5 comments about Talk to Your Daughter.

1. This is one of the few guitar recordings that is stellar from front to back. Awesome guitar sound, tone, phrasing . A textbook of blues/jazz licks and phrases. Most important is that all the tunes are great and not just material created so the improvisor can blow . The production has been accused in one review as too slick . Well yes it is polished but lets focus on the content which to me is without a doubt Robbens best recording. This one will stand the test of time to a far greater degree than his subsequent material. Think of how important Blow by Blow is to Beck . Well that is polished or maybe even slick but it is THE Beck recording as Talk to your daughter is THE recording for Robben.



2. I bought this cd on the recommendation of a family friend shortly after it came out and have loved it ever since(thanks and RIP DC).I had read articles about Robben in Guitar Player magazine in the '70s and probably heard him without knowing it(man, this guy did alot of session work) but "Talk To Your Daughter" was the real introduction of how good this guy is(I have 6 of his releases so far).Favorite tracks? It's almost easier to say that the final two tracks (Getaway and Can't Let Her Go) for me are not quite as strong as the rest of the cd but are still good.But personal faves are Help the Poor,Born Under a Bad Sign and the title track(more jammin' fun).The only possible drawback might be the compressed,echoed '80s style production but this shouldn't be a deal-breaker.This is a fine cd and worth owning.



3. I just did two other reviews on newer Robben Ford CD`s so please check those for that info. Just a short note to say that this being an earlier recording from 1988 in no way diminishes the quality of Robben`s playing and is a great blues CD. Less rock influence than on the newer CD`s, this CD is a nice blues album to listen to and there is not a bad tune on the CD. The title track "Talk to your Daughter" is great and touches home in the fact that I have a daughter who seems to have a boyfriend who wrote this song! Also, "Born Under a Bad Sign" and "Can`t Let Her Go" are great tunes. Highly recommend this early Robben Ford classic & a must for any serious blues CD collector! Cheers from Tokyo! Greg



4. I have intimate details in how this cd was made and let me tell you, when you listen to these tunes most of what you hear are "first takes"...the recording budget was extremely tiny and forced most of what you hear into the shining examples of how great musicians can overcome b.s. corporate hacks only concerned with the "bottomline". If you listen close you can even here Robben hit a couple of clams in his solos. It's beyond stupid for someone to say that the jackets members don't know how to play 12 bar blues, as well. The Yellowjackets can turn any blues form inside out and Russell Ferrante is one of the most proficient and versatile keyboard players in the world, period. When the recording budget is less than most people earn in a month, you end up with a hurried recording that focuses much more on the solos and less on production. But, as real musicians, what do we want to hear anyway? The solos! Good song writing, as well, but in the end I wait for the solos or cool musical cues. Despite the budget impediments, Robben is burning as is the whole band. This album and Mystic Mile are my two personal favorites and to me show off Robben's jazz-tinged, edgy blues playing to their fullest expression. If you've never heard Robben play blues it's nothing like SRV...it's much closer to Chicago in his rythm playing. His solo voice on guitar is pretty much his own. He sort of invented this kind of playing back in the 70's, well he and Larry Carlton. It's edgy but you can tell there's alot of polish under the grit. He can just as easily rip off Wes Montgomery or John Coltrane as Buddy Guy or the "Alberts". I understand some people not really digging his voice as it's very pure and doesn't have the stereo-typical gritty delivery that alot of blues or rock singers have, however there are plenty of vocalists that have the same kind of delivery and convey and interpret the tunes in their own cool way. Robert Cray for example...Robben sings just fine, he just doesn't sound like B.B. King. You won't be disappointed with this purchase. It's Robben at his most aggressive approach tone-wise and the spontaneity in the tracks can be felt, not just heard. Take it from a professional guitar player and bass player of 20 years you'll love this cd.



5. I love this CD. Perhaps the guy that wrote the editorial review is not a guitar player, but anyone who is will love this CD. Robben Ford plays with great sophistication and intensity. The guitar is mixed hot. The vocals are excellent.

3 comments about Blues Masters: The Very Best of T-Bone Walker.

1. Nice introduction to the work of T-Bone Walker! He was one of the best of the bluesmen. The liner notes from the CD provide nice background to Walker's work. Many heard him live when he was well past his prime, not knowing the full skills of his art.
   
   Even two songs illustrate. . . .
   
   "Bobby Sox Blues" was an early popular song of Walker's. The backing group supports his singing well. He displays a smooth singing voice. The song itself spoofed the teenagers' giddiness over Sinatra and Eckstine.
   
