5 comments about Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974.

1. This is as good as music gets. The first CD is an introductory one, with some dated material, but once you get beyond the 40's, every song is a winner. This contains several Greatest Hits sets all in one place. Just brilliant stuff, to which I'd give my highest recommendation.



2. This is an excellent product for anyone who cherishes the
   old times when you had to SING a SONG not just repeating
   one verse over and over. There are some good hard to find
   songs that many of us had probably forgotten until they
   start to play and then they do bring back memories. An
   excellent gift for anyone over 50 years of age. Old
   enough to appreciate good music.



3. As I have waited many years to purchase this set, I have sampled it from the LP version that it was molded from. First released on CD in the early 80's there were two prior version that were released on LP. The first was started in the mid 60's and was released in the original mono versions for the first few volumes. It was then re-released in the 70's as two volume gatefold albums, also grouped in the first box set that the 8 CD set is modled after. The tracks have remained basically the same over the several releases with the final 8 CD set incorporating all the revisions. The quality of the recordings have been maintained throughout the entire collection without the tinkering that sometimes happens in the process of re-mastering. As I own several of the original recordings from the early 50's, in both the 78 and 45 rpm pressings, along with various reel and cassette releases. The sessions are the correct versions, as were made famous from their era. The history of these selections have maintained their importance in the soundtrack of the American Entertainment with their inclusion in some of the greatest box office releases in the past 4 decades. A little of the Atlantic history can be seen in the movie "Ray", as it was included in the bio of the most well know R & B artist of our lifetime. In addition, the r & r movies made in the early fifties featured the music of the Atlantic Black artist as featured in the first several disc of the collection. Dirty Dancing featured Soloman Burkes "Cry to Me", and many other tracks have been included in major movies over the decades. Every where you turn these tracks are a part of your history. To have them all in this one collection to enjoy endlessly, anytime you wish is worth the cost, whatever price you have to pay. If you were to download each track at .99 each you would pay well over two hundred dollars to burn all of these to CD yourself and you would not have the history that is included in this package. Although I sound like one of the TV ads, I just enjoy this music, I have grown up with it over the last 50 years and I feel it should be a part of any music collection as a part of the American R & B section. Buy it, listen, listen again and you will be overcome with the music, history and all that it has become.



4. Looked at this CD for years without buying - When I finally did, well worth the purchase - The sound quality is great and the music is without peer - Don't wait, buy!!!



5. This is probably the most extensive collection ever of the Atlantic RNb/Soul sound. Many of these records are real old, almost Smithsonian old but great to relive the history of RnB. Of course the 50s, 60s, and 70s soul classics are all in there. One surprising note is the variance in sound quality. Some of the songs from the 50s are cleaner than the ones from the early 70s. Maybe some were mixed for AM radio while others were not. Some of the master tapes may have also deteriorated. This is a must have for the RnB collector.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin Box Set, Vol. 2.

1. The rest of the songs in the catalog not in the first box set. Frankly some of these should have been in the original; 'Good Times, Bad Times', 'You Shook Me', 'Bron-Yr-Aur', 'Hot Dog', 'Darlene', 'Hots on For Nowhere', 'Down By the Seaside' and 'How Many More Times' all great tunes that would be better off in box set 1 as opposed to some of the dreck that somehow got on there, particularly some of the stuff from the 3rd album.



2. If you have the four disc boxed set you know you are missing quite a few essential Zep cuts so, spend a little more and get this two disc set to complete your collection.



3. Led Zeppelin's first boxed set was an excellent starting point for casual fans, but also left out a lot of great stuff. With many newbies craving for more Led Zeppelin, another boxed set was compiled called "Led Zeppelin Box Set, Vol. 2". How does it hold up? Read on for my review.
   
   Positives:
   -If you own the boxed set and are interested in having all the tracks omitted from it, than this collection will do just fine. This has all the important stuff left off the first collection, including "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)", "The Lemon Song", "Good Times, Bad Times", "Sick Again", "Moby Dick", "The Crunge" and "Bron-Yr-Aur".
   -The songs sound really good.
   -It's reasonably priced.
   -There's a previously unreleaed song called "Baby Come On Home". It's a really good song.
   
