No comments about Blues Organ Grooves.

5 comments about When the Sun Goes Down: The Secret History of Rock & Roll.

1. Can't help but compare this compilation with Martin Scorceses presents the blues box set. It's a great introduction to the blues and gives you the who's who of that time period. It's difficult to name one standout track as there are so many, but it's safe to say that if you're looking for no nonsense, raw blues, this is the compilation to buy. The sound is great considering most of the numbers are so old. It's usually difficult to find compilations of this great quality, but this one delivers. The only setback(but it is a minor one) would be that the record company have choosen not to include one booklet with all the track and artist information. These are included individually with each disc.



2. This review is a direct response to the person who has given it a solitary star. Well I fit into the category of people who "dont know better"

   This is the best sounding remastering I have EVER heard. The only things that I can think of that compare are Old Hat CDs (how they got some of the sounds on the Basement CD I dont know), JSPs Carter Family & Jimmmie Rodgers box sets, or many many items that Bear Family have been responsible for. I would like to hear Ace have a go remastering stuff from the dawn of recordings - but mostly their releases pick up (date-wise) just about where this stuff stops.

   As for Document - well, I rate them VERY highly and buy their stuff and enjoy it - BUT THEY DONT SOUND BETTER THAN THESE. It just isnt the case.

   I was astonished when I first heard the quality of the remastering on this set. Add to that the incredible sound they have got on the Sonny Boy Williamson's and Leadbelly's "Secret Histort" discs. I havent yet heard the Blind Willie McTell one.

   How anyone can say that this isnt the way this stuff is supposed to sound is beyond me. And its all been done without taking away ANYTHING from the integrity of the recordings.

   Have a listen and make your own mind up.

   The bloke who reviewed this and gave it only 1 star should go back to his medium wave radio.




3. "The Secret History Of Rock And Roll" brings together a hundred original blues classics on four discs.
   This series is designed to shine a light on the roots of rock & roll music, and the remastering of these many 70-year-old tracks sounds surprisingly good.
   
   Among the instantly recognizable tunes, many of which were covered in one form or another by rock bands of the '60s and '70s are Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Walk Right In" by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Huddie Ledbetter's "The Midnight Special", "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell, "Good Morning School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me".
   All the discs in this series are available individually, and the last two volumes are the most immediately accessible for casual or "mid-level" fans, who might want to stick with just those two.
   
   This well annotated collecion isn't supposed to be listened to in one long sitting...even this fine and influential music is not quite varied enough for that. But if you are seriously interested in early acoustic blues, and its influence on 50s and 60s rock n' roll, "When The Sun Goes Down" ranks among the best compilations of its kind.
   4 1/2 stars. Definitely recommended.



4. The Secret History of Rock and Roll is 100 pioneering blue classics on four compact discs available either separately or as a set. Disc 1 contains some early roots music and is made up of country jug bands, some gospel, a little bluegrass and some vaudeville. Disc 1 features some rare recordings from Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, the Hall Johnson Choir and Julius Daniels to name but three of the 25 represented here. Disc 2 features the earliest known recordings of the best known blues songs such as Noah Lewis' jug standard "Viola Lee Blues" later performed by the Grateful Dead and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love" which is familiar to all Led Zeppelin fans. Disc 3 brings into focus some material performed by the first generation of blue's stars including, Sonny Boy Williamson, Yank Rachell, Pinetop Perkins and Roosevelt Sykes. Disc 4 represents the sound of the blues post World War II with more of an electric, uptempo, beat. Overall, the recordings are excellently remastered and the set represents a really good overview of the historical development of the blues. Mainly for those interested in the history of the blues.



5. I can't believe the recordings were remastered from over 70 years ago. The sound quality on this 4 disc set is great. There are so many songs on this that I had no idea weren't originals to the stars that made them famous, like "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me" (both familiar as Elvis tunes).

   Really clever liner notes too; they're written after each track so you can literally follow along as you're listening to learn about the music. Cool gift idea for my Dad who's impossible to shop for!

No comments about A Celebration of Blues: Great Blues Harp.

No comments about Chess Blues Piano Greats (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection).

No comments about Creole Kings of New Orleans.

5 comments about Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson.

1. Something old, something new, a varied set of interpretations of Robert Johnsons work. "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" performed by Carl Weathersby is a great rendition. carlweathersby.org



2. An interesting compilation of many of Robert Johnson's most famous songs, with wide variation in the quality of performance. The album is worth having if you're interested in blues, especially if you like to understand the roots of the music and its development over time. As a series of performances, however, the album is fairly weak.

   The album features some well known blues singers such as Taj Mahal, and Honeyboy Edwards, now a very old man, who actually played with Robert Johnson. Edwards' interpretation of of a Johnson song may well reflect Johnson's actual style quiteaccurately.

   Overall, this is an album that will interest committed blues fans, but probably won't appeal much outside that group.




3. Not an alternative to the original recordings of Johnson by any means. But, definitely a potential to re-discover them and to gain an enhanced appreciation via recordings with 100% better fidelity than the originals. (That is - assuming that you have a decent sound system and fidelity is of importance. Believe me, Telarc's Pure Digital Mastering will put these guys in your living room!). At least this was my experience with "Hellhound. . .", especially with the more straight forward re-interpretations. In fact most of the tracks are acoustic & straight forward covers, which is the difference between this CD and other "Tribute" albums. Incidentally, If you like or love this cd, you'll also want to check out "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues" released by Shanachie a year before Telarc's "Hellhound. . . " and the perfect companion CD. I always play them back-to-back .



