and Somebody Been Talking by Homesick James. This is a great collection for your blues collection.



4. In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock and roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience.The "today" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid '60s.
   Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom.Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis
   Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and been reasonably good sellers over the 30 years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc in the mid 1980s. This new packaging puts all three volumes together, but with no bonus tracks, as no extras were recorded for these sessions.So if one already owns these sides, what's the incentive this time around? That's easy: The sound is massively improved, with the bass that was rolled off the vinyl and original CD versions now being restored. This
   makes the tracks truly come alive, especially on the Otis Rush and Junior Wells sides, both fortified with some major amounts of badass bass thumping by Roger Jones and Jack Myers, respectively. One can really hear the spaciousness of the old RCA studios where this stuff was cut for the first time, and the detailing of the mix is in sharp focus throughout, although the increased bass causes some unwanted distortion on the Homesick James Williamson tracks. The other plus is the new packaging, which features a nice booklet with detailed, updated notes from Charters, a nice appreciation from Ed Ward, and absolutely eye-boggling session photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann, that alone are worth the price of the set. With the glut of blues reissues out there, it is often a coin toss as where to best spend your hard-earned money. Even if you still have the original vinyl or CDs, this is one of the times when it would be best to spend the dough and add this one to your collection, because blues records seldom come as important, innovative, or just plain pleasurable to listen to as this set. File under "essential."



5. In the sixties, the Chicago blues scene was so vibrant, alive, and brimming with great blues that an enterprising producer could (and did) literally pull some of the finest second-line bluesmen off the street, hustle them into a studio, and turn them loose. The resulting three-disc set represents some of the finest blues ever made, yet no one on this session is named Muddy, Wolf, Johnson, or Hooker! Of course, Junior Wells (with Buddy Guy in tow) is brilliant, especially with his moving "Tribute to Sunny Boy" (Williamson, of course!) and his fabulous "Messin' With The Kid" (later covered by the Blues Brothers, among others). JB Hutto is amazing, sounding as raw and unpolished as Robert Nighthawk, yet every bit as soulful. His mighty, slide-fueled renditions of "Going Ahead" and "Too Much Alcohol" will leave you begging for more! (More blues AND more alcohol, too!) Otis Spann, Muddy Waters long-time pianist, closes out Disc One with five mellow-yet-intense pieces, including an extra-wonderful "Spann's Stomp". Disc Two kicks off right-as-rain with another former Muddy colleague, harp extraordinaire whiz James Cotton. His frenzied cover of Ike Turners "Rocket 88" is the standout of his set. Otis Rush contributes a superb version of "I Can't Quit You Baby", later borrowed by Led Zeppelin, while former Elmore James cohort Homesick James weighs in with his first-rate "Set a Date." If there is a weak point of this set, it happens during the third disc, with Johnny Young and his rather annoying use of "blues mandolin"; however, his rendition of "One More Time" is very good indeed. Finally, ex-Robert Johnson sidekick Johnny Shines closes out the set in chilling, thrilling style, with "Dynaflow Blues" and "Black Spider Blues", while Big Walter Horton and Memphis Charlie (Musslewhite) serve up a sizzling version of "Rockin' My Boogie". A great 47-page booklet accompanies this box set, and the photos of winter in Chi-town circa 1965 are haunting and evocative indeed. In short, this is a must-purchase, for this three-disc wonder, recorded it seems only just yesterday, will give you true pleasure from Chicago blues not only today but tomorrow and far into the future as well!!!

5 comments about Sonny & Brownie.

1. This is a fantastic album, plain and simple. I won't get into the debate as to whether or not it is bluesy, or more commercial than the rest of their stuff (to which I have not had a chance to listen), because it is simply a fun album.
   Stand-out tracks on the album are "People Get Ready", the electrifying instrumental "Sonny's Thing", "The Battle is Over", and "Big Wind". However all of the tracks are great, and well paced. The album winds down perfectly with "On the Road Again", a bit of banter between Sonny & Brownie, interspersed with a recurring lyric.
   The album makes me want to go out and buy more of their material, and I can recommend this across all age groups. Definitely a must-have.



2. This is one of the very first blues records I found in my dad's record collection when I was about 14. Yes it's not straight delta blues and yes it has some white guys playing/singing on it. This was Sonny and Brownie's introduction to white american blues fans in the early 70's and it worked. This record is a classic and totally worth the price of admission for the very last track of them telling road stories. Also their version of People Get Ready and Sail Away are near perfect.
   
   When I Met Brownie McGhee shortly before he passed away, he told me this was his favorite record he ever made. He thought this was the one he would be remembered for - so do yourself a favor and buy this amazing album.



3. Sunny & Browne. To paraphrase, "This is it". Two old boys from `Bama.
   
   When Bob Dylan came to San Francisco in "72. He acknowledged Sonny & Browne as one of his inspirations. I'm not sure who the others were.
   
   They're older than dust. One of them is blind and the other one justifiably uses a cane.
   
   Buy this and you'll shake your head. Such sweet music, "Oh, the sun's gonna shine on my back-door one of these days."
   
   They don't get along but that's another story. How can two guys sing together for 35 years and not "get along"?



4. I bought this album on a discount cassette tape in the early seventies in Brisbane - unheard and thinking how cool I would be having such music. 35 years later and a lot wiser I have come to realise that somethings just outlast time - one of those being quality artists. This album represents, for me anyway, a time when things were less complicated and the music was for the music's sake. Depressing piece of reminiscing? No way - a celebration of how fortunate I was to stumble on these unheralded guys (In Australia at least) and now to trip over the cd while surfing the 'net in China. If you haven't heard this album buy it and rejoice!