   Negatives
   -As great as this collection, it would have been better to have the two cds split into two separate cds and inserted onto the first boxed sets.
   -This cd is very hard to locate.
   
   Overall, if you have the first Led Zeppelin boxed set, than you should definitely get this second editoion as well.



4. I actually like Box Set 2 better than Box Set 1. In this set, Jimmy Page seems to have the most input., rather than Set 1, which was more geared to Robert Plant. If you love Zep Music... you will LOVE Box Set 2. Good Listening!



5. Box Set 2 contains the rest of the studio recordings that didn't make its way on to the 1st box set.
   
   Buy Box Set 1 and 2 together to get the complete studio recordings of the Led Zeppelin catalog.
   
   Fans who want the chronological timeline preserved are better off with the Complete Studio Recordings box set. It takes up a hefty amount of shelf space on your library!
   
   But for fellas like me who just want to compress the Led Zeppelin studio recordings into a nifty 6 CD set, get Box Set 1 and 2 together today!

5 comments about Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey.

1. I owned this previously and I am glad to have it again. It will teach about the blues from their inception at the turn of the 20th century to the present day. All the classic songs that were later done by UK acts are here as well. If you can find it used, it is a better bargain because there is a lot here that is "filler not killer" but if you want to get a blues education, buy this collection.



2. This collection is an excellent synopsis of the Blues from its earliest roots on the rercording medium to modern times. It also shows how far and wide this genre covers in the musical landscape with its influence on rock-and-roll and jazz. Besides having over 115 songs, there is also a companion booklet that documents every track. I really recommend this collection to anyone not familiar with the Blues, because it can be a great starting point for you to expand on an area you find more interesting, like the Kansas City blues in the 30s, Chicago blues in the 50s, or diverse individuals such as Lead Belly, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf, John Jee Hooker, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.



3. IMO, this 5-disc set is par none the best blues compilation spanning over 50 years. Not everything noteworthy has been included, but it is the best bang for your buck you're going to find anywhere for a wide blues selection from early to recent, and Marty Scorese did a fantastic job in selection. I have given it as a gift several times and it is the gift that keeps on giving. Some very great tunes.



4. This box set compliments the film series very well. Musically, the set is wonderful until the middle half of the fourth disc and wans quite considerably on the fifth disc. This is not only a matter of bad taste in choosing appropriate music for these parts of the set, it is merely a matter of musical history: the blues at the time in which these portions of the set cover was simple not very good music.
   These portions would have been much better off if they included work by the likes of Carey Bell or RL Burnside instead of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Cock Rocker of Blues, Stevie Ray Vaughn.



5. One day in early 1968 I bought the album Wheels of Fire by Cream. Cream of course featured Eric Clapton.
   I put on the live disc and listened to a song called "Crossroads" and became hooked.
   At that time I didnt have a clue who Robert Johnson was or what blues was.
   I over the years listened to blues through "White" artists like Eric Clapton, The Allman Bros and others.
   One day I broke down and bought a Robert Johnson album and a whole new world was opened up to me.
   I had no idea what "Mississippi Delta" blues was compared to "Chicago Blues" etc. For years I have listened to these recordings and was never able to hear the originals.
   People like Eric Clapton have changed the arrangements on many of these songs to suit their styles. Now through this recording I am finally able to hear what the song was originally like. I personally love the slide guitar of the Mississippi Delta. I love the "rawness" of those recordings. I am also able to hear the electric side that came from Chicago as blues players migrated there. This Cd has the finest songs by the best blues artists ever.
   This set includes Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson, Skip James, BB King, Buddy Guy, Maceo Merriweather, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Son House and the list just goes on and on.
   It also includes the "White" side of the blues including Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaugh, Bonnie Raitt and many others.
   This is a celebration of the blues, and is a must for any collector, or fan of the blues. This CD is for people like me who have listened to the blues for so many years and now want to listen to the real thing.
   You will never find a better collection in your lifetime....

5 comments about Singles Collection: The London Years.

1. Contrary to the product title and description, this item is CD-only. If you want the SACD format, look elsewhere. Apparently, ABKCO is responsible for this confusion. [...]