4. Music fans have reason to be wary when it comes to tribute albums; many of these recordings feel like half hearted attempts to cash in on a great artist's name and feature performers with little connection to the artist they are paying tribute to. I am happy to report that this is not the case with Telarc's Hellhound on my Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson. This CD features an all star cast of modern blues artists covering songs originally written and performed by the "King of Delta Blues," Robert Johnson. The performances vary from straightforward cover versions to some innovative arrangements of Johnson's work.

   The disc opens with Taj Majal singing the familiar "Crossroads" in a deep, authoritative growl. Blues stalwarts Robert Jr. Lockwood and Carey Bell turn out a fine version of "I'm a Steady Rollin' Man." Two veterans of Muddy Water's band, Bob Margolin and Pinetop Perkins team up for performances of "Kindhearted Woman Blues" and "Sweet Home Chicago", featuring Bob and Pinetop on vocals respectively. The interplay between Bob's blistering delta guitar and Pinetop's piano makes for especially nice listening. Another highlight is an innovative arrangement of "Stones in My Passway" featuring Lucky Peterson on 9-string guitar. Listen carefully for the quote from Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" that is slipped into the arrangement. Fans of Joe Louis Walker's recent acoustic work will enjoy his version of "Dust My Broom." The disc features a total of 16 tracks, which are mostly excellent performances.

   Hellhound on my Trail should appeal to both casual listeners and serious blues fans alike. For serious fans, this disc features some heartfelt performances of Robert Johnson's material by some of today's finest blues musicians. For more casual listeners, this disc is an excellent way to become more familiar with the music of a blues legend.




5. Robert Johnson remains one of the most influental artists in blues history, and his short life provided us all with a glimpse of what blues music is meant to be. Simple, passionate and powerful. This compilation of modern blues artists and classic blues artists (including friend and music partner, the wonderful Robert Lockwood Jr.) paying tribute to Robert Johnson is an excellent tribute. It is what all tributes should be...respectful, thankful and well executed. The artists on this disc provide stripped down versions of Johnson's songs, and it is a refreshing reminder of what good blues music is all about. Highly recommended for all fans of the blues. Essential listening for Robert Johnson fans.

No comments about Future of the Blues.

2 comments about Rough Guide to Chicago Blues.

1. The caption is the opening line from the eight pages of liner notes written by Robin Wise, and it concludes with "Chicago Blues ... a virile and proud new genre." And what you get here from the British-based World Music Network are 21 representative tunes of that form of the Blues, performed by its most famous artists.
   
   The sound quality is excellent, and while I also assign 4 stars rather than the maximum 5, it isn't for the same reason as stated by another reviewer, i.e., the abrupt endings/fading early. That, where it happens, is most likely a result of the original recordings, but even so it isn't distracting to any great degree.
   
   Rather, I deducted 1 star for the simple reason that the liner notes, while telling you the name of the original album from which each selection was culled, only hints at the year of the recording in most cases, and in some doesn't even do that. I suppose, given the album names, one could research the Web and try and determine when the albums were cut, but that's something the producer, Phil Stanton, should have done. Even then, knowing when the album was recorded doesn't necessarily tell you if the track concerned was actually recorded at that time, as it wasn't uncommon to throw in much earlier cuts here and there.
   
   And if it's R&B hits you're seeking, I can tell you that the only track here that was an original hit single is I Can't Quit You Baby by Otis Rush. Indeed, a # 6 R&B in late 1956 on Cobra 5000, and written by Willie Dixon, it was the only charter for this Mississippi-born singer/guitarist. "Dust My Broom" was, of course, a hit for Elmore James (billed then to Elmo James) in 1952 on the Trumpet label, but this version was, according to the notes, recorded for Arhoolie Records "in the 1960's."
   
   If you like the Chicago Blues style you will certainly enjoy this CD.



2. -that's more than enough to get you through a full slab and your choice of sides (as my friends and i did just this evening!). rough guide generally does exemplary work, and the only reason i'm not giving them 5 stars here is the fact that some songs fade out way early, or simply cut off abruptly. even with this, you've got a collection of pretty much every great chicago blues musician, and the feel of a night on the town. bring me another slab- i'll work it off later!

1 comments about Detroit Blues: Blues from the Motor City 1938-1954.

1. You have Baby Boy Warren playing with Sonny Boy Williamson on harp. Talk about Detroit Hastings Street History! You the Detroit Count playing Hasting Street Opera. You have 25 great obscure sides by John Lee Hooker, some of them leaving him a little exposed that I doubt that you have. In some of these sides. You have 1 entire CD of the oldest delta playing represented by Calvin Frazier and Sampson Pittman. Alam Lomax thought enough of Sampson Pittman to include him on his Land Where the Blues Began CD. Pittman could run that slide really well. It was a revelation to me that he resided in Detroit. You get some stuff from Joes record shop that is raw enough that if you had recorded it today you would not have bothered to save it, but because its from the Hastings Street of the 50s it is a cool artifact of the times and chaotic back room at the record shop. If you want to buy just one CD of Detroit rarities, man this is it!

No comments about Stone Rock Blues: The Original Recordings Of Songs Covered By The Rolling Stones.