5 comments about The Original Lost Elektra Sessions.

1. I recommend this album to anyone who likes Bob Dylan's second masterpiece [not second album], Blonde On Blonde, as these 2 albums have that same THIN WILD MERCURY SOUND.
   
   I'm not here to give a second rate, third rate, fourth rate history lesson, just recommending an EXCELLENT album, by an EXCELLENT blues band, what a shame this was scrapped at first... then again there's much more room for appreciation now...



2. A must have for all blues lovers as well as those who need to hear the voice of the consumate blues man,Paul Butterfield. I know I was thrilled to hear these early recordings that were recorded before the release of the first album and featuring the original line-up.



3. This album is a rare, and precious gem that fits quite comfortably between the first album, and East-West. The people at Elektra discovered that sometimes true gold can be found without digging in a gold mine. And they struck real gold, not fools gold. And on the list of gems are songs like Spoonful, Everything's Gonna Be Alright (which I haven't heard since the release of Woodstock 2), Mellow Down Easy (the only repeat out of 19 songs), Rock Me, and Poor Boy. This is not only to be added to the Essentials list, but the top 2 must haves have now become three.



4. Not enough Bloomfield guitar, but his keyboard playing fits in well. Butterfield and drummer Sam Lay are on fire, while Elvin and Jerome do a fine job, as usual.



5. Beautiful archival music from the masters of seminal white electric blues Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield.

5 comments about Biggest Thing Since Colossus (Sony).

1. For everyone who loves gifted musicians and good tracks....The association of Otis Spann and Peter Green will remain a GREAT MUSICAL moment....forever.
   Listen to again and again...without moderation !



2. I love Otis Spann. Both his solo work and as a member of Muddy Water's band. This album sees Spann hooking up with the original Fleetwood Mac line up san their drummer (what was his name?). Otis' piano nicely compliments Peter Green's guitar, which is a little more restrained then usual on this album. This album features some great rockin' tunes and as well as some excellent slow blues like 'Ain't Nobody's Business'.
   
   Don't be put off by the strange album cover. This is a great, great blue album. Also check out Fleetwood Mac's Engliash Rose for more great Peter Green material.



3. I have about all of Otis Spann's CD's that are available. I did not care for this CD that much. The sound of his great piano playing was washed out and upstaged by the noisy guitars. Also, he departed from his traditional Chicago Blues CD and went with a more fast paced rock and roll type sound. I would recommend Otis Spann's Best Of Vanguard Years instead.



4. Clapton, Hendrix, Beck, Page all have reputations as great blues, blues/rock guitarists. Peter Green was THE best. Just listen to this album.

   It starts with "My Love Depends On You" with the Chicago Blues piano virtuoso Otis Spann singing his heart out and playing an inspired piano accompaniment. I always thought Otis sounded at least 30 years older than he was. He was a Pisces and that ethereal quality associated with the sign of the fish comes through his I've-see-it-all voice and fluid piano playing. Who better to complement the great underappreciated bluesman, than the great underappreciated Green God? Unlike the typical guitar "gods", Green played only the notes necessary, he didn't overpower the other musicians and certainly never does so with Otis' voice. Green is a Scorpio many times over with an expansive dose of Sag that allows him to reach deep down and express emotion with soaring openness. Never was this more evident than on this track! This is simply one of the most moving performances you'll ever hear.

   "Walking" is a more exuberant, up-tempo number that still retains Otis' plaintive soulfulness. Great, unusual drumming from Otis' friend S. P. Leary!

   "Ain't Nobody's Business" features some of Green's softest and most tender guitar playing ever. His playing on this track is like an intense, yet gentle carress. This is NOT background music!

   Those are my favorite tracks, but there isn't a truly weak track on the entire cd. The empathy between the two water-sign greats is evident throughout, especially when Otis implores Peter to "Play me the blues now, baby!" and Peter does just that on "My Love Depends On You". Otis became a fan of Peter's, struck by the guitarist's depth of feeling, intensity and tenderness.

