5 comments about The Best Blues Album in the World...Ever!.

1. Product arrived on time as promised and in good condition. I would use this vendor again without hesitation.



2. Although the title is totally hyperbole, this is an excellent collection of blues tunes of various eras and styles.

   I am a relative newcomer to the blues, so a compilation like this is right up my alley. It lets me get a taste of different aspects of the blues, and to discover artists that I would not have otherwise been exposed to.

   Represented here are some of the early delta bluesmen (Lightnin' Hopkins "Abilene", mislabeled as "Shotgun Blues"), the early electric blues (Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy"), the '60's revival (B. B. King's "3 O'Clock Blues"), the great female blues singers (Koko Taylor's smokin' "Wang Dang Doodle"), the British blues bands (John Mayall's "Spinning Coin"), contemporary American blues rock (Johnny Winter's "Illustrated Man"), and lesser known contemporary artists (Colin James' infectious cover of "No More Doggin'").

   Throw in selections by Albert Collins, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, J. J. Cale, and others, and you have a blues compilation CD that may not be "The Greatest in the World", but one that both novices and long time blues fans can enjoy. Highly recommended to anybody with ann interest in the blues.




3. Calling your album the "best ever" takes balls, but this CD stands the test. From classics like Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy' or Little Walter's 'My Babe' to hot female singers like Etta James and the dynamic Koko Taylor to oldies radio station's staples like 'Reeling and Rockin'' by Chuck Berry and classic rock blues like Gary Moore's 'Still Got The Blues', this CD covers a lot of ground.

   If you want an introduction to the blues and can only buy one CD, this should be it! If you already love the blues, you'll love hearing these songs again and remember them like your first kiss. Either way, this CD will put sadness in your heart or heat in your loins, sometimes in the same song!




4. Not even close to the best ever. The actual title should read: "The Best Blues Album For Which We Were Able To Get Rights To The Songs Quickly" or something like that. The fact is this double disc set is just a grab bag of songs with absolutely no thought put into it whatsoever. With a few exceptions, disc one is practically a throw away. Larry McCray, Kinsey Report, Gary Moore, and Terry Evans et. al. are all ok modern blues artists but hardly deserve to be on a blues album titled "The Best Ever" -especially one limited to only two discs.

   This is a Virgin release, so poor understanding of the genre is to be expected. However, to boldly exclaim that this is the best ever compilation is a rather ostentatious position -even for the Virgin people. The best ever blues compilation would certainly be a difficult undertaking. However, this set completly ignores the likes of giants like Big Maceo, Tommy Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson I & II, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red, Lowell Fulson, Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Nighthawk, Jimmy Witherspoon, Floyd Dixon, and so many many more important and entertaining historical blues artists. The most shocking eversight is the absence of T-Bone Walker!

   Really, I think this is a waste of your money. Even on its own level the flow is odd especially on disc one. Disc two has a better grouping and flow of great blues artists and songs, but still not worth the price. There has yet to be a true "best of" compilation to be released, so for now I suggest you may want to explore the best attempt to date. It is a four disc box set released on MCA in 1996 called "Mean Old World."




5. I really enjoyed these CDs. it gives a good mix of old school and new school blues so to speak. From todays best to the acoustic sounds of yesteryear, this CD entertained me for a very long time with some great blues.

No comments about The Best of the Blues.

2 comments about Crucial Acoustic Blues.

1. This album is well worth a listen. Good choice of songs and well performed by the accoustic artists. It is getting played constnatly at true blues gatherings.



2. I love the Alligator label and their compilation albums are always a treat! Kudo's to Bruce Iglauer his taste is excellent!

3 comments about Boogie Woogie.

1. A masterpiece!! You will look very hard to find another bargain that this 10 cd set offers.Having played a significant portion of these works myself, you are reminded how they were meant to be played in the orginal recordings. Some of the pieces were the only recording's of a few of the artists.This product is a must for a blues pianist.