   And then there is his iconic ""Stormy Monday. . . ." This is one of the great blues tunes. Walker's voice serves this song well. The backing instruments have a clean sound and back the singer very nicely. The liner notes say that "If T-Bone had done nothing more in his career than write and record this one tune, his esteemed place in the history of American music would be guaranteed." His singing emphasizes classic lines such as:
   
   "They call it Stormy Monday,
   But Tuesday is just as bad.
   Wednesday's worse,
   And Thursday's also sad."
   
   All in all, then, this is a fine introduction to the work of T-Bone Walker.



2. A lot of compilations have a title similar to this one, "the best of someone or other", yet still leave a lot to be desired.

   That's not the case with this excellent Rhino collection, however. It may not be the definitive word on Aaron Thibeaux Walker (you'll need the two Capitol/Black & White and Imperial box sets for that), but it is the best single-disc retrospective available, and if you are looking for a really good sampler of T-Bone Walker's music, this is it.
   Almost all of Walkers best-known songs are here, including his self-penned classics "They Call It Stormy Monday", "Mean Old World" and "I'm Still In Love With You", and "The Very Best Of T-Bone Walker" is an ideal starting place for the curious or the casual fan.




3. The electric guitar innovator gets the Rhino treatment with this 16-track collection of Imperial, Rumboogie, Capitol, Atlantic, Comet and Black & White sides. This is by no means the definitive collection of Walker's work, but it does serve as a nice retrospective of his 1945-1960 output.

   If you were born after 1960, a little refresher is in order. T-Bone Walker influenced at least two generations of blues guitarists. Albert Collins, Freddy King, Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan are but a few. For those who think of "Stormy Monday" as an Allman Brothers song, think again. And Eric Clapton didn't create "Mean Old World."

   This compilation serves as a nice primer. It includes the aforementioned classic "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday's Just as Bad)" and "Mean Old World Blues." Also featured are "Papa Ain't Salty," "How Long Blues" and "The T-Bone Shuffle" and many more.

   As usual Rhino offers the listener extensive, well reseached liner notes (this time by Billy Vera). The booklet comes complete with rare pictures and individual track information (personnel, songwriting credits, chart position, etc.). Kudos to Rhino for doing an excellent job, This compilation rates a strong B+. However, T-Bone merits more than 16 songs. A two CD set featuring some well-chosen rarities and underappreciated gems would have made this an A+ offering.

5 comments about New York Rock & Soul Revue: Live At The Beacon.

1. Are you looking for a great Live R&B/Rock album! Well buddy, you just started walking my way...
   
   This album will hit you right between the eyes with emotion, after emotion. Not to be undone Michael McDonald is at the top of his game in this album. I can not say enough about, the man and his music.
   
   So do ya think ya got the score now?
   
   Great!
   
   Later...



2. I REALLY BOUGHT THIS CD BECAUSE I LIKE ME VERY MUCH THE SONG "LONELY TEARDROOPS" BY MICHAEL MCDONALD IS GOOD AND THE OTHERS WELL... ALL ARE PROFESIONALS BUT TRY'IT.



3. michael mcdonald, it;s his singing voice, unfortunately.
   if you like him you will like this.
   i don;t, didn;t.
   
   charles brown, brigati brothers, boy they really didn;t do anything for me.
   fast forward city.
   
   what did i like?
   i really liked phoebe snow doing 'at last'.
   
   boz scaggs was ok.
   
   fagen, i can take or leave.
   his performances here didn;t add anything to the original, for me.
   
   wle.



4. While Donald Fagen dates this CD by mentioning the wrap-up of Gulf War I, the music holds up, giving this gem a charm all its own. The selection of guest musicians is first rate, with Phoebe Snow and Michael McDonald giving it all they have on their rendition of " Knock on Wood", while Fagen himself provides a less electronic, more standard jazz version of " Greenflower Street", a number off his first solo album. Boz Scaggs delivers with " Drowning in the Sea of Love", conveying just the right amount of poetic desperation ensconced in lovely musical arrangement. This was released when I was already a devoted Steely Dan/Donald Fagen fan, and open to the interpretations of oldies by acts that had already stood the test of time. It's hard to believe that this CD is sweet sixteen, but the beauty is the timeless sound.



