5 comments about Live Bootleg Series, Vol. 1.

1. This "album" is highly recommended! This is another must-have for any fan of Johnny Winter or blazing guitar playing. The band's music overcomes any shortcomings in the sound quality. (Volume 1 is a better recording, but volume 2 may have more innovative playing.) After all, these are live recordings, from an era before sophisticated remote music equipment. Don't let the warts spoil a fantastic musical experience. Sit back (if you can) and enjoy! The licks aren't as polished (occasionally) as his studio albums, but the improvisation is fantastic. This group puts out an amazing sound for three members.



2. I have been a huge fan of Johnny Winter since the early 70s and have seen him live more than a dozen times over the years. This album has some classic tunes done by Johnny before and the earlier versions are much better. Examples are Johnnie B Goode and Jumpin' Jack Flash from the live album "Johnny Winter Live And". Compare these versions and you will find out that JW was much hotter before he became a train wreck from drugs, etc. This album shows his gradual decline in his abilities, sad.



3. I got hooked on Johnny Winter when "Second Winter" was released back in high school. The only live album I have was the "Johnny Winter And" with Rick Derringer so this was a long-time treat for me. These three guys (I love Power Trios) sizzle like a RUTH CHRIS RIBEYE!!!! Highly recommended.



4. This CD recalls Johnny's best early stuff. Be prepared to experience Johnny with fresh ears, as the sound quality is vastly updated from the original recordings. It's not for everyone, but if you love the blues and hard driving rock done Johnny Winter's style, then you'd better get it. Some favorites are Johnny B. Goode, Help Me, and a red-hot cover of the Rolling Stones' Jumpin'Jack Flash.



5. I first got turned on to the master back in 9th grade(1978) with Captured Live. That thing got played on my turntable at least once a day for over a year. Ever since, I've purchased anything by him I could get my hands on, and have almost all of it. This new bootleg series is AWESOME, and I will buy all of these too. I've heard he's getting healthy again, and I'm hoping to see him for I guess the eighth time. Last time was a few years ago at the House of Blues in Orlando. Johnny was really out of it, and I took my girl out after three songs. I told her that's not Johnny Winter anymore, after telling her she was getting to see one of the hottest players of all time.(I've taken her to Jeff Beck twice, and lots of others, too long to mention) We're only friends these days, but just told her the other day Johnny is on the mend, and a reprise visit will be in order. Anyway, this disc is worth many times more than the price if you like Johnny, and for people who don't know him, you'll see Texas had Johnny long before Stevie Ray, and Johnny plays one mean slide. Long live Firebirds and my soul brother Johnny!!!!!A little Rock and Roll!!!!!!!!!!!! Stranger on this album is GREAT!!!!!!

5 comments about Peace, Love & BBQ.

1. A Marcia Ball fan. It is more of the same southern blues, Marcia style.



2. This is a first rate CD by Marcia--admittedly my fave contemporary artist. If "Where Do You Go" dosen't move you emotionally you must be dead! Marcia is the most soulful voice I have ever heard in decades of music listening--and that's the idea--in a now world of cookie cutter singers and musicians Marcia Ball is a unique expressive vibrant talent-I have played her CD's for years for people and have dragged them to see Marcia in person and I never have a negative response! why Marcia isn't even more well known has always been beyond me--



3. Loved this album; great songs, really good backup band and that NO musical flavor sung with a "marcia ball" style. If you like her tunes you will really enjoy this one.



4. I found this to be a diverse, but consistently well crafted music CD. Marcia Ball has a great voice, terrific keyboard skills and plays with a talented band of musicians.



5. One of my greatest pleasures is discovering a new artist whose music powerfully connects with me. Well, Marcia Ball is not a new artist: only new to me. I picked up her album by sheer luck in Waterloo Music on a long-looked-forward-to trip to Austin. It is one of the most amazing CDs I've heard in years. Party Town, Watermelon Time, Married Life, and Right Back In It are pure, unadulterated fun. Falling Back in Love With You is the sexiest piece of music I've heard since Dusty Springfield sang Son of a Preacher Man. There are moments on Ride It Out that could make you cry, and moments on Miracle in Knoxville that summon the ghost of Robert Johnson. There isn't a single dud on this album. I just can't wait to hear her back catalog.

5 comments about The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James.

1. Love the blues? This is for you. One of the early up from Mississippi to Chicago bluesmen (I think he died in '43). "Madison Blues" and "The Sky is Crying" the way 'lonesome George' heard them first.