5. Sonny and Brown are authentic legends and I share the amazement of a previous reviewer that they were not more highly regarded as such by the world at large. This was the first album of S&B that I heard when I was around 12 and I switched onto it immediately, it is warm, rich, and pure good vibe blues. As well as the pairs Guitar and harp, it features bass and drums. I love their version of 'sail away', it might seem a strange cover at first if you listen to Newmans version, but they just do it so well. 'People Get Ready' and 'Bring Out The Boogie In Me' are standouts.
   After I heard it as a kid I went out and found another Sonny and Brown album, the double 'California Blues' which I also loved, especially when they sang harmonies, man, that defined the blues for me, so raw and beautiful and real. These guys were the real thing and I think they need to be ranked as highly as John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson. One day I believe they will be. Recommended with full conviction.

5 comments about Why I Sing the Blues.

1. As a fan primarily of Hard-Rock and Metal I find it somewhat odd how much I like this record. But I suppose if the music is terrific there is just no denying it and it can transcend most genre preferences. However, I don't expect I'll be listening to any Classical or Rap anytime soon. But to sum up my review... this is just plain great music performed by a man that has been playing and recording the blues since the 1940's and to date has released over 50 records. B.B. King is the King of Blues. Long live Blues Boy and of course Lucille.



2. "Why I Sing the Blues" is an interesting album. Sony's original idea behind it was to make a bargain bin priced collection of B.B. King tunes, including a couple hits, that would "wet the whistle", so to speak, for a buyer to then purchase further regular priced albums from the blues master. The funny thing is, the ten songs included are arguably the BEST songs from King during the very late 60's/early 70's era. There is no denying that the tracks included were his most popular at the time, not to mention concert staples. There literally not a dud in the bunch; no need to skip tracks on this one.
   
   Of course, the opener is Mr. King's all time most popular hit, "The Thrill Is Gone". Even after thirty years it still sounds as fresh and memorable as ever. Fortunately, the level of excellence doesn't drop with the follow-up songs. I'm partial to "Hummingbird" myself, but they all catch King in his creative greatness. This era had King tweaking his sound slightly to make his tunes slightly more catchy and mainstream, yet they still retain the classic B.B. King guitar work and sound. Simply put, it works perfectly.
   
   King has always backed himself with skilled backing musicians. These songs are obvious proof of that. Other famous writers/musicans take part in the recording sessions, including the talents of Carole King, Leon Russell, and Gerald Jemmott. The recordings are nearly flawless, the production is VERY good for the time period, and King's voice was really hitting its comfort zone; earthly, mellow, and passionate all at once.
   
   Here's the kicker to all this: the CD is dirt cheap! If you have never heard B.B. King before, BUY IT NOW!!! If you already have some of King's material, it's still a safe buy that gives you a group of great tracks on one CD. It's a fail-safe purchase. So sit back, dim the lights of your living room, and enjoy!



3. The CDDB, the on-line repository of CD track and title information, erroneously lists this record as being named B. B. KING'S GREATEST HITS. That's wrong, of course; it's really called WHY I SING THE BLUES. But it's very easy to see how someone could have made that mistake. The songs on here are among King's most famous tracks. There's not a poor number in this collection, so this is absolutely a must-own.
   
   If you're new to B. B. King, then this is a great place to start. Not just because of the relative popularity of these particular tracks, but because they're extremely representative of his entire sound. Tight, rhythmic beats backed up by extremely solid musicians. I always admire not only King's skills with his own guitar (named Lucille, if you didn't know), but by the way he always manages to surround himself with seriously talented people. If he's ever performed a track with poor backing players, then I have yet to hear it. On the other hand, experienced King fans may want to quickly check the track listing as they may already own the music on other collections.
   
   King's guitar-playing abilities have earned him many deserved accolades. But I also really dig his singing on this album. I love the wistfulness in his voice on a track like "Ain't Nobody Home" where he sings about the end of a relationship. The joy in his voice on "Hummingbird" is great. And, of course, his vocals on "How Blue Can You Get?" would re-emerge in the 1990s, sampled on a rock track with an improbably long name (although I don't think that sample was taken from this specific performance).
   
   This is classic B. B. King -- sharp blues, solid music. Nothing absolutely mind-blowing, but certainly good enough to keep you sitting up straight and paying attention. There's a lot to admire and enjoy about this music. This is enduring, dependable music -- the musical equivalent of the proverbial comfortable pair of jeans.
   
   I'm constantly surprised by how little money I see used copies of B. B. King's albums going for. Still, I can't complain since that's how I build up my own collection. You'll be able to find this album for next to nothing, which is bizarre (how could anyone with a soul sell this?!) but makes the purchase decision an easy one.



4. This is the best inexpensive B. B. King CD on the market today. I own over 20 King CDs, cassettes, and albums and this is one of my favorites. It could almost be labeled a "best of", with songs such as The Thrill is Gone, Ghetto Woman, Why I Sing the Blues, How Blue Can You Get?, and Ain't Nobody Home. Not to metion "Chains and Things" with Carole King on piano.

   I must have in everyones Compact Disc collection!




5. This album is great. Theres no possible way you will ever grow tired of it. Songs like "The Thrill Is Gone, Ghetto Woman, Hummingbird, and To Know You Is To Love You" will leave you with the desire to hear even more of B.B. Kings brillant guitar playing. Also featured is "Ain't Nobody Home" done in big organ gospel style reaviling B.B.'s childhood upbringing in the church chior. On "Chains And Things" Carole King sits in and deliveres an amazing preformance with B.B.