5. I listened to this CD because a friend at work insisted on loaning it. Donald Fagen did his usual wonderful job of being Donald Fagen, Boz Scaggs did his usual great job of being Boz, and Charles Brown didn't have to be anyone but himself anyway. The band is as tight as The JBs. *However*...
   Screaming Phoebe does nothing else but that, and her attempt at Etta James is just pitiful. Michael McDonald likewise. I would rather he sit quietly and listen to what Solomon Burke and Jackie Wilson are doing, or just leave it alone. I am willing to give Johnny Otis credit as the original Blue-Eyed Soulman, but the Old Rascals - not.
   Look, peeps. Belushi and Ackroyd were kidding!

5 comments about Better Days.

1. EVERYTHING about this is wonderful featuring one of the great harp players, multiple vocalists, styles and, even genres. If you like his sound this is IT.



2. Every track on this CD is an absolute gem. I'm a completist by nature and have every Paul Butterfield release. This is by far my favorite.



3. I've had this recording before, but it was stolen. I had to buy it again. Paul Butterfield is a great harmonica player, and this CD shows his talent. The recording is smooth and the band is great on this one. A must have for blues or harmonica enthusiast. Trivia Note: Paul had the glossy picture for the harmonica on the CD cover attached to the inside of his harmonica case.



4. i love this cd i searched a long time to find this cd i am very pleased with it



5. Paul Butterfield has always done a great job; bought this new in LP in 70's, some cleaning scag stole it in 90's; worth spending twice for it

4 comments about I Love Beach Music, Vol. 1 & 2.

1. This is one of my favorite CDs.(OK, so I'm getting to the age where I'm sentimental.) I loved Beach Music when I was younger, and that hasn't changed. If you ever heard these songs on the Carolina beaches, you can't pass this up. It's worth every penny. If you recognize some of the songs, but never heard of beach music, you've got some catching up to do; but it's never too late! This one is definitely a keeper.



2. This is a great cd. It really covers some of the great beach music that is out there! If you buy any beach music cd, this should be the one! I hope everyone enjoys as much as I have!!



3. I really do love beach music with Va Bch over the bridge we really get good music! Would love to own this CD but must watch my pennies..If you have this CD please take the time to enter a review, two good reviews and I'm on this like salt and watermelon



4. I bought this for my boyfriend. He is from N. Carolina and was complaining that he could not find this music on CD. He was so happy when he received this! He started doing the shag!

5 comments about In Session.

1. This album, IN SESSION by Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, is a very interesting listen for any serious fans of Stevie Ray, or any fans of the blues.
   
   Because Stevie Ray Vaughan's playing style was greatly influenced by the less famous Albert King, at times it is hard to distinguish exactly who is playing lead guitar, but that just goes to show how great most of the music is on this CD.
   
   The singing is overwhelmingly Albert King, since Stevie only sings lead vocals on the lone Stevie Ray song on this CD, "Pride and Joy," but I really like the singing of Albert King, and this album is a great introduction to Albert King's work, to me, since all the other songs are from Albert King's repertoire.
   
   Sometimes the two guitarists are a little timid, starting out, but the longer the song goes on, the more comfortable they seem to get, and this CD has many long songs on it.
   
   When I first saw this album, I thought it looked like some questionable bootleg, to me, and the CD cover art is definitely amateurish, but the CD liner notes briefly explain the scenario surrounding this recording, and the music makes it all worth your while in buying it and listening to it. If you like Stevie Ray Vaughan, then you will probably enjoy this insightful performance.
   
   Like a live concert album, this CD retains conversation between the two star players, but at a much lower volume than the music and singing. This talk is interesting the first few times that you hear it, but the CD actually assigns most of this inbetween songs talk to their own track list numbers, so you can set your CD player to skip the talk, which I think makes the music flow more like a standard music album, not having to wait a minute or two between songs.
   
   I am very happy with this Stevie Ray Vaughan CD rarity! If you collect Stevie Ray Vaughan CDs, then you can buy this one with confidence that the musical performances and audio quality are comparable to Stevie's major label CD releases!



2. Very pleased with this SACD, sound is awesome. I agree with all other highly rated reviews, it is more than words can describe.



