5 comments about Thicker Than Water.

1. This DVD is one I think every surfer should see at least once. I will not go as far as saying its one of the best surf movies ever made but in my top 15 list. Great surfing and a hip sound track.



2. I had never heard of Jack Johnson before I came upon his DVD called Thicker Than Water, at a used DVD store, which, if the DVD package was accurate, seemed to be a documentary about sailing around the world. The back cover features robed Buddhists on the bow of a boat, in an exotic sunset. Could this be a Generation X riff on the whole Seven Years In Tibet theme? I did not know, but always one to enjoy offbeat documentaries, I decided to give it a whirl. Was I surprised, or what?
   Well, the disk is a documentary, but not of water-centered cultures about the world, nor of existentialism in a Thoreauvian vein admixed with rock music. No, instead it's a surfer film, although not of the sort brought to you by Hollywood airheads. It follows a group of young twentysomething surfers who spent a year and a half in the early part of this decade just bumming around beaches all about the world, and shooting their adventures with an old 16mm camera. It is part home movie, part guerilla filmmaking, part acid trip, part bad garage band, and all in all oddly interesting, if not riveting. There are, of course, some great shots of young studs riding through tubes of water- although very few bikini babes, and a good deal of lite pop music, spiced with a bluesy vein, by Johnson. His tunes are most akin to the music of The White Stripes, albeit a bit mellower, but nothing much really happens in the forty-five minutes of the main film. We see surfing in different locale, hear random voices come on and off and say things banal and observant, but, I guess, not much more can be expected from Johnson, who was a former pro surfer whose career ended after an accident, and has since become an alternative music icon, of sorts.
   Don't get me wrong, some of Johnson's music is evocative, and he does seem like a nice enough guy. I just wonder what sort of vanity is behind such an exercise? That said, the camerawork is much better than one might expect from mere amateurs, but what deeper point is there in the whole exercise, apart from a vanity video. There are scenes that a filmmaker with a real vision could have cut together with much more effective music. The documentary- if one can really call it that; it's more of an extended music video, travels from Tahiti to India to Ireland to Australia to Hawaii and to many unnamed ports of call, seems like the first rough cut of a filmmaker trying to find his way, not a finished product.
   All in all, this is the sort of DVD to watch if you're a teenager with a little bit too much weed and not enough pals to toke it with, but it is not a film for a serious cineaste, nor even a serious surfer, for the waves within the film are rather paltry. Not that any of that is necessarily a bad thing, but it's certainly not too good of a thing, either. The fact that it could have been more suggests that the boys' youth was to blame. Ah, youth! If you need me to fill in the rest of that observation you will know how I felt watching Thicker Than Water. Okay?



3. this is a great cd. Jack Johnsons older stuff is so much better that his 2 recent albums. This is a great compilation of music that goes really well with the attitude and type of lifestyle Jack Johnsons music used to be geared too. Read the album cover next time and you wont be disappointed when it is what is described. This beats the hell out of the curios george happy feely butterfly ride.



4. YAHHH jack johnson.... ahhhh kind of disappointing. I was physched when i saw this one and sped on to buy it.... but then was very disappointed when I bought it. Definately preview this before buying it. Not great or good just ummm eehhhh



5. The first music video Jack Johnson was much better! However, if your a Jacki fan then it's a great addition to your collection.

5 comments about His Best : The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection.

1. Another legend was taken from us on June 2, 2008. One of the greatest and most influential bluesmen has left us at the age of 79. The breadth of his influence can hardly be described in a few words. It is best heard in the music he left behind for us to share and in the musicians who were inspired and influenced by it. The first big hit for the Rolling Stones, after all, was a Buddy Holly song revved up with that Bo Diddley beat. The song was "Not Fade Away." The Stones also covered some of Bo's originals like "Crackin' Up" and "Mona" and again, utilized that beat on their own "Please Go Home." George Thorogood has made a career out of "Who Do You Love" and what bar band in the world has not run through "Roadrunner" a half a million times? Creedence and Clapton covered "Before You Accuse Me" and The New York Dolls did "Pills." I guess my point is that Bo Diddley was a major musical giant in the world of blues and rock. These musicians as well as those I did not mention are indebted to him for life as well as the fans.
   