2. Many of the items on this album have been released before in well known collections (Hot Rocks, More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies, etc.). However, this provides a nice survey of what the subtitle refers to as "The London Years."
   
   Especially welcome is Disc One. Here are a number of early works that draw upon the blues tradition out of which the Stones came. Their covers are as interesting, in some senses, as their own music. Chuck Berry's "Come on" illustrates. A nice rollicking version. Some of Willie Dixon's compositions are covered (e.g., "I Want to Be Loved," "I Just Want to Make Love to You," and "Little Red Rooster" [a cool version]). One of Buddy Holly's hits, "Not Fade Away," comes off well. Bobby Womack's "It's All over Now" is solidly sung (indeed, in a later Rolling Stones' tour, I saw Bobby Womack sing this as part of the opening for the concert). Stevie Wonder's "I Don't Know Why" is also included. The other songs on Disc One are primarily works by Jagger-Richards themselves. Toward the end of this are quintessential Rolling Stones works of the mid-1960s, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Get off of My Cloud."
   
   The second disc covers the years from "19th Nervous Breakdown" through the psychedelic album, "Their Satanic Majesties Request." Some rather little known works appear, but most are well known. Because of that, this covers much the same territory as "Hot Rocks" and is less interesting than the first CD. The final disc has a lot of the "greatest hits" of the late 1960s and early 1970s (think "Street Fighting Man," "Honky Tonk Women," "Brown Sugar," and "Sympathy for the Devil"). There are also some mildly entertaining trifles ("Jiving Sister Fanny" and "Memo from Turner").
   
   The most interesting of the CDs, then, is the first, since it shows off nicely some of the foundational works upon which the Rolling Stones' oeuvre is based.



3. This box set was release in the late 80s during the peak of the box sets revival. The problem with the collection here is that it included all of the 45 records on 3 CDs. This may seem like a good ideal, and I will be the first to admit it, I thought it was great until I got it home and started listening to it. The problem is that not only does it included all of the hits, from "Satification" to "Get off my Cloud" to "Sympathy For The Devil", it includes also the B-side of the 45s, which include such songs as "Little Red Rooster", "Jiving Sister Fanny" and "Who's Driving Your Plane?". The issue is not the good stuff, it the filler that kills it. The Stones have way to many great songs, both before and after "Exile on Main Street" then to waste time listening to almost half the songs on this album. If you love the stones in the London Years, trade this in for Hot Rocks.



4. This album is simply great fun from beginning to end. Made up of all the material on the Stones' singles, A and B sides, from the London years, it is a grand tour of their early years and their evolution as one of the top rock and roll bands of all time. The mix is good enough on the CD that the mono still sounds fine to me on a stereo system, so I have no complaints there. The sound is raw and energetic, much the way I expect their early concerts sounded. If you are a Stones fan, this is an essential addition to your music collection. So good that when the CD ends, you want to give it another listen.



5. Many, like me, read these reviews as a pastime. There are a few reviewers who must be more audiophilic than simply lovers of the Stones, or rock, or any particular group. In this particular case, since it is such a comprehensive and large box set--if you remember these were all singles, that's a LOT of vinyl replaced by 3 little discs--I am not going to be so particular.
   
   This is the first boxed set or CD of any kind my goil friend, and now wife, risked buying finicky me: she felt she could not go wrong! And she was 100% correct. Mono, stereo, SACD, AIFF, AAC, whatEVAH--If you were jumping up and down to these songs over some tiny transistor AM radio in the sixties, and singing these songs in the bathroom, and they came out of your dashboard on Saturday night when you had your date parked out in the woods, BUY THIS! It sounds great, absolutely amazing, song after song, compared to what we had then, and the hits keep right on coming. Try to decide which songs Mick was messed up on. Figure out which ones were influenced by some other band from that era when they came out. Dig how amazing Brain Jones was always!
   
   I don't think you can pack more coolness into a boxt set, as someone else said. This set of mine is like fifteen years old now, and I put it on iTunes a few months back. It gets played, in part, nearly every day, and I have 60 Gigs of iTunes! How good is that?

5 comments about Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box.