3. All one has to do is to listen to this and realize that we were lucky that this event happened. I hear something new every time I play it. Enjoy



4. While Albert King never rose to the massive popularity of Stevie Ray Vaughan, as far as blues players go though, he was one of the more familiar to rock fans, thanks to his work being covered by Clapton and Hendrix ("Born Under A Bad Sign").
   No modern guitarist was more influenced by King than Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose admiration and praise allowed him to share the stage in a Hamilton, Ontario TV studio right around the time of the release of Vaughan's "Texas Flood". This summit was long overdue, and is absolutely critical for Vaughan and King fans.
   Mind you, there are many rehashes, repackagings and other posthumous releases of SRV, most of which are unforgivable, offering nothing new, only capitalizing on the myth and making a fortune off his memory.
   "In Session", however, like "The Sky Is Crying", is one CD that does offer a fresh look at both masters.
   King is still the star of this show, and his band provides the powerful backing music as the two titans trade off solo after solo, each careful to not overplay, but not hide behind their amps, either.
   Vaughan sounds a lot like King, showing us the bedrock of his style. He was a little flashier, and could control feedback ala Hendrix, but when all is said and done, SRV was the best white blues player period. Brit players like Clapton and Page pale in comparison.
   Prime cuts include "Pride And Joy" as handled by King's band, and it thumps and grinds mightily. "Overall Junction" is a King jam and indeed it does. Perhaps the best is "Matchbox Blues", with an absolutely wicked swing beat that allows both guitarists to soar, reaching blues nirvana over and over.
   SRV fans will delight in this CD when he was probably at his greatest, and will come away King fans as well, after finding out who got this party started in the first place.



5. Albert King and SRV appeared on the Canadian TV show 'In Session' and the result was incredible. The music itself is really good, with two great musicians playing the tunes they loved. But it's the dialogue between Albert and SRV that puts this over the top.
   
   Albert's story about Stevie sitting in with him about 10 years earlier when he was just a skinny kid in Austin was amazing. And while SRV was coming into his own at the time of the session, he was still paying a lot of respect to Albert. There was this aspect of passing the baton from one generation of blues players to another about this session.
   
   Finally if the combination of 'Who Is Stevie' and 'Pride & Joy' doesn't have you smilin' and hummin' along - then you just don't like the blues.
   
   You can't go wrong with this CD. In addition to the good music the recording is also pretty realistic. I keep wondering what it would have been like to be in the studio when this session was recorded...

5 comments about Live! Down the Road.

1. This is one fun CD! Great music, great fun. You'll be smiling, singing along and tapping your feet.



2. Marcia Ball is nothing short of fantastic...this CD simply puts a smile on your face!



3. An excellent Marcia Ball CD - full of her personality, playing and gave me some new favorites.



4. We have heard Marcia Ball in person twice and were blown away by her performances both times. This live CD helps us relive those great evenings. She is such a talent, unlike some performers we have loved in person and not liked as well on CD. This CD proves that listening to her is about as good as the live show. Her diversity, from La-ti-da, to Louisiana 1927, makes for a great combination of songs. We discovered, also, on a long trip home from the airport in the middle of the night, that this CD is great for keeping a very sleepy driver awake! We highly recommend it.



5. It is hard to say this is the best she has done because Marcia rocks the house down on everything she does. "Down the Road" is full of down home music with hits such as: Down the Road - Louisiana 1927 - Crawfishin.
   Its safe to say, buy it, listen to it and relish it. This will truly liven up a party when you plug this one in!

5 comments about Stax Story.

1. This is a good review of the Stax catalog. The "live" CD is especially good. I didn't care much for the way they categorized the music. One CD is call Finger Snappin' music. Most of the songs on that CD don't have that tempo. Overall, it's a good way to hear music from some of the lesser know talents in the Stax fold.



2. As an intro to the label from soulsville usa, Stax Story can do little wring. with favorites from hitmakers Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Isaac Hayes, to the sweet,sweet b-sides of Booker T, Rufus Thomas, and the Staple Singers, the only complaint from this reviewer is that there simply wasn't enough (despite over 100 tracks).



3. Together with my wife always been big fan of the Stax performers. Wasn't aware one can find still this music and even on CD. Over here in Europe, market is rather weak. Since I am working in the states I was happy to see the opportunities with the Amazon offers.
   Just one word: GREAT



4. Then buy this set of quality disks before the sun sets! (Sun Recording, Memphis has already set!) THIS IS THE true Memphis sound and one that many of us have tried to copy over the years. At the center of the Memphis sound are the several music pros in this set...if you get a chance, attend a Memphis Blues Festival held annually (at different dates and times) and puts all the rest to shame. This music was around a long time before Beal Street ever came on the scene and it's a real treat to sit in the clubs during Festival and watch who walks up from the audience and sits in...some well knowns, a lot of unknowns but don't let appearances fool you. It is a treat for me and likely for you to put one of these disks on, sit back in an easy chair and I defy you to not tap your foot and snap your fingers! This is music at it's finest........