   Of course, to hear these songs in all their original glory is the best and most rewarding way to go. We have lost you, Bo, but not your music. That is what you gave to the world and the world is forever grateful for it. Time may have claimed your life, but you'll always be larger than life to me. You ARE the "Diddley Daddy."



2. Elvis had the charisma, Buddy Holly had the pop smarts, and Little Richard had the wildman persona, but Ellas Otha Bates "Bo Diddley" McDaniel had the greatest gift of all: Rhythm. Alongside Chuck Berry (who was simply in a league of his own), Bo was one of the most influential and exciting artists to make music for Chicago's Chess Records, and one of the label's premiere rock 'n' roll performers. And while Chuck excelled at combining blues with elements of pop, country, soul, and sheer genius, Bo's gift to mankind was his mesmerizing and totally unique vision of the Chicago sound. The man was a percussive genius, a musical hypnotist with an intuitive gift for blending African rhythms, lurching blues, tremolo laden guitars, and chant-along vocals into one churning, pulsating, hypnotic(not to mention totally wicked awesome) vision of rock 'n' roll. But there was more to it than just that: Diddley was also an inspired weirdo, with a knack for lyrical surrealism and offbeat humor that preempted Bob Dylan by about ten years. Even when he was singing about cheating girlfriends and sweet young things, he did it with his own unique, and absolutely delightful, gift for skewed storytelling.
   
   This collection is one of the best places to start listening to the man. It's also fairly safe to say that if you only want one Bo Diddley CD, this is the one to get. Of course, if you only want one Bo Diddley CD, then you're a moron. Just kidding. Anyway, this is a good purchase because it gives you a lot of his absolute classics. You'll get the trance-inducing masterpiece that is "Bo Diddley," the raw churn of "Bring It To Jerome," and the wonderfully inexplicable "Say Man." "Mona" is nothing but way cool pulsations, and "Ooh Baby" is nothing but way cool. There's also the surreal, rollicking boast of "Who Do you Love," the surreal, rollicking boast of "I'm A Man," and the surreal, rollicking boast of "Hey! Bo Diddley. It's the kind of thing you might wanna invest in, especially with a price as good of this. Trust me, you'll love it.



3. Otha Ellas Bates McDaniels, born December 30, 1928 in McComb, Mississippi, took the stage name Bo Diddley from the name of a one-string African guitar. He only registered eleven R&B hit singles from 1955 to 1967, all for the Checker subsidiary of Chess Records, and just five of those crossed over to the more lucrative Billboard Pop Top/Hot 100 [one more "bubbled under"] - and yet, justifiably so, he was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987 - the second year of its existence - and only in 2004 was he so recognized by the Blues Hall Of Fame - some 24 years after they began!
   
   The only mystery is why he was not among those honoured in their first first years since, to my mind anyway, he was every bit as influential as any of those who were brought in at that time, despite the comparative low hit totals. Indeed, almost all the original inductess in the R&R Hall Of Fame adapted a Bo Diddley tune in their repertoire at one time or another.
   
   His first - the double-sided Bo Diddley [# 1 R&B for two weeks] and I'm A Man [a "follow-along" # 1] - peaked on those charts in the early summer of 1955, but it was the driving rhythm of the A-side that captured everyone's attention at a time when the film Blackboard Jungle was re-introducing the world to Bill Haley's (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock. That had first come out a year before with little fanfare but now, coupled with Bo Diddley, the world was on notice. A new sound had arrived.
   
   But, whereas Haley's # 1 signature tune also did very well on the R&B charts [# 3], Bo Diddley made no impression on the Billboard Pop Top 100. The same held true for his follow-up Diddley Daddy which, with The Moonglows doing backing vocals, reached # 11 R&B in late July b/w She's Fine, She's Mine [not included], as well as his next immediate hit, Pretty Thing, # 4 R&B in January 1956 b/w Bring It To Jerome.
   