   One surprise is that "Hungry Country Girl" a mini hit for Otis recorded at this same session wasn't included in this reissue. If you get this cd, seek out this song as well. I'll never forget hearing it on a 1000 watt all-black radio station that could only be heard on the south side of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, played by Pervis Spann (no relation to Otis). Pervis Spann was a legendary DJ who called himself "Pervis Spann, your all day, all night blues man!"

   This album is absolutely the best example of the blues fathers meeting the sons. Hooker 'N Heat is my #2. I hope you enjoy.




5. As admirer of Otis Spann and Peter Green, to find this album was such a pleasure. Spann is his usual constant, but Peter Green show how good a blues guitarist he was. He plays with such simplicity but has so much feeling in what is played. Green can play one note and have so much more effect that some modern guitairists who try to play at the speed of light.

5 comments about All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at The Wise Fools Pub Chicago [Live].

1. Has become one of my all time favorite live performances. The guitar work is amazing, his vocals are very strong. From reading the liner notes, this concert used new recording techniques to capture the quality and the energy of the performance. And In my opinion they achieved it well beyond expectations. The sonic qualities rival many of my studio recordings. A must for any true chicago blues fan.



2. get this disc, listen to this disc, and your thoughts will be "wow!" "man!" and you will be telling people, "you have got to listen to this". otis is a guitar playing wizard. this recording leaves you wanting more, much more. and in track 10, the word is not bah-gum, but it is ball game. get it and don't question that decision.



3. I grew up in the 60's and most of my exposure to the blues was the kind you got from John Mayall and Johnny Winter. Listen to Otis Rush and you hear the sound they were trying to copy but never did. In my opinion this is Otis's best live recording. This is his Cold Day in Hell backup band and they let Otis play while complementing his sound. I would pay anything to see a show like this live. Unlike the statement of another reviewer the sound is excellent. Peter Green and Eric Clapton have covered some of the songs Otis plays in this set and you can see why they admired his style. Otis is a lefty who doesn't restring his guitar that gets a unique sound out of basically playing upside down. He had a stroke a few years ago and regretfully will probably never play a guitar again. This CD is a worthwhile investment and I would say buy it before it goes out of print.



4. "You're Breaking My Heart".
   If you want a single cut to add to your collection of must-have, 5-star Chicago blues music this is one of them.
   
   This is 8 minutes of live Chicago blues at a near psychotic nuclear meltdown intensity of lead guitar licks. The passion in the vocals must be witnessed to be believed.
   
   Guitar players: You can hear so much Clapton in the lead solos it's not funny. Kinda like SR Vaughn vs. Albert King.
   
   Awesome track. Up there with James Cotton's 'Sweet Sixteen' with Luther Tucker on guitar.
   
   Wouldn't mind a vinyl release either...



5. For almost fifty years Otis Rush has been one of the most powerful singers and innovative guitarists we have ever had. But what is truly mystifying is that for most of this time--and this continues to this day--Otis has been an unsung hero of the blues. He is taken for granted.
   
   At the beginning of HIS career, John Mayall did everything he could to spread the word about the greatness of Otis Rush. He recorded one of Otis' masterpieces, All Your Loving (I Miss Loving), on his legendary Clapton/Bluesbreakers LP. And Mayall is now called the "Grandfather of British Blues." So that gives you an idea of the stature and longevity of Otis Rush. Clapton and Vaughn and Cray and Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne and hundreds of others have gone on to great fame and success and riches, singing the music of Otis Rush and others. Ironic that the young followers got most of the props and recognition. But they are all very good musicians and it is not my intention to denigrate them; more power to them for keeping the blues alive! As technically proficient and talented as these guys are, at best they are only interpreters; at worst, imitators or even plagiarists.
   
   Please, don't bother listening to them unless you have listened to the real thing first. This is the real thing: live electric blues wonderfully recorded at a small blues club, by one of the all-time greats, one of the innovators, one of the originals. Otis Rush is to Chicago blues as Robert Johnson and Son House were to country blues. Incredibly and fortunately, he is still with us, still vital, still performing.
   
   There are only a handful of truly great original Chicago blues performers still around, and Otis, with Buddy Guy, is at the top of the list. I would not hesitate to call Otis THE greatest combination blues singer/guitarist ever.
   