2. Have only listened to CDs 1 through 7 so far (10 in set). Thought #2 and 6 were outstanding and have played them repeatedly. Others range from interesting to good. Would recommend buying this (10 CDs for $18.99!)



3. This compilation appears to start out in chrono order. Disk 4 is more big band style. Some songs are duplicates of others on the set. Some covers of more famous versions but mostly original. Very low background noise. This set lets you hear how it started out and influenced the later artists that we have now in blues/rockabilly and other genres of music. The production isn't as good as today, but it's still worth the cost to hear what the early pioneers did with the tunes.

1 comments about Max Love: The Music of Maxwell.

1. I returned prodict - I did not like the remix versions done on this cd. I am sure someone will like it

No comments about Anthology of Boogie Woogie Piano.

3 comments about Blues Masters, Vol. 15: Slide Guitar Classics.

1. This CD isn't the best anything. It's just a good starter cd for the new Blues listener, and a good listen for the more experienced. So I'll rate it a good. It probably deserves three stars but I'm a sucker for slide guitar so I gave it four.



2. This is another fine entry in Rhino's lengthy Blues Masters series. It isn't the definitive word on slide guitar blues, of course, or on any of the artists represented, but as a sampler it works very well, featuring a lesser-known (but very good) rendition of "Dust My Broom" by Elmore James, and well-chosen cuts by Muddy Waters, J.B. Hutto (the tough boogie "Too Much Alcohol"), and Robert Nighthawk (a superb medley of two of his best songs, "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel").
   
   The compilers at Rhino have included the Allman Brothers' version of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" rather than the original, "Shake Your Moneymaker" by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Canned Heat's take on "Rollin' And Tumblin'"...I would probably have gone with McTell's own "Mama T'Ain't Long Fo' Day", which is one of the most beautiful acoustic slide guitar blues tunes you'll ever hear, but that's just me.
   
   Robert Johnson is missing, and Son House is, too, but the compilers try to make amends by including some lesser-known tracks which should appeal to the experienced blues fan, like James Williamson's "Homesick's Shuffle", Babe Turner's "I Am The Black Ace", Earl Hooker's "If You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry", the harsh "Treat Me The Way You Do" by Joe Carter, and a rare opportunity to hear Chuck Berry wielding the slide on the odd instrumental "Deep Feeling". And the awesome Blind Willie Johnson is here as well, performing the eerie "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground".
   
   Very good. But its companion volume, Blues Masters Vol. 18, is actually even better.



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

5 comments about Alligator Records 35X35.

1. great retrospective. true blues - soulful, raw & edgy, fun, smooth, heartbreaking - it's all here. highly recommended!



2. You're paying about 35 cents a song for great contemporary blues performances. I don't think there's a better bargain on Amazon. Very guitar centric, some good harmonica solos too. Grab it if you like electric guitars playing blues.



3. Even though this package only compiles material from Alligator Records, you probably won't find a more fascinating tour through the history of the Blues over the last 35 years. Of course, Alligator has a knack for signing up the most interesting Blues maestros. This compilation shows the development of cutting-edge Blues over the namesake era, ever since Alligator's inaugural release with Hound Dog Taylor in 1971. During much of this era, the Blues was still progressing, before settling into the respectful revivalism of recent years. In the 70s, Alligator was at the forefront with new artists who added flavor to tried-and-true styles, like the sinister Son Seals or the groovy Lonnie Brooks. Also during that decade, Alligator brought several veteran masters back into prominence, with powerful new material by the likes of Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, and Professor Longhair (noteworthy for his authoritative New Orleans style). As this compilation rumbles along, we hear a surprising amount of experimentation and progression in the 1980s, as interesting new artists expanded the basic template of the Blues, including some great finds like Lil' Mo & the Blues Imperials and Little Charlie & the Nightcats. The songs here from the 90s and 00s show that even the genius artists at Alligator followed the trend in Blues to solidify the classic template, with technical chops becoming more important than innovation - notwithstanding intriguing gospel-inflected works from the Holmes Brothers and the queenly Mavis Staples. But thanks to the impeccable expertise and taste exercised by Alligator when signing masters both new and old, this compilation is a must for any fan or historian of modern Blues. [~doomsdayer520~]



4. This double-CD set has great artists, great selections from the artists, and a killer set of liner packaging. You get some choice information and showings by legendary cats as well as non-household names, with explanations as to why they were great (as if the music wasn't doing that job already). And at the price, you can't beat the value.