2. Since the advent of the compact disc two decades ago, there have been a number of worthy compilations by the great Elmore James (1918 - 1963), and yet James' reputation and popularity still falls far short of many of his contemporaries, post-War giants like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, who came out of the Mississippi Delta and migrated North to cities like Chicago or Detroit. James, perhaps even more than Wolf or Waters, embraced amplification - not just because you had to be loud to be heard in a crowded bar, but for the creative possibilities offered by plugging in. Only Bo Diddley, perhaps, found electricity to be as essential to his creative evolution as Elmore did, as one can't help but be blown away by the way Elmore deployed distortion, volume, sustain, and other effects that allow for the myriad of textures and colors heard on these vintage masterpieces. And playing the music on this superb set LOUD goes a long way towards demonstrating just how vital James' intense, piercing, and hugely influential slide guitar playing remains on rock and blues players (from Duane Allman and Ron Wood to Hound Dog Taylor and Jack White), how cohesive and sympathetic his bands (especially the Broomdusters) were, and how emotionally raw and deep his greatest work sounds some 45 years after his death.
   "The Sky Is Crying", issued by Rhino in 1993, remains the single best collection of Elmore's work, essential to any serious blues collection as well as the perfect introduction for newcomers. The 21 track set (recorded between 1951 and 1961) is unique in that it represents James' recordings for a variety of labels, including Trumpet (where he recorded his debut, 'Dust My Broom'), Flair, Chess, Atlantic, Chief, Flashback, and finally Bobby Robinson's Fire, where James settled during his final, fruitful four years. The fact that this CD's producer, the late Robert Palmer (who also contributes a typically insightful essay that allowed me to really HEAR this music 14 years ago) brings together so many of James' recordings from different periods and labels allows us to hear the evolution, abd especially the range and scope of Elmore's body of work, from his almost tentative (in light of what follows) debut hit to fully realized masterpieces with the Broomdusters, as well as blistering workouts with Ike Turner (whose own go-for-the-throat guitar is a perfect foil for Elmore's slide), a collaboration with Big Joe Turner, plus performances by Willie Johnson (guitarist on Wolf's immortal early Memphis sides), Willie Dixon, and more. By the time we get to hear "Hawaiian Boogie" and "Madison Blues", "I Can't Hold Out" (covered by Clapton), "Done Somebody Wrong" (ditto the Allman Brothers Band), the amazing "12 Year Old Boy" (track down Lydia Lunch's version!), and the primal funk of "Rollin and Tumblin" the power of Elmore James is undeniable, as is the intellegent sequencing of this lovingly compiled collection. For those who want more, I'd recommend two inexpensive boxed sets that are still in circulation if not in print: "The Classic Early Recordings 1951 - 56" (Flair/Virgin, 1993) has some amazing workouts by the Broomdusters and a booklet full of rare photos and the compilers' tale of visiting Canton Mississippi in 1993, where we meet folks who knew Elmore. "King Of The Slide Guitar" (Capricorn, 1993) takes us to the last years of James' career, which found him at his peak: 50 wonderful tracks recorded for Bobby Robinson (James' best producer) and originally issued on Fire.



3. Elmore James is underrated--period. He was as much of a pioneer and original artist of electric blues as Muddy Waters, yet timing, connections, and probably his health problems seemed to diminish his stature in the blues world in the 1950's and early '60's somewhat, at least compared to Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf. Over time, we have seen his work to be just as influential as Muddy's, and probably more than Wolf's. I admire Muddy Waters and the Wolf and respect their supreme positions as kings of Chicago blues, but I actually enjoy listening to Elmore James more. His singing is second only to Son House in sheer terms of emotional intensity. I love his quivering vocal vibrato that so perfectly fits the beat to "Dust My Broom." And his slide playing is without question some of the most influential music ever. The legendary Duane Allman studied him--need I say more?
   
   This is a perfect CD for those interested in sampling Elmore's music for the first time. Every song is a winner. You won't be disappointed!!



4. I love blues music and this is one of my faviorte artist. This cd does a good job with song selection and its just an awesome piece of music. The price is a steal as well.



5. If you want a slick full blown stereo recording of Elmore you may be disappointed, but if you are a true blues brother you will appreciate that they have reached back in time for some early Elmore. Dust My Broom - the classic standard of Elmore - has a better sound later and by other artists...but man this is Elmore when Elmore wasn't even hardly known...dig it and appreciate it. The Sun Is Shining and The Sky Is Crying seems to have been covered by everybody. Why, they are true Chicago Electrified Blues Standards. I loved T.V. Mamma because my main man "Big Joe" Turner is backed up by Elmore and that classic distorted slide guitar of his....loved it. Madison Blues has a completely different sound than most of the later covers especially by the white blues bands...the original is the best. Other favorites were I Can't Hold Out, Shake Your Money Maker (man whats blues dude hasn't done this one), and Rollin and Tumblin. Elmore was the 2nd blues man I ever heard..circa 1958 on KATZ a.m. and Dave Dixon is St. Louis, Mo. He was one 1st I ever heard and still is one of the best in my opinion...his slide guitar set the trend for people like Hound Dog Taylor and many others. When he gets that sucker wailing, it puts chills up and down my back. Elmore James is one wailing cat...makes me feel like I am in some smoky, black club back in the late 50s and early 60s enjoying real music when Paul Anka and Annette Funicello were on the white stations singin bubble gum music...buy Elmore and be a BIG FAN just like ole Joliet Jayle the Bluze Brother ... Rock-n-roll, boogie woogie, rollin and tumblin all night long!