   He then experienced a 3-year gap before his fourth hit, I'm Sorry, which peaked at # 17 R&B in April 1959 with the vocal backing of The Carnations and Oh Yea on the flipside. Neither, for some reason known only to the producer, is included in this volume, but his next two from 1959 are here, beginning with Crackin' Up which became his first Pop Hot 100 crossover, reaching # 62 that August [and # 14 R&B] b/w The Great Grandfather [not here].
   
   That was followed in October by his best crossover, Say Man, in which he trades insults with maracas player Jerome Green. That topped out at # 3 R&B/# 20 Hot 100 b/w The Clock Strikes Twelve [another omission]. Also overlooked in this volume is the sequel hit Say Man, Back Again which reached # 23 R&B and # 106 Hot 100 "bubble under" in late December, and its flipside, She's Alright.
   
   In April 1960 one of my Diddley favourites, Road Runner, made it to # 20 R&B/# 75 Hot 100 featuring the great Otis Spann on piano, with the B-side shown as My Story [in here it's listed at track 15 as The Story Of Bo Diddley]. Another I especially liked was You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover which, in September 1962, became his second-best crossover, reaching # 48 [and # 21 R&B] b/w I Can Tell. There would then follow a 5-year gap before his eleventh and final hit single, Ooh Baby [# 17 R&B/# 88 Hot 100] b/w Back To School [not included].
   
   The digitally re-mastered sound is flawless, there is a complete discography of the contents, and the eight pages of liner notes by the noted music writer Don Snowden (who, with Willie Dixon, also co-authored the book I Am The Blues: The Willie Dixon Story) are quite informative. But I still had to deduct one star for the omission of those two hit singles [which would have been better choices than tracks 7 and 13 which are obscure cuts] and SIX of the flipsides. A strange way to approach a 50th Year Anniversary compilation titled "His Best."



4. This is a nice introduction to the work of Bo Diddley. The liner notes say: ". . .you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can sure tell something about how important a musician is by the artists who do cover versions of his songs." And a lot of musicians covered his songs or were influenced by his work.
   
   Some of the songs on this album well exemplify his art:
   
   "Bo Diddley": This eponymous work lays out the classic Bo. What a romp! The rhythm is infectious and his guitar work is solid. He shows off a nice blues and rock voice. This is, of course, classic Bo Diddley. And it is one of the great blues/rock songs of the ages.
   
   "I'm a Man": The B side to "Bo Diddley" when 45s were the nature of the recording game. One of the best B sides of all time! Compare with Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy." Tough to choose between them! There is a wonderful basic instrumental tune with great blues vocals from Bo. Classic!
   
   "Hey Bo Diddley": A nicely done variation on "Bo Diddley." Good rhythm.
   
   Finally, "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover": There are nice lyrics here, with Bo playing nice variations off of the title. Well done indeed. The rhythm and guitar work is wonderful. The beat is infectious.
   
   This is a wonderful introduction to the corpus of Bo Diddley, one of the major founding figures in rock and roll as well as a nice blues contributor.



5. Bo is to rock and roll, what Strauss is to the polka. Bo is to rock and roll, what Waylon is to country. Bo is to rock and roll, what BB is to the blues. Bo is without peer! The CD belongs in the library of everybody who has an ear for music. I'll bet you'll open it a second time!

5 comments about Live at Carnegie Hall.

1. Live At Carnegie Hall was recorded on October 4, 1984 (one day after Stevie's thirtieth birthday), and is a highlight of Stevie's early days with his band, Double Trouble. There are also guest appearances by John Hammond, Jimmie Vaughan, Dr. John, vocalist Angela Strehli (who sings an enthusiastic lead vocal on C.O.D.), and the Roomful Of Blues horn section. The performance is an intimate, but rousing, blues celebration of Stevie's birthday. At the end of the night, Stevie says, "Thank you very much for making this my best birthday ever...forever!". Musically, you couldn't ask for better. The sound and production are smart, and the performances are clean and inspired (that's an understatement on some of the songs!). The absolute best recording ever of Cold Shot is here, Testifyin' sounds great, and Lenny is simply AMAZING. It really makes you wonder why Stevie doesn't get even more recognition as a guitar god than he already has. Things That I Used To Do and Dirty Pool are both jaw-dropping, Stevie at his blues guitar best. Pride And Joy and Iced Over both sound as good as ever and the horn section adds to the sound instead of hampering it, and it gives the songs new life. More than just really good blues, Live At Carnegie Hall is an intimate documentary of a very special night in the life of Sevie Ray Vaughan, his friends, and his family. There's a lot of love, warmth, and personality on this one, and some really fine electric guitar fueled blues music, too.