5. WOW, This is the real thing...The motherlode...Incredible!!! Sure the Complete Stax Volt Singles 6-CD box set gives you every single released up until Atlantic pulled out as their national distributor. The Atlantic Rhythm & Blues collection covers the years 1947-1974 and includes numerous artists of the late forties and fifties like Ruth Brown, Al Hibler, Big Joe Thorton, Lavern Baker and Ray Charles. Then there's the Rhino box set, Thirty Years of Rhythm and Blues, a great retrospective in that it crosses over numerous labels and artists. This is a great place to explore the diversity of styles covering all the great regional styles from Motown to Philly to Memphis.

   But if your bent is hard driving, gut wrenching, R&B with a pinch of gospel and soul, then look no further. This collection is the bomb. With 98 (count 'em...98) bonifide super soul hits, this is positively essential for any collector. Five Stars just scratches the surface. This one should get 98 Stars (count 'em...98) one for every great single in this marvelous set.

5 comments about Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton.

1. Being a person that owns a whole lotta vinyl I am always thrilled when I can freshen up my collection, less the pops and tics of records, with any digitally remastered great work.
   Add to that previously unreleased material and you have a win win situation.
   This "album" still plays as sweetly and savagely as it did when it was first released in 1965.
   John Mayall and ALL of his Blues Breakers were and still are extremely talented musicians with many being trendsetters.



2. I've owned the original Mono Vinyl and 2 earlier editions of the CD and the sound quality on disk 1 is incredible. Like hearing it for the first time. Disk 2 has a bunch of great rarities that would probably cost about $5,000 to get in their original vinyl though the sound quality is all over the place. I've always kept this in my 60's punk rock category rather than my blues. This is raw garage junk with the best English guitarist ever. My best purchase of the year so far.



3. This album sparked the saying "Clapton is God" all over the U.K. This Album is where Clapton plugged a Gibson Les Paul into a marshall amp and changed rock music forever. This is my all time favorite blues album. Clapton plays guitar with a lot of fire. This collection is awesome.



4. Few albums have had greater impact than John Mayall's 1966 landmark "Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton." Released by the Decca label in Britain on 22 July 1966, literally days after Clapton left the Bluesbreakers and just a week before Cream's debut, it went all the way to #6, a pretty mean feat, since Mayall's band had never had a hit single. This may have been a first in Britain.
   
   Of course, this is the album that set the blues and guitar worlds aflame and established Eric Clapton's name worldwide as the most passionate of musical interpreters. If you haven't yet heard "Beano" -- as it is affectionately known, because Clapton is pictured reading a "Beano" comic book on its cover -- then you ain't heard nuthin' yet! This is the stuff of legends.
   
   From the album's first notes, you realize that you're in guitar heaven, as "Slowhand" shows us the way electric guitar can and should be played. Clapton's virtuoso playing is white hot throughout. Playing with a maturity beyond his 21 years, the young Eric Clapton so influenced the guitar world that Gibson eventually reissued the Les Paul model -- out-of-production since 1960 -- which Clapton then played.
   
   John Mayall's Bluesbreakers served -- and serves still today -- as a finishing school for great musicians and sidemen (Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, John McVie, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Mick Fleetwood and others). Mayall's proselytizing the blues (he's 73 years old!), his songwriting skills, and his other musical talents should not be ignored nor taken lightly.



5. Another attempt to issue the definitive edition of the legendary Bluesbreakers album that falls slightly short of the mark. The mono and stereo mixes on disc 1 are excellently done but simply replicate the single disc issue featuring the same material released a few years ago. This, therefore, sheds no new light on this fertile period of the second British blues boom. Disc 2 features some BBC sessions along with the familiar Immediate and Purdah 45's and half a dozen live tracks, in poor sound quality, that have been available before.
   
   This is a big disappointment and is a missed opportunity which could have been avoided if the compilers had made any attempt to research the easily available archive information from this time. John Mayall himself was known to have kept meticulous records of sessions, gigs, personnel and recording dates and I'm sure would have been more than happy to contribute his knowledge in order to preserve his legacy in the best possible manner.
   
   Anyone expecting to hear more of Clapton's stunning guitar work from this time is in for a big disappointment. Many of the songs from the BBC sessions presented here have nothing more than rhythm guitar low in the mix. This is the case with the first three songs on disc 2 and despite the session date given being after the point where Clapton joined the band, I suspect it was actually recorded earlier with Roger Dean on guitar. The three songs from the October 25th session are from the time when Clapton had taken a sabbatical and had been replaced by Geoff Krivit. The third BBC session featured on the disc includes only two songs out of at least five, and possibly six, which are known to have been recorded with Clapton in the band, one of those missing being a rare live version of the instrumental, Hideaway. This session has been bootlegged in excellent sound quality and so it's omission from this set is inexcusable.
   
