3 comments about Spontaneous Combustion.

1. Frank "Son" Seals performs a handful of his best songs on this 1996 live album, including "Your Love Is Like A Cancer", "Every Goodbye Ain't Gone", and "Don't Pick Me For Your Fool".
   The sound is very good, and Seals plays some gritty guitar licks, backed by a small horn section. All good, eh?
   
   Well, I know that last bit won't be to everybody's liking, and the trumpet which pops up here and there grates on my nerves as well. But that's a minor quibble, and most of the time you don't even notice it...Seals' guitar and his gruff voice is firmly in control, and fans should certainly enjoy this album. I wouldn't recommend it as the place to start, however; little things the synthetic sounding organ and the grotesque flute solo which marrs an otherwise good "The Sun Is Shining" means that Son Seals and his music is better presented to newcomers on albums like "Deluxe Edition" and his debut LP "The Son Seals Blues Band".
   
   Still, the good easily outnumbers the bad, and when Sidney James Whingfield stays away from the organ and plays the piano instead, like on "I Need My Baby Back", it is very good indeed. And the horns, which aren't scored all that interestingly, actually work really well on the punchy "No, No Baby".
   A bit more variation in mood and tempo would have been nice, though.



2. Even if you don't believe in the reality of spontaneous combustion,this album will make you a believer.You can't go wrong with song titles like'Your Love is Like a Cancer'...The album also features a number of excellent previously unreleased songs,all done by Seals and his live band in their unique manner...blues like molten lava.A historic performance.



3. If you have never heard a Son Seals cd, this is the one to hear. He rumbles through 60+ minutes of "Bad Axe" blues. Seals sets the ultimate mood in blues with "Mother Blues" and jams all the way through the finale, "Don't Lie to Me". With an eclectic backing band, including an impressive horn section, this is a must hear for all Music fans not just blues fans.

No comments about The Golden Gate Quartet Collection.

5 comments about Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour - Live! In Concert.

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.

5 comments about Miserere.

1. I buy and sell used CDs on Amazon, and this "hobby" affords me to get to try out and keep some great music for myself.Zucchero's Misere is one of these keepers. I ususally know within a few notes if I want to burn a copy for myself, and with this guy, I knew it FAST...after the first few operatic notes, it starts DRIVING with a rhythm I KNEW i had heard before...the second song sounds like PRIME day ( late 60s) Joe Cocker with Santana's drummer...thats because it IS Santana's drummer, the FANTASTIC Michael Shrieve, from the Woodstock-era Santana....what a combination !!! and what a GREAT ROCK ALBUM....sounds like the BEST of the 60s and 70s come BACK TO LIFE....I'll be buying more of the sugarman....marty smith



2. CD's that you own of Zucchero's. His music is original, inventive and interesting. No cookie-cutter stuff from this guy. With this CD the hilights are: "The Promise," "Ana Solatia" and "Come Back The Sun." This doesn't mean the other songs are to be dismissed. You can choose your own faves. I believe his ultimate CD so far, is BlueSugar. Try that one too! Zucchero belongs in the genre of rock stars who put thought and emotion into their works. Something that you usually have to take a big step back in time to find. He is here and now. ciao~



3. I love Zucchero. I came to the U.S.A. 1992 and I missed his music. Thanks to Amazon.com I can still buy my favorite Italian CDs. This is the real thing, Zucchero is one of the best Italian singers, and I hope more Italian American kids will get to know him.



4. Mr. PhRenum 1, I'd like to see you speak, or even SING in a foreign language... Zucchero is extremely talented in every way and the reason why he sings in english is because he is so internationally recognized and ... he knows how



5. Zucchero IS the primary rock-pop-blues talent of Italy. This album DOES contain the magnificent duet w/Pavarotti (co-written by U2's Bono). And it does have a lot of fun and a lot of great melodies. That being said, Zucchero's translators have done nothing but BUTCHER his haunting lyrics when turning them into something vaguely resembling English words, and when he sings a song exclusively in English, he sounds--well, like an Italian man singing in English. Buy the Italian (or Spanish!) versions of his work instead--and the more recent, the better!

1 comments about A Chicago Blues Tour.

1. If you've had a chance to visit Chicago and the blues clubs, you'll appreciate this cd as a souvenir of the experience. If you haven't, it could be an introduction to the current scene (and even includes a map)!

5 comments about Hands On.

1. First things first: Wes Jeans is my cousin. More specifically, he's my father's brother's son. However, this family connection has no barring on how I've rated this album, as we've even never met (I've never known anyone on the Jeans side of the family who isn't my father, sadly).
   
   However, I've followed Wes' career via local news articles and through distant kin (some of whom I've not talked to in ages) for a while now, and I've finally heard enough to formulate an opinion.
   
   Wes is quite a talented guitar player. I've only listened to the occasional blues track in the past, but having recently listened to this album, I can see why he's so popular locally. I think he could do with a bit of work on the vocals -- some of them seem stilted and unnatural -- but over all it's very enjoyable music.
   