1. One of my first exposures to the world of Chicago-style blues, after a steady diet of country-style Delta blues, was the Rolling Stones' version of the Willie Dixon classic Little Red Rooster back in the early 1960's. I thought that was a song to beat all songs and it had nothing to do its allegorical nature, you know, about sex. What, moreover, capped it for me the fact that it was originally banned in Boston- from the radio airwaves of the times. Naturally that made this teenager want to hear it even more.
   
   All this is by way of saying-yes; the Stones did a great version of that song but if you really want it heard then you must go to the master- Howlin' Wolf. That big gravelly-voiced man who, in still pictures that I have seen of him as well as film seems to be inhaling the microphone, lets it all hang out as he struts his stuff on that number. In Do the Do, Little Red Rooster, Killing Floor and on and on the Wolf sweats, bleeds, sucks up the whiskey, has another one for good measure and gets down on his knees, sometimes literally, to belt out the blues.
   
   You buy this CD set to get your little hands on Rooster but that is hardly the end of the story. This set contains every classic Wolf song that you could want under one roof, and some interesting Wolf talk in between. What are the ones you want to make sure you hear (and hear over and over again). Well, here is a by no means inclusive short list. Spoonful, The Natchez Burning, Killing Floor, Dust My Broom, I Am The Wolf, Back Door Man, Wang Dang Doodle... hey, wait a minute let's make it easier just get the set, take a few hours off and listen-you won't want to turn the damn thing off.



2. Wolf along with Muddy were stablemates during Chess's glory years, and this set shows why his reputation as one of the blues' great masters is inviolable. The set begins in the early 50s with his first recordings for Philip's Sun studios in Memphis, which are key to understanding his origins in Delta country blues, before switching to his various band formations at Chess through to the early 70s. There are many classics here, including "Evil," "Sitting on Top of the World," and "Smokestack Lightin'," as well as lesser known gems and brief interviews. With partial exception of some lackluster liner notes, this set is necessary for any self-respecting fan of American folk music and blues.



3. This is not a very tough choice, if you like Howlin' Wolf or the blues get this box. It has not weak tracks, some fascinating interviews (well The Wolf talking), and many of the classic, indispensable tracks.Plus, there's, as evidenced here, no other electric blues guitarist nearly as nasty, dirty, just downright awesome as Hubert Sumlin. Buy and enjoy, this is the blues at its best.



4. I bought this box as a present and up to now have not haerd it. However, having today talked to the recipient of the gift, I can confirm that he is more than satisfied with it. The remastering is excellent and there are enough alternate takes to satisfy the most ardent completist.



5. this album is amazing. it's very long, but the songs never get old. i wish i could have seen the wolf in concert. that would be a great chance because he's my favorite bluesman. of course, robert johnson, blind blake and muddy waters come pretty close too but none can sing like the wolf. the best song on here is 'i asked for water (she gave me gasoline)' it's full of humor and makes me laugh every time. what's even funnier is in 'howlin wolf talks part 3' when he tells the interviewer why she gave him gasoline is because she was mad with him. i never know who he's singing to, but i'm sure they all get the message.

5 comments about The Complete Aladdin Recordings.

1. I love the assembly of songs, but to me they all seem too clean, too tame, and too "studio" ...versions of songs which he did better on other recordings. I have it and I'll keep it, but there are better sessions out there.



2. Learning at the knee of legendary Bluesman Mance Lipscomb, Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins blazed an incendiary trail through the urban Texas landscape.

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

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

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




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

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

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

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




4. There is a lot of John Lee Hooker here, and a lot of other stuff as well...

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

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

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

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

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




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

5 comments about The Birth Of Soul : The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 1952-1959.

1. HERE ARE ALL OF RAY CHARLES' SONGS THAT HE RECORDED ON ATLANTIC RECORDS, BASICALLY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. A GREAT BOX SET WITH INFORMATIVE BOOKLET. THESE ARE THE SONGS THAT MADE ALEGEND OUT OF A MAN. NO-ONE CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION, BUT I DO FIND MYSELF LISTENING TO DISCS 2& 3 MORE THAN THE FIRST ONE. RAY'S EARLIEST RECORDINGS (Disc 1) ARE MORE LIKE IMITATIONS OF CHARLES BROWN OR FLOYD DIXON, AND THE LATER RECORDINGS ARE WHEN HE REALLY BECOMES "BROTHER RAY".