2. Of all his CD's, this feautures some of Stevie's best playing, and it's LIVE! The acoustics of Carnegie Hall add tremendous depth to his soulful playing here, and he just rips and rips away without holding anything back. As an added bonus, this was right near the end of his career when he had his head on straight and his chops were peaking. You are really missing out if your collection doesn't include this one.



3. There is such history in this venue, and for Stevie to play there it was quite an extraordinary event. The recording is fabulous in your face guitar,
   like they had the mic inside his cabinets, protected by a noise gate. Great, great live performance here.



4. Live at Carnegie Hall is a must-have for the diehard SRV fan who wants to get a taste of the guitar master's live perfomance electricity. I purchased his Live Alive CD prior to this one and was somewhat disappointed (Live Alive was recorded at the depths of SRV's drug and alcohol addiction and lacked the luster and originality of his previous works).
   
   This, however, was a real treat. His torrential solo on Dirty Pool and collaboration with his brother, Jimmie, on Things that I Used to Do were flawlessly executed and super-charged. I am always amazed at how he could bend and twist notes in ways unheard of, but these two songs were absolutely mind-boggling.
   
   The second half of the CD, where SRV adds the Room Full of Blues horns and Dr. John on keyboards, was a pleasant surprise. Initially, I was skeptical, thinking it would be like "gilding the lilly, but it's a great R&B sound that every SRV fan should experience. In addition, Angela Strehli was outstanding on her fiery vocal on C.O.D.
   
   The only issue that prevented me from giving this a five-star rating, is the muddy sound on the first two or three songs (Carnegie Hall was originally designed for acoustic performances). Don't let this stop you from adding this one to your collection, though.



5. SRV and friends play up a storm. Herein are arguably the definitive recorded versions of "Cold Shot", "Pride and Joy" and "Things That I Used To Do". The horns really add warmth to the sound, but Stevie Ray is front and center. Eric Clapton has said he was in awe of Stevie Ray Vaughan for his flow; the way solos just poured out of him, and there are some blazing examples on this recording.
   Yes, the man was a great guitar play, an absolute master of the form, but something that is rarely mentioned is that his singing was as emotive as his playing. He was in great voice on this night too.

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 Me and Mr. Johnson.

1. To most people Robert Johnson's legacy will live on forever. But with Eric Clapton taking ahold of these songs he has pushed Johnsons's legacy even further. I had goose bumbs from the first song to the last.



2. eric proves again why he has been at the top of his game for over 40 years. he just is simply the best guitar player and interperter of the blues of robert johnson. he has the gift despite lifes difficulties.



3. I played it 1-1/2 times...then it became litter.
   
   The cover showing Clapton in a stark setting, acoustic guitar in hand, led me to believe this would be an " solo acoustic blues" album, befitting a "tribute" to RJ.
   
   WRONG.
   
   Slick, over produced, over-blown, and most especially, over-instrumented, this disc sounds like a "Chicago Blues" session...
   
   Yes, I disliked this take on Robert Johnson very much.
   
   To Eric Clapton:
   
   Listen to Rory Block doing Johnson....
   
   The Lady and Mr. Johnson
   
   That's how to show tribute...Smokin'!!



4. The power of Robert Johnson's music lies in his haunting lyrics, stark arrangements, and tortured delivery. Unfortunately, in reworking Johnson's songs for "Me and Mr Johnson", Eric Clapton has robbed them of their original power, substituting instead competent, but out-of-place, Chicago Blues-style arrangements and disappointingly hackneyed vocal delivery. Johnson's lyrics alone are left to carry the load and, alas, they cannot.
   