5 comments about His Best :(Little Walter)The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection.

1. Picture yourself in a crowded juke joint or blues bar on the southside of Chicago in the late '40's. Muddy Waters is about to play. He's already gone electric; I mean, he had to, to be heard over all the talking and yelling and what not. His harp player has about blown out a lung trying to be heard over all that din. Walter Jacobs has been doing a bit of experimenting himself, in an attempt to amplify the sound of that little instrument. Tonight he actually grabs the microphone off the stand, bumping it up close enough in his clasped hands to touch the harp. He cranks up the volume and starts to blow. The sound coming out of the amp is unlike anything anyone's ever heard. It's got a deep, heavy, honking, sexy wail, nothing at all like the unamplified harmonica sound of "country" blues. Men and women alike dance ecstatically, screaming and crying in excitement, over this new and intoxicating sound, this amazingly sensuous and insinuating beat. Necessity is the mother of invention; the guy was simply tired of people yelling that they couldn't hear him. So, being the innovator he was, he came up with a simple adjustment in technique.
   
   This small act completely revolutionized the blues. Walter Jacobs, probably more than any other individual, has influenced every person who has ever played electric blues. When it comes to harp players, he is the undisputed king, the god, the creator, the originator. You can listen to anyone who's ever played amplified harp since it begun, somewhere late '40's, and you will hear Little Walter's riffs. Most people would probably admit that Little Walter is the reason they play harp at all!
   
   This set contains all his best stuff, done after he went out on his own. Imagine this for a three-piece band: drums/bass/harp. That's it; no guitar. He actually played sets with this lineup, and blew the doors off. Most of the tunes on the set here do contain guitar, but it's clear that the lead is Walter and his harp. He wasn't content to just play ten-hole Marine band harps either; he incorporated the rich sound of the chromatic harp into his repertoire.
   
   All blues fans and most of all, those enamored, bewitched, and obsessed with the wonderful sound of electric harp need to own this record and commit it to memory.



2. Marion Walter Jacobs (b. May 1, 1930 in Alexandria, Louisiana), and influenced by the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson (No. 1) and Louis Jordan and his jump saxophone arrangements, quite simply revolutionized the blues harmonica technique when he showed up at Chicago's famed Maxwell Street market in 1947.
   
   Among the hundreds of artists plying their trade in that environment he stood out to the point where he attracted the interest of the small Chicago labels Ora Nelle and Regal where he cut several sides. His big break came in 1951 when the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, hired him to back Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers, and it was as much his amplified harmonica that made hits out of Mannish Boy, I'm Ready, and Standing Around Crying [by Waters), and That's All Right and The World Is In A Tangle (Rogers).
   
   By 1952 he was assigned to the Checker subsidiary, and by that September he literally burst into prominence when the instrumental Juke streaked to # 1 R&B and remained there for eight solid weeks [the flip was Can't Hold On Much Longer and is erroneously listed in this compilation as "Can't Hold Out ..."). This single was billed to Little Walter and His Night Cats.
   
   The follow-up Sad Hours (instrumental) didn't quite repeat that success, settling for # 2 early in 1953, while the vocal flipside, Mean Old World, reached # 6 as by Little Walter and His Night Caps. Fittingly, Muddy Waters played guitar on each of these first three hits.
   
   When his next hit reached the charts later that spring (Off The Wall, # 8 as an instrumental, and Tell Me Mama, # 10 as a vocal, he was billed as Little Walter and His Jukes in order to capitalize on his debut smash hit. The Jukes consisted of Chess sessionmen Louis and David Myers on guitar and Fred Belows on drums.
   
   From there to 1959 he would add 10 more hit singles to his credit, his last coming in 1959 when Everything Gonna Be Alright (erroneously listed as "Everything's") reached # 25 (his lowest charter) as simply by Little Walter. These included the seminal My Babe, written by Willie Dixon and based upon the old spiritual This Train, which became his only other # 1 hit, staying at that position for five weeks early in 1955.
   