   How can someone this fabulous so be relatively unknown?

1 comments about Very Best of Freddy King 1.

1. ..and you'll have -all- the 'old' Freddy King Stuff. By the time you're visiting here, there simply is no reason not to. Among these tunes are the riffs that played a major part in a developing Clapton, and any other bluesman to come along from the early 60's on. Freddy King instrumentals are the template for the original surf instrumentals. Singing with a high-pitched, but still very full-bodied tone, King's guitar fame has overshadowed the fact that he was one of blues' greatest singers. Although the completeness of these cds requires the inclusion of a couple of mistaken attempts to jump on commercial trends, they are all performed with soul, and should be heard.

5 comments about Standing on the Bank.

1. Upon the death of SRV, Rolling Stone asked, 'how does it feel to be the best blues guitar player alive today?' E.C. replied, "I've no idea, go ask Tab Benoit."
   
   I've seen him in person - a wonderful, powerful, full-on assault of blues and bending the frets as he cares to - and now own several of TB's works, and love them all.
   
   If your taste for the blues runs like mine - ZZ Top to Clapton to SRV to Robert Randolph and the Family Band to Muddy Waters to Buddy Guy to Erida Badu to the Blues Brothers - ANY of Tab's works will make you smack your lips in indulgence and reflect 'mighty tasty indeed'.



2. This is the first review I've ever written so I'll be brief. If you don't like music don't buy this album, that is the only excuse I can think of not to buy this album or any of Tab's stuff for that matter.

   Mr. Himes needs to spend more time in New Orleans contemplating why he is wasting everyones time writing reviews. I'm sure he doesn't like Stevie Ray Vauhn, Cool John Ferguson or BB King either. What an idiot! If you don't like the blues don't review the blues. This album is awsome.




3. One of my favorite Tab albums. His own material is great, and he covers the "Alberts" to a T. This guy (from Houma, LA by the way) has with "Standing on the Bank" recorded a master piece. But he is even better live. Catch him at the Rock-N-Bowl on a Saturday night, and get blown away. He plays really hard - usually pops at least 4-5 strings per show. And on home turf he doesn't want to quit, and will go as long as they let him. Go see him when he comes to your town!



4. I don't generally comment on other peoples reviews but after reading Mr. Geoffery Himes review, I avoided this cd and opted for "These Blues Are All Mine" instead. Then, Tab Benoit came to town and put on a little show. Not only was he a fantastic performer, but I realized that several of the tunes he was playing, and which had the audience in a frenzy, were all songs off of this cd. In fact, at the show, Benoit sold every copy of this cd that he had brought with him. Shortly after the show, I came back to this cd and reread Himes review. What is this guy smoking? The cd is excellent and may well be the best that Benoit has produced.

   Benoit's mastery of the fret board is astonishing and, as one writer commented, "the man knows more chords than Six Figures Mandel and is able to make them all sound like Uncle Paul could play them".

   Oddly, and again contrary to Himes comments, Benoit's least likeable song on this cd is "Rainy Day Blues" with Willie Nelson. Not that it is a bad song, but it just doesn't fit with the rest. Don't make the same mistake I did and rely on Mr. Himes, buy this cd today.




5. Pay no attention to Mr. Himes' Blues Snob review! Tab Benoit delivers great, gritty blues guitar and vocals throughout this CD. This IS the blues Geoffy! Don't believe it? Just catch Tab's live show some Saturday night in New Orleans and watch him pack'em in. If the blues is about energy & passion...Tab is a FIVE STAR BLUESMAN!

5 comments about The Chess Box :Muddy Waters.

1. 72 tracks on this compilation, and not a single flaw.
   The Plantation Recordings from the early 40's and his late 70's albums produced by Johnny Winter are all fine, because again, he just couldn't open his mouth and sing a BAD song.
   But leave these ones alone, and get The Chess Box (Everything he has done for Chess between 1947-1972). Just like other Chess artists (Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy) - the Chess years are his best by far, and the tracks put chronologically here serves you ear and historic sense great.
   The music here is absolutely astonishing - Muddy's clear, throaty famous vocal and whining slide work, Little Walter's/James Cotton's weeping harmonicas, Otis Spann on piano and all the other members of this legendary blues band.
   