   Clapton can do better, and, indeed, he has. Listen to "Malted Milk" from Unplugged and "Terraplane Blues" and "Ramblin' on My Mind" from
   Sessions For Robert J. (CD + DVD) for proof that he can interpret Johnson's music in inspired fashion. Given the magnitude of Robert Johnson's influence on Eric Clapton, a Clapton album comprised entirely of Johnson's songs seemed a very promising undertaking. If only "Me and Mr Johnson" had lived up to that promise . . .



5. From the first note to the last, Clapton oozes out gold with this album. It's great to listen to if you love blues music. I'm a little shocked to see that so many reviewers didn't like it.
   
   Favorite tracks:
   Come On In My Kitchen
   They're Red Hot
   When You've Got A Good Friend
   
   If you're driving in your car or relaxing at home, this is the perfect album for the contemporary fan of blues music. I think Mr. Johnson would be very proud of this work.

5 comments about Blue Velocity.

1. I love a good blues guitar player who can go in a few other directions with the same intensity. Duarte fills that bill. Regardless of your mood there is something on this CD to keep it company. From the funky blues of "Let her be" to the more rock oriented "Met My Match", Durate delivers! The solo work on "Something Wicked" is worth the price of the CD alone.



2. While listening to this compilation and it's variations, I kept wondering who he sounds like. After a while I thought, Robin Trower. Then I thought Stevie Ray Vaughan....and finally I thought James Solberg. Wow, what a combination!!
   
   Duarte was just in Abilene Texas the other night and I missed his show. After listening to this CD, I'm sorry I missed it.
   
   This CD is a refreshing mix between blues and rock - but blues is its mainstay. I personally liked tracks after three the best, although the first three were indeed good. Especially the first track - Amy Lee.
   
   You couldn't do much better trying to find an explosive blues compilation and I highly recommend the blues fan add this to his/her collection.



3. Got this CD on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. This guy is a great bluesy player, singer and songwriter. I liked all the songs first time through and they are getting better with repeat listenings.



4. So many blues guitar players have disappointed me by going commercial or off the deep end (Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang etc.). I guess they do this to make more money. I can't blame them, however, the music is not up to par. So far, Chris Duarte has been super consistent. This is another excellent blues CD. If you like any of his earlier music, you are sure to like this CD. Sometimes it takes a few times through a CD to really get into it. This was great from the first time I listened to it. His show in Manhattan at Hill Country BBQ was the best performance I have ever witnessed. I have seen KWS 3 times and he was my favorite guitar player....Move over Kenny...Duarte is a nice guy too...he took the time to autograph many CDs at the show.



5. I have been a fan of Duarte for a long time and I waited anxiously for the delivery of this cd. His playing is remarkable; Beyond the other comparisons I heard some Robin Trower influence in the later tunes of the album, however the songs were so mediocre I was very disappointed overall.

5 comments about Wander This World.

1. After "Lie To Me", I thought I would buy anything this artist put out. 3 albums later, I'm regretting that decision. It started with this title. Did that trip to Memphis make him think he's Al Green? Did his guitar fall down and it can't get up? Is he only a 6 string stud in the studio with a lot of help from the engineers and timed tracking? I honestly don't get it. As utterly IMPRESSIVE and AMAZING as "Lie" was, subsequent releases have only put me to sleep. Forced blue-eyed soul ain't doing it for me. Stax/Volt is out of business and the Staple Singers aren't holding auditions. I don't want to be unkind because anyone who can cut the very best version of "Matchbox" will always have a home in my heart but in the words of the immortal Frank Zappa, "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar".



2. Nothing is more depressing than an incredibly gifted blues musician playing pop music. Nothing against pop, but really, come on. Can you imagine Howling Wolf singing "yummy yummy yummy i've got love in my tummy", or Muddy Waters singing "Daydream believer"? Sickening.



3. Jonny Lang proves once again that age is not a required criteria when producing a blues album wrought with feeling and emotion. Thanks Jonny...