   I'm keen to pick up his second album -- aptly named after the forests around lake of the pines, it seems -- as I'm be really interested to hear how his sound develops with time.
   
   We may not be close, but I'd be lying if I denied that I'm quite proud to see genuine talent in the family. Wes is definitely worth a listen if you're a blues fan.



2. don't know how this one slipped by, picked him off myspace with new stuff, but got this 2000 release (when he was about 20) for bargain price on amazon. very high quality 1st effort with many influences. considers lance lopez his big brother now, but he got along just fine here.



3. I am a great fan of Bugs Henderson, Roy Buchanan, and Tinsley Ellis. This kid can hold his own against them. All the songs are good. The guitar sound is outstanding, care of Sam Phillips Studio. He's ok with the vocals. It won't hurt his drawing power. This guy can play it all, even a little bit of heavy metal, and, he is SUPER FAST!!



4. No words can tell how incredible this kid is...but i will attempt...I saw Wes for the first time last night and he is absolutley amazing. He plays with hunger and desire. If you get the chance, check him out and tell your friends. By the way, he has a new CD on the way soon.



5. Very good CD, Sound alot like SRV but he's not there anymore and it's great to see a new artist with exteme talent on the blues scene. Will get better with time and i'm sure he will improve his vocal. Blows jonny Lang and KWS away.....

2 comments about Blues After Hours.

1. Although there is nothing previously unreleased on this album, the sound quality is astoundingly improved having been mastered from newly-discovered session master tapes. Elmore James was at his peak at this time and the visceral power of his singing and playing is all the more remarkable for his off-stage shyness and fragility. His band, the Broom Dusters, and the Maxwell Davis Orchestra, provide magnificent support.
   Blues After Hours, with its distinctively sexy album cover, came out on Modern's mid-price Crown label in 1960 and comprised a carefully programmed 10-track selection of singles, including 4 B-sides, that had come out in 1954 and 1955 on the Flair subsidiary, all taken from two sessions (in Modern's own studio in Culver City, Los Angeles CA, in August-September 1954; and in J&M Studios, New Orleans LA in August 1955), except for Dark And Dreary, which came from an August 1953 session at Universal Studios, Chicago IL.
   The CD is fleshed out with eight bonus tracks including the other singles from the same sessions and a further five recordings from various Chicago sessions of the period that were unreleased at the time, all in super re-vamped sound



2. A reissue of the first Elmore James album I ever purchased. This is a must have for any blues fan, as the recording quality was very good and the songs are great. Screaming slide guitar with raw emotional vocals= a classic blues session. Happy Home will have you up and out of your seat dancing around the room. There are a zillion Elmore reissues out there today, but this is the one! Lend it to a friend and help spread the legend of Elmore James.

5 comments about The Hard Way.

1. The world of Blues harmonica has a competitive edge like no other. When two harmonica players get together, it generally leads to an all-out musical brawl to see who can outplay who. In Chicago "headcutting" sessions have left competitors dazed and bleeding since the 1930's. There is little room in the world of Blues for harp players to consider each other equals.

   Once in a great while a talent shines through that makes all the rest of us stand in awe. William Clarke was one such talent and like many of his forerunners, Clarke shined just long enough for us to get just a taste of his enormous talent before burning out. William Clarke played the harmonica with a power and authority rarely seen.

   Clarke, not content to simply copy his heroes, explores deeply into the world of Jump Blues and Jazz. This CD clearly shows that had he not did of his own excesses, Clarke could have been an instrumentalist equal to any of his peers on the harmonica or any other instrument for that matter.

   Harmonica players should purchase this album to hear some amazing harmonica playing. Blues fans should purchase this CD to hear what a harmonica can sound like in the hands of a master. Music fans should purchase this albums to get over their prejudices of the harmonica's place in the world of music.

   This is definitely an album you should purchase.




2. There is only a few things that one can say when your favorite type of music is laid down in perfection. Damn....this is hot sizzlin' stuff babee. People who say that they do not love the blues have to be turned on to William Clarke and his band. This is the absolute best place to start. You will create lovers. If not, check their pulse. That toe tappin, hard back line made up of the acoustic stand up bass, the excellent musicianship from those lead guitars that William assembles, along with a legend in chromatic harp that died way before his time, is a crew that can not be matched. The community that is built around the circles that Mr. Clarke was radii makes up the best music on this earth. Can you imagine what this guy has going in heaven? The answer makes me aim even harder for that destiny just so that I can hear it again. For now, this will do just fine....thank you Mr. Clarke



3. I had an opportunity to see William play in Ithaca, NY about a month before his untimely death. The place wasn't too packed, a friend and I sat right next to the stage, and W.C. was blowing like hell. It was a wonderful show. This album showcases the best of his abilities, moving from deep down Chicago-style blues to jump blues easily, sometimes in the same song. The sound Clarke gets out of his harmonica is HUGE. He knew exactly how to use his instrument, and he did it better than anyone. ...Just listen to this CD, and hear the real deep blues, and feel it in your soul. And you just know Clarke's up there with Little Walter and the two Sonny Boys, having a hell of a jam session.