   It would have been nice if, in putting this tribute together, producer Andy McKaie had found room for the three hits omitted - Oh Baby which made it to # 8 in May 1954 b/w Rocker, You'd Better Watch Yourself which reached the same position that September b/w Blue Light, and Who, which reached # 7 in April 1956 b/w It Ain't Right. You can find You'd Better Watch Yourself on The Best Of Little Walter from MCA/Chess, also listed by Amazon.
   
   Adding to this CD's worth are the six pages of liner notes written by the noted music historian Billy Altman, which includes a wonderful story behind Juke, several nice photographs, and a complete discography of the contents. To quote from Mr. Altman "By 1968 he was gone, leaving behind a legacy that harmonica players everywhere regard as, quite simply, the holy grail." That much was recognized by the Blues Hall Of Fame in 1982 when they inducted him among the 20 honoured in their first year of existence. You'd think those pompous ciphers at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame would wake up and at least recognize him in their Early Influence category.
   
   Just a superb collection.



3. Wonderful harmonica music! The liner notes mention that Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs was experimenting with different methods of getting the most out of his harmonica playing. He finally discovered an answer through the "use of a hand-held microphone which was plugged into its own amplifier. . . By `going electric,' Walter single-handedly transformed the harmonica. . . ."
   
   Some nice cuts on this CD. One was a tune that he played when he was with Muddy Waters' band in Chicago in the very early 1950s, "Juke." This is an instrumental tune and well played, beginning with some very strong harmonica work by Little Walter. The band overall produces a nice blues sound. Fun to listen to!
   
   By the time "Blues with a Felling" was recorded, Little Walter had left Waters' band and had a new one of his own, featuring the Myers Brothers and Fred Below. Once more, the harmonica work is great. Little Walter sings nicely, although his voice is not in the genre of Sonny Boy Williamson (II), Muddy Waters, or Howlin' Wolf. One nice line:
   
   "I'm gonna find my baby
   If it takes all night and day"
   
   "My Babe" is a nice little rocking song. As before, good harmonica and good overall band playing. The recurring vocal riff: "My babe don't stand no cheating."
   
   Another quick note. "Confessin' the Blues" was covered by the Rolling Stones.
   
   In short, a nice album. His singing may not have been as rough and distinctive and powerful as other leading blues singers of the era, but he still sang well enough. And the harmonica work was outstanding.



4. There are no bad songs on this overview of the career of maybe the greatest blues harp player of all time. Chess' compilations, be they boxsets or single disc comps, are all, in my experience, very well remastered. Buy it if you want to hear straight up great blues in the Chess tradition.



5. Little Walter had an amazing harmonica sound and style that was all his own and could never be duplicated. Man, is this some hot stuff. His first record, "Juke", an instrumental is just, to quote another title of his, "off the wall." Yeah, there is a number that's called that which is on this CD. Absoultely what the blues is all about. Songs like "Sad Hours" and "Off the Wall" are practically Little Walter and the band sittin' around and jammin'. Check out the guitar lick at the beginning and the through the whole of "Sad Hours"; classic blues lick. Some other cool stuff is "Tell Me Mama", "Blues With A Feeling", "You're So Fine", "Mellow Down Easy", "My Babe", "Hate To See You Go", and especially "Boom, Boom Out Goes The Light." That one's a regular jam session, too. This is how music was made and appreciated to these guys. They just played as and what they felt. If you're learning about the blues, don't forget one of the supreme harmonica players of the genre: Little Walter.

5 comments about Super Session.

1. "Stop" never fails to get me, no matter how many listens. Same thing with "Albert's Shuffle", w/ or w/o horns. All in all, a brilliant album.



2. Seems like a lot of the people who bought this album bought it mostly because of Mike Bloomfield's half of it.
   
   And let me tell you, this is a great half. The instrumentation is nothing new, but the musicians play with this flare that is unique to this album. It's as if all of the players were discovering their amazing powers at music for the first time, all at once.
   
   You can tell they were having a really great time. It shows through in the music.
   
   Stephen Stills side is the less appreciated side of the album (though still appreciated). I'm just going to say that I am extremely glad that they decided to call in Stills to finish this album off, because I have fallen in love with his half.
   
   The layed back, feelin cool, not a care in the world groove of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is just ridiculously original. I don't think they could have done a better job on this song, no matter what.
   
   It is a fresh song, with tons of replay value. It's like listening to Rock N Roll for the first time again.
   
   Season of the Witch is another fantastic cover that Stephen and the band took home. It's a lengthy song, with great singing and jamming.
   
   Bonus tracks are definitely worth checking out as well. The whole album is wonderful, and I'd be surprised if it were to let you down in your expectations.



3. I grew up with this recording, as well as all the other original Bloomfield works (PBBB, Electric Flag). It's still a wonderful album, warts and all. I enjoy listening to it now as much as I did then, and it's been forty years, almost exactly. I still have a vinyl copy of it I bought new in 1968 or 1969.
   