4. After hitting big time stardom with his previous effort Lang follows things up with another strong one. The album scored another big hit with the leadoff track "Still Rainin", but shows Lang moving in some new directions. Blues is still the main denominator for this album, but Lang starts bringing in a lot more soul, gospel and funk into the mix as well. This conglomeration of styles would indicate the path his career would take with later albums. I think that this may be Lang's best release to date. The material is all strong and he sings and plays like a man on a mission to prove himself. Highlights include "I Am", "Wander This World", "The Levee", the funky "Right Back", the ballad "Leaving To Stay", and the final track a killer cover of Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine". There really is not a weak track on the disc. If you have never explored Lang's material this would be a great place to start.



5. Johnny Lang is what--19 here? He's already one of the guitar legends and his voice isn't so bad, either. Admittedly, he's had some amazing help here--David Z produced this CD, but if he didn't have the chops that wouldn't have gotten done.
   
   This is a hard CD to pick a favorite. There's nothing I'd skip over, which is uncommon even for my ultimate favorites. When he belts out the last of "Cherry Red Wine" I've had to just start the whole CD over from the start.
   
   "I Am" is a great soulful song and I can see why so many of the other reviewers have picked it. I keep going back to "Back to the Levee" and "Angel of Mercy" and for the moment, those are my favorites, but that's changed just about every time I've played this CD.
   
   So far, I have liked every single one of Johnny's CDs, looking forward to a long career with a lot of good music.

5 comments about The Anthology.

1. What can I say that hasn't already been said??
   Bobby is the man (period)
   And to top it all off, Amazon has a great price for this Anthology CD. Dont even think about downloading per track! You will be looking at about $45-$50 bucks. And the free shipping... just cant be beat.
   There are at least 30 "hits" on this CD of 50. Excellent value



2. Yeah, this is what I mean when I say, "talking about the blues". This is it. Bobby Blue Bland is the man!!!! That roughness in his voice is it!!! Sit down, pull your shoes off, relax and listen to this!!!! You need no other!!!! My husband and I love it!!! We have all of Bobby's cds AND some tapes (we're from the "ole school").
   
   B.T.



3. How many artists have been covered by the Grateful Dead ("One More Saturday Night"), been sampled by Jay-Z ("Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City"), and played with B.B. King in concert? Just one: Bobby "Blue" Bland. Man, this guy is amazing. I religiously listen to the blues show on my local jazz radio station every weekend, but besides one live Albert Collins CD, some John Lee Hooker, and some Howlin' Wolf, I've almost never actually gone out and bought something I heard on that show. But when I heard Bobby's "Goin' Down Slow," I was transfixed. I had already arrived home in my Jeep, but I sat there through the five minute song, in awe, and I couldn't stop thinking how this was something that Dylan or Jerry Garcia would just LOVE (and that was before I knew that "One More Saturday Night" was actually a Bobby Bland cover!). Well, about half the stuff on this Anthology is equally good. Just listen to the sound sample for "Poverty," as well as the songs I've already mentioned. Check Bobby Bland out for yourself and you won't be disappointed.



4. You can't think about downhome blues without thinking about Bobby Bland. Even though he has a more sophisticated style of singing the blues, his singing will put you in a bluesy mood.



5. This cd is the best option for avid Bobby Bland fans. It has every song that you might possibly want and some you may have forgotten. For the price, its optimum.

5 comments about Breakin' It Up & Breakin' It Down.

1. What a concert CD! "Breakin' it Up, Breakin' it Down" features the vocals of three pretty good bluesmen--Muddy Waters, James Cotton, and Johnny Winter. Waters and Winter also play guitar, and James Cotton is referred to as "Superharp" in the notes accompanying the CD. Also in the group: Bob Margolin (guitar and vocals), Pinetop Perkins (vocals and piano), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drum), and Charles Calmese (Bass). They play awfully well together. . . .
   
   Bob Margolin wrote to notes. At one point he says of this CD: "[The CD] showcases each of these [three] blues legends leading the band, but more important historically, and much more fun, we find them jamming together, pushing, teasing, and inspiring one another."
   
   Let's take a look at a few examples of the cuts on this live CD. . . .
   
   "Black Cat Bone/Dust My Broom." The authorship of this song is split among Winter, Elmore James, and Robert Johnson. This is a rocking version of this song! There is fine guitar work, good keyboards, and terrific harmonica. It is taken at a rollicking pace. The three central vocalists take turns in vocals--to good effect.
   