   All in all the "Deluxe" edition does nothing to enhance the importance and excitement of this classic album and the poor selection of additional material on disc 2 turns what should have been a worthy project into a complete waste of time and money. Five stars for the original album - 1 star for this reissue

5 comments about Blues Masters: The Very Best of Jimmy Reed.

1. A budget price Blues Master series issue sounding great with booklet from this loose down and out bluesman giant who so much influenced rock and roll and it's seniors such as the Stones,Dead,Them,Neil Young,The Yardbirds who covered these Reed originals as their own on their individual band cd's.
   All I can say is the sparse sound is typical of this genre with it's artists such as Slim Harpo and Reed.
   Now all can give credit to the originators because all are familiar with the imitators such as the early UK Invasion groups and latter day jam bands emulating Jimmy Reed's sincere uncomplicated style.



2. MCA's pitiful "20th Century Masters" series made me skeptical of the cursory and careless patch-work that constitutes the "greatest hits" collections of most Blues and Rock masters. But Rhino, as usual, proves to be the industry's most adept anthologizing entity here and has gone quite far to put the work of Rock 'N Roll's many geniuses into the kind of perspective that does proper justice to the artists. This Jimmy Reed collection, with its careful, dense and precise song selection, is no exception. Its 17-song track list reflects exactly the kind of generosity that the "20th Century Masters" series lacks. Not a single one of Reed's original classics eludes the radar here, from the particularly raw and aggressive early numbers, "High and Lonesome" and "Aint That Lovin' You Baby" to the smoother and more casual knockouts that stole crowds from Carnegie Hall to London in the late 50s, such as "Bright Lights Big City" and "Baby What You Want Me to Do," admirably covered by Neil Young (one of Reed's biggest fans) & Crazy Horse on their 1996 album, "Broken Arrow." That Reed would earn such a tribute from an artist whose roots are steeped in a tradition so dramatically distinct from his own testifies to the immensity of his influence. This is the document of a true American innovator whose work and talent made Rock 'N Roll possible.
   
   [...]



3. Haven't as yet listened to this cd but I don't really need to to know how good this man was in his time. Everybody in to the blues knows Jimmy Reed and his easy going soft flowing style. The man had it all with some of his arrangements having grown into some of the most recognizable blues licks anywhere on the planet. The Stones covered him earlier in their career as did many others, and it;s just a shame how Mr. Reed's own personal life must have been painfull to the point of him drinking himself to death at the early age of 50. What ghosts must have hauted this man to drive him to such an early grave? I suppose we'll never know and it's probably just as well? Jimmy Reed was a public performer it's true. But firstly he was a man deserving of the respect he's been given in death atleast if not in life, and we should leave him to rest peacefully and leave his old past ghosts alone. Sleep well Jimmy!



4. There's really no sound in the blues as easily digestible, accessible, instantly recognizable, or as easy to play and sing as the music of Jimmy Reed. His best-known songs have become such an integral part of the standard blues repertoire, it's almost as if they have existed forever.
   Elvis Presley covered Jimmy Reed, and so did The Rolling Stones and numerous hopeful garage bands, making him in reality one of the most influential bluesmen in history, and it's not hard to see why so many people found (and still find) Reed's music so appealing.
   
   Many, many Jimmy Reed compilations have been released over the past forty years, including several repackagings of his classic 50s Vee-Jay material. Some of these compilations have been excellent, particularly the superb 1993 collection "Speak The Lyrics To Me, Mama Reed", while others have been really shabby, and since many of them have featured the same basic songs, it's kinda hard to discern which are worthwhile and which aren't.
   
   Fortunately, Rhino's 2000 Blues Masters release provides first-timers with the ideal introductory package, presenting seventeen songs, including virtually all the very best of Reed's simple but catchy blues n' boogie.
   "Baby What You Want Me To Do" is here, perhaps the single most covered blues tune of all time, and so is "Shame, Shame, Shame", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Ain't That Loving You Baby", "You Don't Have To Go", "Big Boss Man", and many more. Right at the top of a long list of Jimmy Reed-compilations sits this fine, well-annotated disc alongside Recall's "Big Boss Man: The Very Best Of Jimmy Reed".



5. We listen to this cd everyday--it's great, funny, and sounds cool as heck!