   5 stars without a doubt. Just get it.



2. I love all these songs. The only problem I have is, there are recordings of these songs that are much longer. Mannish boy, Long distance call, Got my mojo working, She's 19 Years old, and many others have versions where the song is over 5 minutes. Unfortanately, these are all short versions.



3. McKinley Morganfield was born in Mississippi in 1913. He was given the name of Muddy Waters by his grandmother at an early age.
   
   Muddy Waters was one of the Blues musicians who was deftly able to make the transition from the cotton field, delta, acoustic blues, to the electric sound which has remained with us since. He not only made the transition, but set an example for others.
   
   Disc one of the box set covers the period 1947-1954. Disc two covers the hits of the 1950's, many of which inspired English rockers who were preparing to hit the shores. And Disc three covers the latter period from 1960 through 1972. It should be noted that there are recordings before and after the time periods on this box, and as such, this box set could not be termed "all inclusive". Not covered are the very early years of Muddy's singing, as covered by The Complete Plantation Recordings. And the Blue Sky recordings (I'm Ready; Hard Again; King Bee) of the 1980's cover the latter part of his career. This box set covers the meaty, main portion of his career and are definitely the set to get if you are going to get just one for your collection. The book that comes with this 3-CD set also gives a very nice overview of Muddy's life and career, something that the mp3 downloads cannot do.
   
   Muddy Waters was one of the most influential blues singers of all time and influenced generations of singers who came after him. If you plan on getting only one collection of Muddy Waters, I would strongly recommend this 3-CD set. You can now buy the songs individually through Amazon, but it is strongly recommended to buy the box set en total.
   
   They get no bluer than this. Muddy was, and is, the real deal.
   
   Highly recommended. 5 Stars.



4. This is simply the best collection of blues recordings ever! If you like the real blues, you must add this set no matter the cost. It makes you long for music that can be felt and not just heard like most anything recorded in the last quarter century.



5. More casual fans will probably be better served by MCA/Chess's much cheaper (but very good) two-disc compilation "The Anthology: 1947-1972". But if you're looking for the best and currently most thorough available overview of Muddy's recordings for Aristocrat and Chess, this is it.
   It is not the final word on Muddy Waters - his excellent latter-day recordings with Johnny Winter as producer aren't here, and you'll need some of his live stuff as well - but these 72 tracks do include the vast majority of his best songs from 1947 and twenty-five years on.
   
   Disc one spans 1947-1954, and most of the 24 tracks feature just Muddy Waters on slide guitar and bassist Ernest "Big" Crawford backing him, although the great Sunnyland Slim rolls the ivories on a few songs, like the delightful 1947 single "Gypsy Woman".
   Muddy's arsenal of slide guitar riffs may seem limited, but his playing on the 1948 hit "I Can't Be Satisfied" and the mellow "Train Fare Home" is really great, demonstrating what a fine guitarist he actually was.
   
   Percussion doesn't show up until two-thirds of the way through the disc, when the "classic" Muddy Waters band begins to take shape: Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar, drummer Elgin Evans, and Otis Spann playing the piano.
   Along with the songs already mentioned, the lean, mean "I Feel Like Going Home" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'" are among the highlights on disc 1, which ends with the tough, swinging "Blow Wind Blow" and the classic "Hoochie Coochie Man". Big Walter Horton plays superb harmonica on "Blow Wind Blow".
   
   Disc 2 includes the majority of Muddy's classic 50s singles, from "I'm Ready" and the thumping "I Just Want To Make Love To You" to "Got My Mojo Working", the Bo Diddley-ripoff "Mannish Boy", and the superbly swinging "I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love". Harpist James Cotton appears for the first time on "I Love The Life I Live", blowing a truly inspired harmonica riff.
   And there are several lesser-known songs here as well, including previously unreleased takes and singles which make their LP/CD debut on this album. Most of them are good, although not quite great, with the exception of a very fine rendition of Jimmy Oden's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet".
   