   "Can't Be Satisfied." One of Muddy Waters' hits, covered by many others, including the Rolling Stones. There is cool guitar work at the outset, and Waters' singing does justice to this song. There is a sense of improvisation and spontaneity, as the three central players interact with one another. Lots of fun.
   
   "Rocket 88" is one of Cotton's songs, about his car. It starts up with some great harmonica work. This work is taken at the quick pace and there is a sense of joy to Cotton's vocalizations.
   
   Another Waters' classic closes out this concert CD--"Got My Mojo Workin.'" The three principal artists share in the vocals, but this is Muddy Waters' song. Love the lyrics!
   
   "Got my mojo workin',
   Just don't work on you.
   So bad I just don't
   Know what to do."
   
   A real lively version, with the crowd getting involved. Harp, drums, guitars work well together. There is some nice jamming among the musicians in the middle. What a way to close out this CD.
   
   So, my judgment? If you like the blues, this would be a fine addition to your library. I rate this highly.



2. Why was this stuff hidden away for so long--I love this CD--a great addition to my collection



3. As a Muddy Water's CD, I've heard him do better, but as a Johnny Winter CD it's some of his best work. Still, if you are a blues fan, you must add this important collaboration to your collection.



4. This was a match made in "blues heaven". Some have lamented that Johnny Winter and James Cotton sings part of these tunes...somehow they just don't understand that all of these men are true legends of the blues.
   
   I saw Muddy Waters as the headliner in 1970. Ten Years After stole HIS show! He was going through the motions, but he pretty much "phoned in" his set. He looked and sound whipped. I saw this group at the Palladium in Los Angeles, CA. on 03/04/1977 (I still have the stub). Johnny Winter was producing and resurrected Muddy. Ever since Johnny had struck gold with The AND Band, he was a huge personality in the Rock and Roll genre and with the blues crowd. Muddy was a new man compared to what I saw in 1970. To this day, the show I witnessed in LA, was one of my all time favorite blues shows (and I seen dozens).
   
   Toss out the 2 star guy, he obviously doesn't understand the importance of this offering. If you LOVE THE BLUES, or you enjoy any of these featured artists, buy this one, you'll have no buyer's remorse.



5. You thought this was a Muddy Waters CD? Not so, majority of the vocals here are Winter and Cotton, with Muddy Waters singing some or part of only 5 songs on this 11 song disc. Unless you want to hear James Cotton imitate a young man singing like a girl, pass this up and head for the real deal that this tour sprung from, the excellent Muddy Waters "Hard Again" disc. Even "Got My Mojo Workin'" begins with Johnny Winter singing vocals on the song Muddy Waters made into a classic.

5 comments about Recapturing the Banjo.

1. Man.
   Between Mavis Staples's new Ry Cooder produced album and this new piece of awe-inspiring artistry from Otis Taylor and friends, I'm just not sure which album lands in my top spot for the past year. But it has been an amazing year for Roots Music.
   Buy this. You won't regret it. Even if you aren't a Banjo Fan (and didn't grow up in a little town that had yearly Banjo and Fiddler's contests, like I did,)...you'll love this album. Even if you aren't aware of THE OTIS TAYLOR and the fact that he left music for 20 years only to come back and make my idiot self cry with joy and sadness over his content on the first album back. Buy this disc.
   
   Even if you aren't sure you could enjoy a Blues album? Buy it.
   
   ***Mavis? If you or Mssr. Cooder are reading this, I'll buy This Amazing Disc for each of you. You guys decide. Otis? If you or Cassie are reading this, I'll buy The Mavis Album for you both. Then you guys decide. Until then, It's a tie. Buy both.***
   We'll Never Turn Back



2. otis taylor continues to reinvent the blues in his own personal way. with this album, he does it again, featuring the banjo. it's haunting and beautiful. otis is one of a few artists whose cd's i will buy before i even hear them.