   One of the reviewers above pointed out that the purpose of these reviews is to get people to listen to and appreciate this music who might not otherwise do so. How true! I hope that occurs. Bloomfield had a troubled and short life, but he managed to get some masterpieces down on tape before he shuffled off this mortal coil: the early Butterfield records, Electric Flag, and these sessions. No one else sounds like Bloomfield; for better or worse, he was his own man. These tracks show his best side, beyond doubt.
   
   It's worth noting that Robben Ford, an extraordinary contemporary blues and jazz guitar master, cites Bloomfield as an early influence and one of the reasons he switched from playing reeds to guitar. Listening to these tracks, you can see why. And after all these years, these tracks still have their poignancy and ringing sad sweetness.



4. What can I say ?
   It's like getting two albums in one.
   "It takes a lot to laugh..." best song. How do you get from Dylan to Steven Stills to Little Feat? Answer.. see above.
   Albert's Shuffle, best blues number. Tribute to Albert King.
   "His Holy Modal Majesty" best acid fade to jazz. No, it's not from "Easy Rider". Get the first Blood Sweat & Tears album for more Al Kooper.



5. I first bought Super Session (and its semi-sequel "The Live Adventures") on vinyl at a garage sale for $1, primarily after reading Al Kooper's book "Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards" detailing the sessions. After 1-2 plays of each I found myself saying "I bought these because...?" Don't get me wrong, each is full of well played music, but the legend of these albums seems to have overtaken the facts. So years later when I bought the CD's (for whatever reason) I was saying the same things. But a funny thing happened, Super Session seemed to grow on me. And it found a regular place in my bag of CD's (no Ipod just yet). The more you listen, the more you find yourself getting into the groove of the music within.
   
   Super Session was the brainchild of producer Al Kooper. Having been kicked out of Blood Sweat & Tears, frustrated in his job as a staff producer at CBS Records, and without enough material for a solo album he hit upon an idea that had been a mainstay of jazz players. Gather a group of like-minded musicians together and jam on whatever songs were available for a quickie album. But this had never been tried in a rock context. And Kooper was eager to show what his friend Michael Bloomfield was capable of. Bloomfield had been kicked out of his own band Electric Flag, and was game for the idea. They added bassist Harvey Brooks and drummer Eddie Hoh to complete the band, then started recording in California. They knocked off 5 songs the first day and Kooper thought this would be easy. Until the next day when he got a phone call asking if Michael had made his plane home. Bloomfield had left, citing chronic insomnia. Kooper desperately contacted every guitarist he could think of, eventually getting a commitment from another musical orphan, Stephen Stills. Stills' band Buffalo Springfield had just split up and he was a year away from forming CSN.
   
   Super Session was an unlikely success when first released in 1968. No hit singles came from it. Each member of the "band" remains (except for Stills) a trivia question. Its musical structure starts as hard-edged Chicago blues (courtesy of Bloomfield) then veers in country rock and psychedelics (via Stills & Kooper). And yet it hit #11 on the album charts and became a fixture on underground FM stations that year. Bloomfield turns in some stinging blues on the opener "Albert's Shuffle" and on "Really".
   
   The 2nd half belongs to Stills and Kooper as they mix it up on covers of Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry", Donovan's "Season of the Witch". And the blues standard "You Don't Love Me" gets the phased guitar sound here. (Compare this to the Allman Brothers version on "Live at the Fillmore"). You can clearly hear Stills' Buffalo Springfield guitar sound here as well as the beginnings of the sound he had later with CSN. In Kooper's book he says that "Stills had just gotten his first set of Marshall amps and was chompin' at the bit to blast his Les Paul through 'em".
   
   The expanded version of this album adds 4 songs. 2 are alternate mixes of "Albert's Shuffle" and "Season of the Witch" that eliminate the horn sections. A live cut called "Fat Grey Cloud" comes from a 1968 Fillmore West show. And an unreleased instrumental "Blues for Nothing" that sounds like an alternate "Albert's".
   
   The legend of this album continued with the "Live Adventures" album a year later (Bloomfield left again after playing on half this album too) and with the more recently released "Lost Fillmore Show" disc (which is a complete Kooper/Bloomfield show adding an then-unknown Johnny Winter as a special guest ).
   
   Like I said, this album grows on you. It comes from a time we won't see again when musicians with nothing to lose just met to play and see what might happen.

5 comments about Suitcase.

1. Keb is a talented musician with a beautiful voice and solid poetic compositional skills. Very much appreciated that he participated in the Vote For Change tour in '04, and thought that he, Bonnie and Jackson Browne were one hell of a trio.