   Disc 3 covers 1960-1972, and includes a few live recordings, as well as two alternates from the sublime "Fathers And Sons" sessions. Opening with the great live "I Feel So Good" from the Newport album, it is highlighted by Muddy's version of Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours", the mid-60s hit singles "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", and a hornless version of "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone", one of the few good cuts from the otherwise forgettable "London Sessions" album.
   
   There is nothing here from the misguided and completely superflous "Electric Mud", or from Muddy's last Chess-effort, "The Woodstock Album", but that detracts little or nothing from the greatness of this compilation, the finest overview of Muddy Waters' Chess sides available.

5 comments about Spirituals & Gospel: Dedicated to Mahalia Jackson.

1. Lucky Peterson plays blues. Mavis Staples sings gospel. One might wonder if this Saturday night/Sunday morning combo could create a lasting tribute to gospel great Mahalia Jackson. But it works, mainly because the two stick to a formula Jackson favored: Vocals accompanied only by an organ or piano.
   
   Staples was deeply influenced by Jackson's music and friendship. And it was her idea to record a tribute using the accompaniment Jackson prefered. But she had trouble finding an organ player with the reputation that would interest a record company. Peterson had this reputation. In the mid-1990s, he was a red-hot blues player for Verve Records, getting lots of radio play, and gigs at major festivals. He was famous for his guitar playing, but equally proficient on the Hammond B-3 organ. Verve promised to release the Jackson tribute if Staples agreed to work with Peterson. The results are stunning, especially considering the two never worked together before.
   
   Staples' voice is characterized by a deep rasp that adds an emotional edge to Jackson favorites like "Wade in the Water" and "Were You There?" Peterson, for his part, has the chops befitting a bandleader. But on this album, he gladly, almost worshipfully, steps into the supporting role. On every track, Peterson punctuates Staples' singing, and fills her pauses with appropriate chords. Never once does he upstage her, or play ahead of her.
   
   The best example of this collaboration is "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." Here, Staples' voice soars to the heavens - praising God, Jackson, praising music itself - before descending to a gravelly bottom, filled with soul and solemnity. Peterson, again, follows wherever Staples goes. Like the perfect wingman, his eye remains on his leader, hands reacting quickly and competently to stay in formation.
   
   "Spirituals & Gospel" works because of the special magic between Staples, a leader in sacred music, and Peterson, a star of the secular world. Who knew that great gospel needed a sinner to help it succeed? The Lord works in mysterious ways....



2. In the world of recorded music, many highly talented female vocalist have paid their tribute to musical mentors like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson. My allegation is that most vocalists fail in their attempt. Why? You can't do it better than your mentor, you need to do it differently! To make an album dedicated to Mahalia Jackson, singing / playing her most beloved gospel and spiritual repertoire tunes, you need a portion of great musicality and a lots of guts! The soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples has these qualities. And she does it differently, in her own way together with only pianist / organist Lucky Peterson. Peterson, also well known for his great blues albums playing guitar, shows mean gospel skills on the Hammond B-3 organ , which he focused most of his musical energy on after lessons from Bill Doggett and the legendary Jimmy Smith. Not many surprises on the selections of tunes on this CD, the dearly beloved ones are all here - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen, He's Got The Whole World In His Hands, Wade In The Water, I'll Fly Away From Home, Gown Down Moses to name a few. Peterson's organ playing must be considered as a learning book for gospel organ players and enthusiasts - his sensitive use of organ dynamics as an accompanist and soloist, drawbar registrations, and bass lines make the duo sound like at full band. Peterson's change to acoustic piano an a few tunes only broadens the musical expression of this great CD. Staples mature darkened soul voice and chops adds great edge to her gospel interpretations. Her dubbed solo version of "Stand By Me" says it all. Well done Staples / Peterson - A for overall performance!



3. Mavis Staples' husky voice is a national treasure. I remember hearing her in the pre-renovation Carnegie Hall in the 1970s with The Staples (opening for Ray Charles). One of the great voices of the century. Her gospel singing with her family group in the 1960s is less well remembered than her secular singing in the 1970s, but it is the root of everything she's ever done.
   