3. The rest of this review really speaks to the musicians other than the Great Don Vappie. Vappie's music reflects the tradition of four and six-string banjo and guitar playing that remained among Creoles in New Orleans as well as on the musics shared between African American Creoles in New Orleans with Afro-Caribbean Creoles on islands like Haiti, Martinique, and Guadaloupe. Vappie who was once one of the leading Jazz and R & B recording session guitarists and Bassists returned to the four and six string banjos played by the great banjoist of Jazz. In doing so Vappie is playing very authentic roots music in fact rooted in the very neighborhood in New Orleans he grew up in, yet he has become a world-class music.
   
   Recapturing the Banjo is not chiefly about repeating or even elaborating on the traditional banjo styles created by Black traditional five-string banjoists or the great Jazz banjoists of the 20s and 1930s. Rather, it is about using the banjo for new styles and new music of African Americans today. Very few of the recordings here follow the traditional finger or frailing styles used by the last generations of Black banjoists who can be found on field recordings like Black Banjo Songsters or Black Appalachia. This terrain has been explored by traditionally oriented Black string bands like the Carolina Chocolate Drops or the Ebony Hillbillies or individual players like Sparkey Rucker,
   Sule Greg Wilson, Rex Ellis, or my humble self.
   
   Rather, the artists here use the banjo for the mostly blues related music that they have all been creating for years. All of these musicians are not new to the banjo. Otis has told me that the banjo was his first instrument and he plays his other instruments, the guitar and the mandolin, the way he plays the banjo, not the standard ways. There is a famous picture printed in the Denver Post in the early 1960s on his web site. A younger slimmer Otis Taylor is seen riding a unicycle and playing the banjo on his way to high school! You can find some great traditional banjo playing on older CDs by Corey Harris and Alvin Youngblood Hart.
   
   What we have hear is blues and trance music and ballads influenced by this. What we have here is the creative use of amplification both in recording the banjo and in use of electric banjo and banjos with electric pickups. We have new rhythms for new times.
   
   The importance of this is that in African American popular and folk culture, the arrival of Blues and the forms of pop and folk Ragtime and Jazz that were associated with the Blues was what led to the demise of the five-string banjo among Black folk. For reasons I will elaborate in a book forthcoming from Duke UP called _Lost in the Mix__ (I am just writing one chapter) the actual five string banjos available at the time the Blues rolled in at the turn of the century were not as suitable for Blues playing as the inexpesnive steel-stringed guitar that had become available to southern folk just as the blues spread at the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century.
   
   The contemporary experience of Blues as a kind of caberet or concert music obscures the fact that Blues was a dance music. Blues singers like Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, or Lightnin' Hopkins, may have played in the street at times, but they made their money playing for dancers in juke joints and at house parties. Rather than the two or three minute Blues performances we get from recordings and reproductions of recordings, these actual Blues performances were often fifteen, twenty, or even thirty minute dance numbers.
   
   The five-string banjo was not condusive to playing the rhythm that Black folks danced these blues to. So, it retreated to smaller enclaves where the older music persisted, especially in the Piedmont and Appalachians of the Upper South. Even there, Black five string banjoists played the Blues, but blues that moved to the rhythm of the old dance movements. Very much of the revival of traditional Black banjo playing has been playing these old dance tunes and rhythms.
   
   Yet, we live in a world whose musical culture has been transformed by the Blues and the musics it has spawned. In its Africanness, the five-string banjo provides a great platform for playing blues. The dance demands of a 1900 juke joint and the limitation of gut stringed banjos are gone. Steel stringed tone ringed banjos and modern amplication create different possibilities for the banjo. Blues rhythm has become more complex. These musicians expert in the Blues and in the Black banjo tradition, reverse history and bring back the Blues to the Banjo and the Banjo to the Blues.
   
   The result is powerful music that returns the banjo to the arsnel of comtemporary African American music. It lives, not as a recreation of a lost past, but as a living expression of the present



4. Otis Taylor's songwriting typically takes me to places I normally wouldn't venture. This cd is no exception. An excellent inside cover with history of the banjo and description of the musicians and their playing styles (in regards to the banjo). Thanks otis, Definition of a Circle and this follow-up are two of my favorite back to backs of any musician. p.s Cassie (his daughter) kicks it on bass.



5. This isn't a bluegrass CD. You obviously don't know bluegrass from a hole in the ground.