2. This 3 CD box set from Atlantic should stand as a monument to the way an artist's "best of" compilation should be presented.
   
   Ray's first charted hit came in 1949 for the Down Beat label as a member of The Maxin Trio when Confusion Blues reached # 2 on what passed then for the R&B charts. In 1951, on his own now with the Swing Time label, he then scored with Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand [# 5 R&B] and followed that in 1952 with Kiss-A Me Baby [# 8 R&B].
   
   That led to a contract with Atlantic Records where, in May 1954, he had his first hit with It Should've Been Me [# 5 R&B] b/w Sinner's Prayer. That was followed in August by Don't You Know [# 10 R&B] b/w Losing Hand. All four sides are in this set.
   
   Then came the seminal I've Got A Woman [sometimes listed as I Got A Woman] which soared to # 1 R&B early in 1955 b/w Come Back, itself a hit at # 4 R&B. In fact, from that point onward to 1956's Hellelujah I Love Her So, he would have only double-sided hits. And they are ALL here, as are both sides to all his following Atlantic hits up to, and including, the old Hank Snow Country smash [a hint of things to come with that genre] I'm Movin' On [# 11 R&B/# 40 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in 1959] b/w I Believe To My Soul.
   
   It's interesting to note that it took the Pop market over eight years to "discover" Ray, and when they did it was to deliver a modest # 34 in November 1957 for Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'Bout That River), which was the B-side to Ain't That Love, which only made the R&B charts at # 9 (Swanee River Rock also scored at # 14 R&B).
   
   For some reason, the ONLY Atlantic hits not included are Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' [# 17 R&B/# 95 Hot 100 in 1960] and its B-side, Let The Good Times Roll [# 78 Hot 100], and Just For A Thrill [# 16 R&B] and its flipside Heartbreaker. Also, while his final Atlantic hit, Tell The Truth [# 13 R&B in September 1960] IS included, the B-side, Sweet Sixteen Bars, is not.
   
   These, however, are minor quibbles. The large 32-page booklet contains not only a complete discography of the contents, along with numerous photographs and album/45rpm/poster reproductions, but also an extensive essay as well, written by Robert Palmer.
   
   Deserves a prize place in any serious music collection.



3. This boxed set is superbly packaged, CD 1 covers 1952 to 1954, CD 2 1954 to 1957 and CD 3 1957 to 1959. Theres a nice accompanying booklet which gives full credit to all the known musicians and there is a substantial written history of Ray Charles time at Atlantic records which must runs into thousand of words.
   
   Jerry Wexler is quoted in these notes saying "In terms of purity and musical value, he cut his best sides for us. It was righteous roots music. It was intrinsically great music". So its no surprise that the music IS some of the best stuff Ray Charles ever did. A mixture of Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Gospel and Blues that quite rightly is called the birth of soul.



4. Normally box sets are the audio equivalent of a Whitman's Sampler; there's a lot to choose from and you may not like everything in it, but that ain't this box set baby! Covering Brother Ray's tenure at Atlantic Records from 1952 to 1959 this box set encompasses most everything he recorded there and is pretty much the creation of soul music as we know it today. Here is Ray fusing R&B, gospel, swing, jazz, and pretty much anything else he put his fertile mind to. Listen to these recordings and it won't take long for you to figure out why Ray was called "the Genius." The tracks crackle with life and energy and thanks to the re-mastering they received they also don't crackle and pop like some of the older re-issues and re-releases. There's no guile and plenty of style here; there's also more recent re-releases of this material, but this packs in a whole lot more and is the superior collection if you ask me. If your foot isn't tapping and your fingers snapping then you don't have a pulse brother.



5. Ray Charles was a musician free of genre or style. He could play Rock, R&B, Country, and Soul with equal talent and virtuosity. The fact that he was able to do this, coupled with his invention of Soul, is simply a miracle of modern popular music.
   