   This record--a duet with pianist/organist Lucky Peterson--features a collection of songs associated with Mahalia Jackson. That means there's plenty of traditional material, like "He's Got the Whole World In His Hand" and "Down By the Riverside." But it also means that there is plenty of mid-century gospel blues including Thomas A. Dorsey's anthem "Precious Lord," as well as gospel standards lik "Stand By Me," "Steal Away," and "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again."
   
   The effect of this striped down presentation of beautifully recorded repertoire and performance is of a master class in gospel song. You can't go wrong.



4. "Godba" (slovenian expression for music) from heaven. No mistakes (OK, Lucky could be a little less nervous sometimes) Highly recommended to all religious and atheist listeners. Mavis rules!



5. This album is sub titled "Dedicated to Mahalia Jackson". At the time of recording Mahalia Jackson was badly served by reissues, which is certainly not the case at the time of writing. It would therefore have been appropriate for producer John Synder to approach Mavis Staples with a view to recording some of Miss Jackson's recordings in her own style. The awe in which Mavis Staples held Mahalia Jackson is evident from the sleeve notes - as is the strength with which Pops Staples held the family together. Lucky Peterson gets to play Hammond B3 and piano as a background to the tracks that were recorded. He does so largely without any frills or blue notes, and strictly to back up "the voice". This is, therefore, a Mavis Staples album. The tracks are all recorded without processing on the voice, except for the very sparing use of double tracking to provide call and response.It's very well done, but is really rather superfluous in view of the ready availability of the originals.

4 comments about West Side Strut.

1. Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater's Alligator debut was one of the most anticipated blues CDs of 2008. Known around the globe as a consummate showman, Clearwater - a long-time giant of the West Side Chicago blues sound - is ecstatic about the record deal. "Recording for Alligator is a dream I've had for many years," says The Chief. Clearwater becomes the first Chicago-based artist to release a recording on Alligator since the early to mid '90s.
   
   Ronnie Baker Brooks was hand-picked by Clearwater to produce the record. This has resulted in different, newer, and younger ideas being added to Clearwater's established sound. Baker Brooks also contributes guitar, percussion, bass, background vocals, two original songs as well as three co-written songs. Best of all the differing styles (traditional versus contemporary) of these bluesmen complement each other instead of colliding with each other.
   
   The CD contains blues, soul, and gospel. The sonic innovation of Billy Branch's harp, in the opening number A Good Leavin' Alone, makes it known that this is a loud, proud, and bold Chicago blues record. Here, while blazing a trail on his fret board, Clearwater growls the lyrics out like a bear. Throughout the duration of the disc, his vocals are far more tame and weary. Gotta Move On is a soulful ballad that is emotional and sensitive whereas Too Old To Get Married is the exact opposite. The latter is a fun rock and blues boogie that features Lonnie Brooks on guitar and vocals. Clearwater's Indian heritage is heard in the heavy beat of the ultra contemporary They Call Me The Chief. Eddy, who has been in Chicago since 1950, doesn't need to lean on the strength of cover songs because his own songs are strong enough. Yet, Clearwater and Branch have a blast - literally - trading solos on Muddy Waters' Walking Through The Park which is made to sound very contemporary. Rock-A-Blues Baby was almost left off the album. It combines pop and hip-hop beats with heavy metal power chording and sounds unlike anything else on the disc.
   
   The best songs were written by all the contributing songwriters. Ronnie's hot rockin' guitar rips on the captivating Hypnotized. The gospel sounding Do Unto Others - about treating others with respect - was written by Clearwater's publicist Karen Leipziger. Guest vocalists Jimmy Johnson and Otis Clay make the track superb while Baker Brooks' remarkable guitar work brings forth the emotions of the stirring lyrics. Clearwater's best guitar performance surfaces on a brilliant cover of Lowell Fulson's Trouble Trouble. With a rich and deep message for hate and war to cease, the gospel-like A Time For Peace is enriching due to the backing vocals of six accompanists. Here and throughout the organ and piano of Darryl Coutts is dazzling.
   
   It could be a challenge to re-create these songs live as they were not recorded with Clearwater's band - they were recorded with Baker Brooks' band. Yet, this is an exceptional album. West Side Strut is the perfect mix of young and old, traditional and contemporary, today and tomorrow. It is a strong contender for blues record of the year.