5. If you're just getting into contemporary blues or you've been listening for awhile, you're going to love this collection. Alligator has been one of the class acts of the indie labels for a long time and these discs give you an idea why they are so well thought of. 35 artists doing the first track from their first Alligator release. Marica Ball, Coco Montoya, Lonnie Mack, Johnny Winter, William Clarke and the list goes on with not a weak cut in the carload. These type of samplers are great if you're just getting into this type of music since you do get a wide selection of artists and styles. Alligator has released double disc anniversary sets in honor of yeas 20, 25, 30 and now, 35. They're all great to listen to, so grab one or all of them and have yourself a party with genuine houserocking music from people who know how to do it.

No comments about Dirty Blues.

5 comments about Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection.

1. either one of these discs would be worth the price, but to get two discs of this quality of blues tunes, this is truly a bargain. song after song done by hall of fame blues artists - hound dog taylor, james cotton, albert collins, johnny copeland - that's just the artists on the first 3 songs. if you are just beginning to get into the blues, get it. if you are a big fan of the blues, get it. if you don't like the blues, get it anyway.



2. This is a great collection of songs celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the preeminent blues labels of all times. Bruce Iglauer has managed to amass some of the great blues talent under one roof, and the results show throughout this two-CD set.
   
   Some standouts are all of the songs taken from the superstar collaboration of Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland entitled Showdown, which includes "Black Cat Bone," Sapphire's "The Middle Age Blues," "Drowning on Dry Land" by Roy Buchanan, and Son Seals' terrific "Going Back Home."
   
   This is a great collection to own for any blues lover.



3. The reviewer who said that SRV was not on this set obviously did not read the liner notes, which indicate that SRV played on the Lonnie Mack tracks from the Strikes Like Lightening sessions. The other artists the reviewer stated that were not there ARE, but are not the featured artist on the tracks.

   I bought this set, and the 25th, when they came out and was really wowed by what I heard. Houndog Taylor is my favorite, followed closely by Koko Taylor and Albert "Master of the Telecaster" Collins. There is some really fine musicianship, great feel, and real respect for the blues displayed on this set.
   Higly recommended.




4. Amazon keeps inter-mixing the reviews for the 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection' album and the similarly named 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary tour' album. So I will include a review of both here to set the record straight.

   The 'Collection' album is by far superior to the 'tour' album. The collection has many artists on show and offers a bit of everything. The best tracks are AC Reed's 'These blues are killing me' with SRV brilliant on guitar, Little Charlie and the Nightcats with 'Rain', Roy Buchanan's classic 'Drowning on dry land', Koko Taylor with 'That's why i'm crying', Katie Webster with 'Pussycat Moan', Son Seal with 'Going back home' and Hound Dog Taylor and the classic 'Give me back my wig'. The album is uneven as you would expect for a label show case but well worth it as a introduction to a variety of blues styles and artists.

   The 1993 20th aniversary tour album has only Li' Ed, (the late) Kattie Wester, Elvin Bishop, Lonnie Brooks and Koko Taylor. The album does typify Alligator records music that by my definition is mostly reasonable blues without being great. This live album has plenty of energy and is listenable, but fails to scale the heights I expect of the blues.




5. Alligator records has some serious talent on it's label. Many of them are big names that you will recognize if you have been into blues for very long. I have tried samplers from other blues record labels and have been very disappointed with the mediocre talent on their label. Usually there are only one or two people -out of fourteen or fifteen - that stand out on other blues samplers. You will recognize that the vast majority of artists on Alligator Records are true talents - even if you don't like their style. This album is definitely worth the investment.