   These recordings, marking the birth of Soul from the mind of the greatest musician in popular music, are to be cherished for the history the present. Every one of these recordings are evidence of the genius tht was Ray Charles. Some are quite simple in their arrangement, some vastly more intricate, yet every one expresses the powerful emotions that exude from the music and the man.
   
   This collection is seminal in it's importance in recording the birth of a genre that founded the careers of some of our most important popular musicians. Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gay, The Pointer Sisters, Barry White, etc. The list could go on for pages, but I think the point is made.

5 comments about Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond.

1. I love the music. I bought this from Boarders but got a defective disk, ordered another box, got a defective disc, ordered another box, got a defective disk. After this I just had the store hold them all and I had to listen to each disk multiple times, over and over, (I can't tell you it's painful to have to do this with music you love) and between 3 boxes and 4 disks swapped in and out, I finally got a complete set that did not skip. Don't put yourself through this. Rhino has replacment disks, so don't put up with a disk that only skips in, say, one place, (by the way, none was so defective that it jammed up totally.) Hold Rhinos feet to the fire on this. I am sure there are lots of bad copies out there. It was not only this box; it was Nuggets I too that I ordered that was defective. I feel sorry for any small dealers who had to put up with disatisfied customers because Rhino wants to cut corners on production. I mean it, hold Rhino's feet to the fire because I don't trust their manufacturing anymore.



2. I love Nuggets I & II(Children of Nuggets will be up next to listen to this week). I thought that I'd be skipping over many songs, since I'd hardly heard of any of them, but I was wrong. These volumes have clued me in on how much great music I missed the first time around in the 60's. Most of the songs hold up on their own, and should have been heard more widely on these shores. Between the quality music, and the informative notes, this is a must-hear for lovers of Rock.



3. The bits and pieces of the British invasion that mostly never left port and a few from their neighbors is great.....all are interesting....most are just good rock 'n rolling from that time period....influences abound....its a joy and a treasure



4. Nuggets 2 is packed. 109 songs giant booklet - great songs. Problem is atleast 30-40% of the tracks are deriative sound-alike garage rock that after listening to once i dont listen to again. I must say the booklet artwork and presentation is class all the way and there are atleast two dozen great great tunes here- especially the more pysche tinged numbers but in my humble opinion this could have been a cheaper priced double cd set that would have been flawless. If you can buy it used then its a good deal and ebay prices confirm youll make most of your money back if you just want to burn the cds. Standouts include Tomorrow- Timebox- Winstons Fumbs- Fire- The Mickey finn- The Creation and the Eyes whose "rowed out" sounds like i cant explain-! There are some obscure bands that its nice to be able to hear most likely only on this comp but wellknown groups like the Small faces and the Pretty things are not done justice with the tracks picked to represent them. Ofcourse everyone's favorite songs will always be different so this review is based on my particular views on what makes a good tune- i do prefer pysche to garage but atleast two of my favorites are total garage but with a creative (pysche twist) in particular Real Crazy Apartment by Winstons Fumbs is stellar.



5. While the original Nuggets LP and the first box set concentrated on the American pop and rock scene, the second Nuggets box shifted its focus to the rest of the world, collecting cuts from the United Kingdom (such as the Pretty Things and the Small Faces), Canada (The Guess Who and The Haunted), Japan (The Mops), Australia (The Easybeats, The Masters Apprentices), Iceland (Thor's Hammer) and Brazil (Os Mutantes). Practically none of these songs are well known in America, with only two of them being US hits ("Friday on My Mind" by the Easybeats and "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the Status Quo). The rest of the songs may be obscure, but they are oh so wonderful. It's like listening to the greatest hits of an alternate Earth. Fans of '60s pop and rock music, and especially the garage band sound, should get this for sure.

5 comments about The Chess Box.

1. Like many blues musicians, Willie Dixon had an interesting background. He was born, and spent his childhood, here in Vicksburg. He never had formal music education, but a local carpenter taught him harmony singing. Dixon sang bass in a local gospel quartet. Along the way, he served a couple stretches on Mississippi prison farms. He started his career as a heavyweight boxer in Chicago, but switched to music and played bass, part of the time as a house musician.
   