2. As I often say, I very much like Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater in spite of this touch of soul sometimes present in his songs. But this 2008 `West Side Strut' is a very good record practically without soul in it, only "Hypnotized" has some touch of soul.
   This record features very good compositions, and great vocal and guitar performances: his guitar attack is still the one he took from his mentors Freddie King, Luther Allison and Magic Sam, with its typical West-Side sound. In almost any record there always are some songs that stand out. In this record there are three in my opinion absolutely great Blues: the originals "Blue Over You" , "Rock-A-Blues Baby" and Lowell Fulson's "Trouble Trouble", the latter brilliantly performed.
   All the record is very good excepting "A Time For Pace", which lacks inspiration and "Came Up The Hard Way" that although good has a weak acoustic start. I do very much like his version in "Boogie my Blues Away", on the other hand. To sum up, this Clearwater's record is very good. I give it 4 stars.



3. finally we can enjoy a real good electric blues cd, after too many disappointments. the chief has recorded maybe his best record (but i haven't listened yet a bad cd by him). after all, you can simply read the guest musicians' names: Billy Branch, Lonnie Brooks, Otis Clay, Jimmy Johnson. what can you expect by these? great solos, great energy, great souls. everybody should buy this record and have great fun.



4. " The Chief" sparkles on his superb new disk. Ronnie Baker Brooks handles the production with one foot in the past, yet gives the record a modern feel. Classic Chicago Blues. Good originals like Hypnotized really sizzle. The covers are outstanding. Lowell Fusons Trouble Trouble growls and burns. Muddy Waters Walking through the Park is a perfect example of the Chicago sound. Modern and retro is hard to pull off. " The Chief" and company pull it off in grand style.

5 comments about Texas Cannonball.

1. These versions of many blues and soul standards are all fine, there are a couple of Freddie penned trax as well. I've read the quibbles in the All Music Guide and thru out the Freddie King reviwes listed below, but I still really like this music. Yes Leon's destinctive piano often sits on top of the mix, and the strings and backing female voices occationaly over power King's playing and mar and date the arrangements, but it's soooo good, even if it is at the end of the road for Freddie.
   .
   I'd suggest picking up the 2-disc "KING OF THE BLUES".
   That CD contains all of these cuts and then some; about 60 in all, in a generous package. There are only a handful of songs that are not up to par and some that are so good you will wonder why you did not already have King in your blues collection. For those looking for a blues CD beyond Freddie's vintage 1950's classics, see "KING OF THE BLUES".



2. After listening to blues for many, many years, and playing a bit myself, IMO, "Me and My Guitar" is the second greatest blues song ever recorded by anybody, anywhere (the greatest being "Crossroads" by Cream). That's my 2 cents' worth.



3. This is a fantastic album by Freddie King. Recorded in 1972 on Leon Russell's Shelter label, the album features Freddie on guitar, Leon on piano, and Donald Duck Dunn on bass. Great renditions of Lowell Fulsom's Reconsider Baby, Howlin Wolf's How Many More Years, and Bill Wither's Aint No Sunshine. Plus a coupl eof track written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. In the thirty plus years I have been listening to this, I have worn out at least four copies. Freddie really knows how to make that guitar sing.



4. I was introduced to Freddie King's music going on forty years ago and was fortunate to have actually seen him in concert several times when he visited San Antonio. This is by far my favorite work from Freddie. I'm not a great admirer of Leon Russell, but he does provide Freddie with some exceptional material that has had staying power with me for decades. I still own this on vinyl, a most cherished possession. Every cut is great. Having said that, an alternative would be to buy "The Best of the Shelter Years" because you get most of the cuts on Cannonball and other greats like "Woman Across the River". A real classic and one that the Allman Bros. have recently covered.
   
   There is also a 2002 DVD covering this 1972 album.