2. Keb Mo is always good but this is great! Listening to this will chase the blues away.



3. I found Keb' Mo' by accident. I was looking thru blues cds at the local library and found "Slow Down." I heard that cd and thought it was really good. So I ordered some more to listen to and didn't know that "Suitcase" was his latest - greatest. When I listen to "Suitcase" it is straight forward honest and funny. I like Keb' Mo's easy going laid back style that is very pleasing to the ears. The whole album is great with a story to tell. Keb' Mo' has either lived this or has had close friends that have experienced some of the things he sings about. It is a very entertaining album and worth the purchase!



4. This record shows Keb' Mo's usual combination of blues and ballads, like most of his precedent works. As usual, it is a refined and accurate record, with excellent arrangements and high quality of the sound. There are some differences, actually: comparing to some early records and to the last one ("Keep it simple"), "Suitcase" seems to be a little weighed down on the "pop" side of such mix, as ballads (I'm a hero, I'll be you water, Life is beautiful, etc.) prevail over genuine blues tracks. More: some pieces begin with a blues introduction, but suddenly turn to a pop song (listen to "Your Love"). I do not know if it depends on Keb's present good mood, or if Blues is making its way towards a softer age. As for me, I own all Keb's records and I love this musician as one of the best living bluesmen, but I will keep this work for my relaxed moments.
   
   Riccardo Frau
   Sassari - Italy



5. This is another one of his CD's that is enjoyable from start to finish.

5 comments about The Definitive Collection.

1. This is just a really good collection assembled here. There's always those purists who think one song shouldn't have made it on a greatest hits type album and that another should have gotten its place, but the fact is that this is a really good album.
   
   As someone who has only recently started listening to the Blues, I was surprised when I first introduced myself to Bo Diddley because I knew so many of his songs but just not sung by him. I was amazed to find out how much influence this man had on my own musical experience without my ever even hearing about him until very recently. I was happy to remedy that situation with a great album such as this one. This is the type of CD you can put in and just listen over and over again. The only reason to touch the dial after you put this CD in is to turn it back to re-listen to one of your favorites.
   
   From the rough and fast Who Do You Love to jocular Say Man this album has great songs. We recently lost this musical giant but with this recording and many like it he will live on forever.



2. The last time I had occasion to mention the late Bo Diddley in this space was in connection with a series of interviews and performances along with Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others in Keith Richards Chuck Berry tribute film Hail, Hail Rock and Roll. The talk centered, rightly, on the dismal fate of many black recording artists who developed what would become Rock and Roll when the white artists like Elvis took it over and reaped the benefits of a mass audience. Well, those interviews occurred a while ago, back in the 1980's, but Bo's sense of not having been properly recognized I believe remained until his death. Yet, when one thinks of the sounds created by the founders of Rock and Roll can anyone deny that Bo's primal beat was not central to that explosion? I think not.
   
   Here, in one album we have, if not all of Bo's creative work then a good part of it, at least a good place to start. Of course, the classic song Bo Diddley and its offshoots and variations are here. However, the one Diddley song that will probably outlive them all though is Who Do You Love. Although not a theme song it nevertheless expresses the raw energy of rhythm and blues/ rock/ carib sound like not other. Hell, George Throughgood was able to make a whole career on the basis of having covered that song and other Bo work (and to be fair, covering the work of Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor as well).
   
   And that is a good point to finish on. The really great rockers, and Bo is in that company, unlike the one-shot johnnies get covered because their work expresses something that someone else later wishes to high heaven that they had created. (George has been quoted directly on that point.) Finally, I give the same warning here as others have given in their comments about the sameness of this CD and the Chess 50th Anniversary CD from 1997. Get one or the other and save those pennies to get more of Bo's work. "I said- I'm just 22 and I don't mind dying. Who do you love?" Thanks for that line Bo. Kudos



3. Really enjoyed this CD of pioneer Bo Diddley. Showcases many of his hits. Also shows that he was very spontaneous with his playing and arrangements. "Roadrunner" is a little known gem that I really enjoyed.



4. Yeah, I see what they did with the repackaging that has been mentioned already. I was lucky enough to get the former version of this album for about 3 dollars through an "overstock sale" at a music club recently, glad I got it then!
   
   Good collection here, I have to give it 5 stars; Bo is such an influential artist of course. Almost seems to deserve more on the "reissue", but for a casual fan of Bo and the history of Rock and Roll, this is a must have, if you like what you hear here, then perhaps graduate to the Chess box set too!?
   
   He and Chuck Berry are essential to any Rock And Roll collection, in what form you choose to catalog them is up to you I guess. Either a box set or a nice collection like this, at least you get a good feel either way of such a wonderful almost forgotten today artist.