   Dixon started out as a studio bass player with Chess Records when it was a fledgling company started by the Chess brothers. The present set includes 36 songs written by Dixon, and performed by a variety of artists in addition to Dixon including Muddy Waters (Hoochie Coochie Man, etc.), Howlin Wolf (I Ain't Superstitious, etc.), Bo Diddley (Pretty Thing, and You Can't Tell a Book by its Cover), Koko Taylor (Wang Dang Doodle) and many others.
   
   The boxed set is a must addition for your collection if you have a serious interest in blues. It also makes a good gift.
   
   I would note that the Vicksburg Blues Society and others served as co-sponsors of the Willie Dixon Wang Dang Doodle Blues Festival held in Vicksburg in 2006. The City of Vicksburg has added a Willie Dixon mural to the murals on the Mississippi River floodwall near Catfish Row (the southern end of The Delta). The mursl, featuring the legendary Blue Room in the background, was painted by the noted mural artist Robert Dafford under the sponsorship of local blues patrons Ray and Nancy Neilsen.



2. This set was my introduction to the *real* blues, and to not only Willie Dixon, but Muddy Waters and others featured in the set. For newcomers to the genre, it includes a wide array of rythms and styles in the blues category, showing its depth and richness. Lots of danceable selections, but more importantly, ALL genuine blues. Highly recommended!



3. the willie dixon chess set is a window into the early blues
   that was the basis for some of the most well known rock and
   roll songs of all time. from led zeppelin to the kinks willie dixon and his music was a source of inspiration and musical reinvention. sometimes you have to stay true to your roots. its
   an incredible journey into the heart of original blues.



4. I never have understood how some people have an inate quality for music and some don't. Well , Willie was one of those that definately did. It is hard to imageine the blues without the likes of Willie Dixon: the writer, the musician, the producer, the businessman. I listen to his work over and over again , each time learning new nuances I did not hear before.
   
   How incredible is that ?



5. This box is a fantastic introdution to post-war Chicago blues and the key figure behind Chess Records' success, Willie Dixon. I am a huge fan of the Chess box sets, and this one is my favorite. With seminal tracks by blues icons like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and Koko Taylor as well as lesser known artists and Dixon himself, this CD is definitely on my deserted island list. If you're only going to have one blues CD in your collection (which would be a tragedy), this is the one to buy. Best of all, for the quality and quantity of music, you can't beat the price!

3 comments about The Complete Vanguard Recordings.

1. Big Mama Thornton is without a doubt one of the legends of the blues. What is so upsetting to me is that her wonderful vocals are coupled with an extremely untalented backing band. I haven't done enough research to know the history of the musicians she recorded with but if you listen to the majority of Big Mama's songs, the guitar and piano solos are just horrendous. It's really a shame that someone didn't have the foresight to team her up with some seasoned musicians.



2. I am a "born again" blues listener. This colletion of three CD's could probably be called the rollercoaster of Texas-based blues. Ms Thornton is the connection to past female blues greats, such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. This is the performer that inspired Janis Joplin. The first CD, (a live performance recorded in a jail) includes "Ball and Chain", which she dedicates to Janis. The second CD entitled "Sassy Mama" includes "Rolling Stone", "Mr Cool and "Sassy Mama", the title track rocks as if it were a live recording. The final CD is a previously unreleased collection that, to me is the best of the three. All are good!

   The collection includes a booklet written by Ed Ward, the rock historian for National Public Radio's "Fresh Air". In this booklet one will discover that Ms Thornton was a far more flamboyant personality than Janis, preferring Gin and Milk to Janis' Southern Comfort. Another fact that will surprise you will be her connection to Elvis Presley's fame. Every track rocks, she lifts you by the collar and screams you into the blues. This collection is a must for anyone that enjoys hard drivin female blues vocalists




3. This three disc set is one that I keep finding myself returning to time and time again. It's raw power and energy, like being assualted with rythm. Each track refuses to be ignored. Big Mama Thornton rips into song with a power reminiscent of Koko Taylor and Janice Joplin. Every time I've listened to this I find it incredible that Big Mama Thornton hasn't received more recognition than just "Hound Dog". If you like music as an experiance (versus just background noise) do not miss this!