5. Freddies steel finger 'n' thumbpicks make the notes ring out throughout this classic album. The notes swoop and bend. The version of "Reconsider Baby" (originally done by Lowell Fulson but also covered by Elvis Presley) seems like it was almost MADE for Freddie. His voice is racked with pain and anguish as he slows the song down to a funky grind and adds shimmering finger vibrato to notes that seem to fall from the sky. He was definitely the finest vocalist amongst the famous "3 Kings" and his guitar playing has influenced everyone notable, from Clapton to Johnny Winter to Paul Kossoff,etc..
   A few people have tried to cover songs featured here. Tab Benoit has adequately attempted "Me & My Guitar" back in 1998, but the growling vocals of Freddie can't be equalled. Every track featured on this CD is superb and the cover art was striking when this album first was issued on vinyl back in 1971.
   This CD version comes with several *bonus tracks which adds incentive to purchase it. If you think the Texas Shuffle started with The Vaughan Brothers THINK AGAIN because this was from where it originated.
   I was so fortunate to see Freddie King live on stage with Eric Clapton back in summer 1976. He was a giant , both musically and physically!

5 comments about Chess Blues.

1. How should I put this...?
   
   subtle? historic? passionate? Let's just leave it at this.
   
   IT'S A 4 CD BOX WITH BLUES FROM CHESS!! THAT'S MUDDY WATERS AND HOWLING WOLF!! DUH!!! OF COURSE 5 STARS!!



2. This is a collection of 101 blues recordings from the Chess Records vault. It features many of the best known blues singers, as well as some performers that history has forgotten. Most of Chess Records' biggest hit blues records are included, but there are also many obscurities here. In fact, almost half the tracks are rarities. But the obscurities are almost as good as the well known recordings. Everything here is good, with most of the tracks being better than good. If you want to learn about the blues, this is the perfect place to start.



3. All right, students, now pay attention! Put down that racing form and pay attention right now! This here Chess Blues box set contains exactly 101 tracks. How appropriate! That makes this collection a sort of unofficial college course entitled Blues 101, and Professors Wolf, Waters, James, and Jacobs (Little Walter), etc., etc., will be your blues instructors. You will learn the Fundamentals of Blues Harp, with Little Walter ("Juke") and Sonny Boy Williamson II ("Don't Start Me to Talkin'") as your master teachers. Over here, we have a course entitled Mellow Blues, with Willie Dixon ("Walkin' the Blues") and Jimmy Witherspoon ("Ain't Nobody's Business") showing you how it's done. Then, we have instruction in Blues and the Female Voice, with Koko Taylor ("What Kind of Man Is That," "Wang Dang Doodle") and Etta James ("Somethings Got A Hold Of Me," "I'd Rather Go Blind") as your teachers. Finally, what great university would be complete without Master Classes and the best professors in the business Muddy Waters ("Got My Mojo Workin'," "I Can't Be Satisfied," "My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble"), Howlin Wolf ("Killin' Floor," "Evil," "Going Down Slow"), and John Lee Hooker ("Walkin' the Boogie," "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer") holding court for your edification. No, there is no blues university, but if there was one, the above masters would surely be the instructors and Chess Blues would certainly be the required text. As I said, it's packed with an amazing 101 songs, many of the best blues tracks ever recorded. There are a few clunkers, but very few. You will spend many enjoyable hours listening to this collection. (Trust me, it takes a few hours to listen to 101 songs once!) Get it today, and enroll in the best blues education money can buy!



4. This handsome boxset, complete with a large booklet, is a superb addition to your blues collection, even if you already have the best of the major Chess artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

   There are bound to be some tracks, especially by Waters and the Wolf, that overlap with what most blues lovers already own, but the "Chess Blues" compilers have done a very fine job assembling dozens of rarer tracks by artists like Robert Nighthawk, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush, Memphis Minnie McCoy, Lowell Fulson, Willie Mabon, Elmore James, Jimmy Oden and many others. And these high quality tracks, which make up the vast majority of the 101 cuts, make "Chess Blues" a very welcome supplement to the many available compilations featuring Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs.




5. The Delta gave birth to the Delta Blues and Chicago gave birth to the Chicago Blues but it would not have happened without Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and, of course, the Chess Brothers. This is their legacy - no true blues fan would be without this set as part of their collection -enough said!