5. Yes, every one of the 20 tracks on this set is excellent, and many are seminal classics. But as my esteemed colleague with the "unhelpful" votes writes, this is 1997's Chess comp in new clothes, song for song, and not newly remastered either. Bo Diddley's March 1955 Chess debut, 'Bo Diddley' b/w 'I'm A Man' represented Bo with a fully developed style and persona, one side redefining children's nursery rhymes against an masterfully arranged and recorded track that is pure rhythm long before J.B.'s mid-sixties funk bombs. Emphasizing tom-toms, Jerome Green's sizzling maracas, and the primal jangle of Bo's guitar, it was backed by a blues classic that inspired Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy'. This is surely one of the most influential singles ever, and followups such as the irresistable 'You Don't Love Me' and 'Pretty Thing' are just as explosive, original, and uncompromised. Bo's influence on second generation rock 'n' rollers such as The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Animals, and (obviously) Pretty Things insured his work would shape popular music for decades to come. And on their classic 1973 debut New York Dolls included just one cover, Mr. Diddley's 'Pills'. All these great recordings and more are included on this collection. Yet, unforgiveably, very little of Bo Diddley's great body of work - his fat years cover roughly 1955 to '66 - remains in print in his own country. By all means snap this up if you are a neophyte looking to buy your first Bo collection, for the music is utterly undated, even thrilling. However, clocking in at under an hour, the set remains merely acceptable (the remastering is very good), certainly not generous. For fans there is nothing here we don't already have. The notes are nothing special, which reminds me that it's time for the 1989 "Chess Box" to get the sonic upgrade - and, while we're at it, expanded treatment - the first generation's most innovative rock 'n' roller deserves. That set, despite sonic limitations due to the problems endemic to early digital, contains unissued rarities, seldom heard gems, and classics. But it is most revelatory for Robert Palmer's brilliant in depth essay analyzing and celebrating Bo's work, an essential read that remains the most intelligent piece I've seen about the music (the box also contains a biographical piece). And expand that box to three discs! Bo issued a string of fine albums during his 'golden decade', plus some terrific single sides and unissued material (some is collected on the superb and - naturally out of print - "Rare & Well Done"). The man is 78 as I write this, recent victim of a stroke, yet the 50th anniversary of his classic debut went virtually unnoticed, as did his 75th birthday. Sonic innovator, grunge craw-dad, rap progenitor, rhythm king, the man deserves at least some of the accolades, sensitive reissue campaigns, and serious critical attention Ellington, Armstrong, Elvis, Sinatra, and others received on such occasions.

5 comments about The Very Best of Canned Heat.

1. In addition to all the great things the other reviewers have to say about the disc, I'll add that the sound quality is excellent too. For whatever reason, this band's albums have been overlooked by Capitol. If you want one of their studio albums on CD, you have overpriced poor sounding imports made by budget reissue companies to choose from - not a good situation. It's obvious from this compilation, that Capital has access to some first generation tapes. Let's just hope that someday they'll properly reissue them with the dignity this band's catalog deserves.



2. I owned every LP ever pressed by Canned Heat and since converted to cd's. Obviously, Canned Heat is one of my all-time favorite groups. But for those of you too young or somehow just discovering them, this is an excellent compilation.



3. written reviewThe Very Best of Canned Heat
   
   
   Super CD One of the best ever Really dig the the first two songs



4. I have looked for a very long time for this CD. I was so happy to find it on Amazon. I guess you can find ANYTHING on Amazon. It is great, great, great. Much nostalgia.



5. This is a great collection of tunes by a truly fun and in their day unique band. They always had tunes that translated well into long jams with an infectious groove reminicient of the DEAD. One of the best things about this particular collection is that it includes "LETS WORK TOGETHER",a really foot thumping,head boobin beat song that is often left off of other CANNED HEAT collections. A must for any sixties collection or for anyone who just loves to BOOGIE!!!

5 comments about Buddy's Baddest: The Best of Buddy Guy.

1. I like "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues" better, but this is still great. I loved Stevie Ray Vaughn, and since Buddy played at the last concert Stevie ever gave, I looked forward to hearing the instrumental tribute to him. I wasn't disappointed. Anybody who thinks Chicago blues is always loud and driving should listen hard to that one. Like any great music, there's more than one way to be blue. Yeah, Buddy.