4. Right from the opening track, the instrumental "The boss" William Clarke shows you he's no softie ! Extremely powerful blues harp playing few could equal, let alone surpass. Even his singing has vastly improved on this album. It's so sad that this man had to die so suddenly, just when he was becoming one of the big names in contemporary blues. This man was so versatile and talented, it's a real loss for music lovers in general ! As a dedicated jazz fan, I found this album to be cookin' and groovin' all the way ! This is the kind of man that was a great musician who totally blew away anybody that was fortunate enough to get to listen to him on CD or in concert !



5. William Clarke still remains the most influential person for blues harp players even now after his sudden death in 1996. His musical career began at 70s and in 90s he recorded four excellent CDs on Alligator. The last album - The Hard Way was released just before his death. Coincidence is that Clarke recorded dead march at the beginning of one Hard Way's track.

   The Hard Way differs from previous albums mainly by increased jazz influence in a fusion with his well-known swinging and jumping blues. Most titles are played on chromatic harp. First one - The Boss is a long instrumental with unique harp melodic line played all through the song. Special sound effect is achieved by playing harp riffs along with horns section. That makes some jazzy feeling, 'cause harp somewhere is playing saxophone role, but having meanwhile stronger and fresher sound.

   Clarke is a genuine blues aesthete, who liked blues most among other styles and devoted to it all of his music talent. His musical style differs from other known good blues musicians, who came from plantation with strong "roots feeling" but without influence of big music. Clarke's blues is very educated and intellectual, he took the best from experience of blues fathers who invented modern blues step by step sometimes unconsciously. However that very typical to jazzmen style characteristics do not mean that Clarke leaves or betrays blues genre. His stuff remains very bluesy, and besided we can say that his music is defining modern blues.

   Each Clarke records is interesting not only because of him playing as a harp virtuoso. He had special taste on playing blues and had gathered a band of best serious blues musicians. Each recorded song is played along with jumping and swinging rhythm section and contains great guitar riffs and solos, performed by such guitarists as Alex Shultz. This fine blues orchestra, arranged by William Clarke, is playing half of his own written stuff, and sounds like real good blues band have to sound for Clarke's taste. (And for mine - too!)

   I miss Clarke much and also miss 5 other albums, which he recorded on vinil when he was not so popular, but had been never reissued on CD.

1 comments about Get Down with the Blues.

1. If you like Hammond organ and you like blues, then you can't go wrong with this CD. Over half the pieces are instrumental, including some fine guitar and sax playing. Tony Z is a master of the Hammond, playing the tone bars as well as the notes with real class. His vocals are pretty decent, too.

5 comments about Roomful of Blues: The First Album.

1. I love this band and I have several of their CDs - I just wanted to add to my collection - GREAT music!



2. Roomful of Blues has demonstrated throughout the years to be one of the best blues bands around. However I believe that their "First Album" is their best album ever. This is just a magnificent collection of great blues, jazz tinted songs. There is something about this album that no matter how hard you try you will never be able to replicate. The atmosphere and the feeling are so, how to say, they are so "unique" that they make this work stands out. Duke Robillard guitar playing and singing are simply outstanding and Al Coply piano playing has probably never been so good. So if you know and love the band's sound and you don't have this one you should rush and buy it, if you never heard about them this his the right CD to start with and I bet...in a matter of weeks you will be ending having the full collection!



3. If you know Roomful, you know how the band has gone through stylistic changes over the years. This album, the first Roomful album, seemed to define their style through the upcoming Ronnie Earl days as well - a blues band that swings, is not limited to Chicago or Texas styles, embraces Kansas City, and has that great big horn section. Seems like the current lineup (see the new 2003 album) is returning to this style (it swings!), but extends it further (following a years-long post-Piccolo interlude with other front men and musical styles). The first Roomful album also contains a cameo one-song appearance by Duke's hometown tenor sax man Scott Hamilton, a jazz player of significant note. Check out Hamilton's many albums - he's a monster player in his chosen style. The first Roomful album was my introduction to Roomful, and I recommend it to you as a first introduction, or to broaden your appreciation of the band (if for some reason you haven't hear it yet). Nothing outlandish, but all solid. Get it.



4. What a gem of an album. This is well crafted, horn-backed blues with hollow body guitar in the lead. Duke Robilliard is at his best on both vocals and guitar. Al Copley is sensational on blues piano as well. All ten songs work well together and move from fast to slow, moody to upbeat. I have never had someone listen to this and not buy it for themselves...now here's YOUR chance!



5. This is an incredible big band blues album. From the very get go Roomful were a force to be reckoned with. Its leader Duke Robillard is red hot! And the band follows in kind. A cornerstone modern blues album for sure.