2. Do you love the blues? I said, DO YOU LOVE THE BLUES? If you don't, then this CD is not for you! This CD was made for blues lovers. From the first guttural.. From the first growl.. From the first screeching.. Lyrics from Buddy: "DAMN RIGHT, I'VE GOT THE BLUES!" You are on your way to a blues experience. You don't get to warm up! You don't get to pace yourself! From Buddy's first exulted, words of "blues", you are hooked into a blues experience, that there's no getting out of! For those of you who are blues neophytes, in the electric blues world, Buddy, said that Stevie Ray Vaughn, was his best friend, and like a brother to him. With this knowledge, pay special attention to song #4, "Remembering Stevie". It's an instrumental that Buddy wrote in memory of Stevie, after his untimely death. This CD is a testament to one of the all-time greatest electric blues guitar performers... Mr. Buddy Guy. 5 stars for now and forever.



3. Buddy Guy is "The Master of the Blues." He glides his fingers over his guitar like the wind showing his expertise with every note. I've seen him once in person and he made a lifetime impression on me. Buddy's Baddest will fill you with the energetic life force of a Buddy Guy concert.



4. buddy guy always seems to get third billing behind eric clapton and b.b. king, but this collection of songs is certainly an excellent sampler of why he is always mentioned in the same breath with those other 2 lads !!!!! it is an excellent introduction to one very exciting and inventive blues guitarist (go visit his nightclub in chicago and check out all the autographed guitars on the walls)
   these songs sizzle: "mustang sally" takes off like a rocket, "midnight train" really rocks, and the bass line on "damn right" is a killer. even the slow tunes are hot.if you are a hobbyist, this is a great collection of blues tunes to play along to. also great for listening to in the car by yourself- where you can play it LOUD !!!!!



5. I just bought Buddy's Baddest: The Best Of Buddy Guy at fye music for $20. I really did'nt care about the price because I had already previewed the songs at fye and new this album stood presence of greatness like Buddy Guy. This is my first buddy guy album I have been for so long been listening to Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan never came across Buddy until now........... The first track Damn Right, I've Got The Blues is just an amazing track filled with so much potenial, soul, and power in Buddy's guitar solo. And I have to say all of the tracks have buddy guy playing some great guitar solo's which is what us guitar, blues fans want right? I also liked Rememberin'Stevie. This album is a must have. Buddy Guy can really play!

5 comments about Delaney & Bonnie On Tour With Eric Clapton.

1. This was one of my favorite albums when I was in college. A great live performance with amazing talent. The combination of Jim Gordon and Carl Radle is almost perfect, however tragic.



2. This is the BEST live album ever recorded - not just one of the 50 in your Top Ten, not one of the 300 in your Top 100, but the absolute #1 live album ever! Delaney & Bonnie had a wonderful ability to gather talent around them. No wonder Joe Cocker stole this band and Lowell George took the heart of their next band.
   
   However, when this album came out in 1970, Eric Clapton was the only name in the band most folks recognized. Eric is at his best here as "just one of the boys." Don't expect flashy solos, just 3 guitars (or is it 4 - George Harrison was on this tour too?) picking you up and whisking you away.
   
   When "Things Get Better" starts, you'll say, "This is the hottest song I ever heard." Then it gets even better! By the time "Coming Home" has run over your brain, you'll just give in and hang on to the train barreling to rock 'n' roll nirvana. No rhythm section ever drove harder. I dare you to restrain yourself.



3. Unable to purchase this cd which seems so important to all Clapton-fans even in the best equipped music stores in Amsterdam I ordered it through Amazon received it swiftly by mail. Since then I have played it over and over. It captures the energetic performances of a band that knows how to combine musical drive and soulful bliss. As for Clapton: just listen to that solo in 'I don't want to discuss it': without any redundancy this stripped down minimalistic approach epitomizes power and tension in a superbly timed monochordic drone. This is truly stepping down to reach higher.



4. Have been wanting to buy this for sometime now.
   My question is, with new "complete concert" series.
   Will this ever be expanded to the complete show? Or is this the complete show?



5. Clapton's earlier adventures with Cream and Blind Faith may have covered the overhead for this album, but for the first time since he'd left the Bluesbreakers he was surrounded by musicians with a similar taste and capacity for precise, very subtle R&B. Again he's playing with heavyweights in popular music, but all the pretense of a Ginger Baker drum solo has been replaced by the sincere effusion of Delanie & Bonnie Bramlett's vocals and the economy of guitarist Dave Mason, who had already orchestrated the mainstream success of Traffic's first two albums. What is on show in the 42 1/2 minutes of this album is an ostensibly modest yet very rich and triumphant live performance, surprisingly so in that it was recorded well after Manson and Altamont had sullied 60's idealism. Perhaps this album reflects the more lyrical and traditional forms into which such idealism would have to be diverted in the new decade, but for all that there is yet in Croydon in 1969 no need to stop dancing and singing along. As the AMG review indicates, Clapton would take the core of Delanie & Bonnie's backing band into the studio to cut not only his first solo album but the equally precise and iconic blues-rock of Derek & the Dominoes.