No comments about Cowtown Jive!.

2 comments about Live in Cambridge, 1966.

1. Howlin' Wolf (a/k/a Chester Burnett) was one of the true originals of the blues. His recordings for Chess from the 1950's until his death in 1976 are among the finest Chicago blues recordings of all time. Few vocalists possess the power and passion of Howlin' Wolf, and he's in great form on "Live In Cambridge, MA 1966."

   This set, recorded live in a small club in 1966, is a treasure. Yes, the sound is rough, very rough in spots, but the performance by Wolf and his small band (featuring guitarist Hubert Sumlin and tenor sax player Eddie Shaw) is intense and exciting. The song selection is a mixture of Wolf's best known tunes and a few blues standards. A highlight is "I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline), a Tommy Johnson original that Wolf recorded memorable in the '50's.

   Unlike comtemporary Muddy Waters, there's not a lot of live Wolf available, but this CD will suffice for now. If you love the blues, here's my advice to you. Don't worry about the sound. Buy this terrific recording, crank it up and have a great time.




2. To the collector, "Live in Cambridge, Mass. is probably some sort of wonderful find; one of the few live recordings of one of the great electric bluesmen at the height (or, at least, not long after the height) of his powers, when British kids like The Yardbirds and Canadians like The Band (then known as The Hawks) were making hejiras to meet up with him. In one evening in a Cambridge coffee house, Wolf tore the place apart with a crack group of musicians (some of whom are anonymous on this recording) with his slapping rhythmic grooves and trademark growl.

   All the same, there's little to attract the average listener to this record, mostly because to the sound quality. Obviously recorded with a portable unit, there is no definition or separation of sound; Wolf himself is sometimes drowned out by the band, and when he's not, his singing (which sounds like it's coming through a tinny PA) is indesipherable. Even the most casual music fan has heard bootlegs that sound ! ten times better than this, supposedly legitimate, recording.

   The liner notes--which are no great shakes themselves--suggest that the inferior recording quality is simply something to be overlooked and that the historical importance of the recording outweighs such considerations. Perhaps. Indeed, if one manages to wade through the wall of noise, it's hard not to admit that this probably was a magical evening 32 years ago (the audience, which we hear at times better than Wolf, is clearly in love with the man).

   Nevertheless, with many great Howlin' Wolf collections out there, one can't help thinking that the man himself (who was hardly known as a sweetheart) would have taken the creators of this CD to task for not only misrepresenting his work, but also--dare we say it?--ripping off both the casual and faithful listener.

5 comments about Live Wire/Blues Power (Stax).

1. I'll keep this review brief. This CD is nothing less than a Blues guitar statement. One like few others! An absolute must for Blues fans, period! Five stars are not enough for this CD!



2. Wow. I just came across this CD for real cheap, and boy was I glad I got it. I have listened to lots of blues players of different types, and the guitar of Albert King is amazing, especially on this disc. I have his In Session CD live with SRV, which was a really strong CD, but this particular CD presents a better sound of his guitar, in my opinion. It sounds sweeter, more well-rounded, powerful, diverse, and dead-on. I really love Albert King's work, and I always wish songs like "Blues Power" and "Blues at Sunrise" were much much longer because this type of slower blues has the sweetest licks. Get this CD. It radiates such warm, positive energy.



3. I just unwrapped this CD this afternoon, popped into the player and ... it's EXCELLENT! What an inspiration Mr. King must have been to Clapton et al. Each track on this one SMOKES BIG TIME ! The guitar is perfect, raw, loud and captivating. This is what I've been looking for since I expired all of Michael Bloomfield's stuff. If you love Bloomfield, you'll love this and vice versa.



4. Albert is THE master!! This CD is truly powerful guitar playing and great vocals! A must for ALL Blues and rock fans.
   As great as Live Wire / Blues Power is, it is very misleading to say that these were the best songs of the live SF shows. ALL songs were great, and the "leftovers" that were placed on the Wednesday night in San Francisco and Thursday night in San Francisco were just as good. All three CD's form the greatest collection of the sweetest guitar playing ever!!!! He was the TRUE master. It's amazing how few paople know about this secret pearl of music.



5. This is a seminal album....one of the finest live concert recordings ever, irrespective of genre. I saw King Albert twice at the Fillmore East in the old days [this one was recorded at Fillmore West], and this CD [or my old vinyl LP for that matter] captures him in all his live glory. Albert was a consummate professional who hadn't played large venues for the most part in his career when Bill Graham tapped him for the Fillmores, and he succeeded in pleasing [no, knocking out!!] audiences and turning them on to the blues....if you're counting your coins and wondering which next blues CD purchase will best serve your budget [or even if you're made of money and don't care either way but love the blues] - BUY THIS ONE!!!

No comments about Live 1.

2 comments about To Ella.

1. this is a short cd of odetta in concert doing her usual set....if you have her earlier work,this is not needed. I expected a cd of new work related to ella ...it isn't. the concert just happened to take place near when ella died...hence the dedication. This is not a collection of songs made famous by ella and performed by odetta as I thought...very disappointed.



2. Perfect from the first note to the last note she sings. I especially like her selection of songs for the medley that she does. She is such a powerful performer that you feel like you are there at the Kerville Folk Festival back 1996 listening to her. Magnificent.

1 comments about Live in Canada.

1. Live in Canada classic Albert a must for Albert fans, i am a huge Albert fan so i had to have this. The sound quality is great so is the song selection, lots of classic Albert guitar solos and fine vocals. This was a great choice for my collection, also nice long songs this cd is over an hour nice bang for your buck.

No comments about Live & Rare.

3 comments about Live & Well.

1. This album is actually two separate recordings in different places. Although I own this album on vinyl, this is the first I have ever see of it on cd. Side one of the LP, or the first five tracks, are deffinately the smoother and in general, a cooler venue. It has some of his cool early guitar riffs as it's right out of the sixties, and LIVE at that! The quality on vinyl, although not as crisp as something recorded digitally, has kind of a club sound to it so it sounds actually live. "Please Accept My Love" is deffinately a must listen to!



2. Although "Live & Well" is a rather unique and dynamic work of art which contains ten tracks, it's actually two sides in one...no, make that two ALBUMS in one, being that the first five selections make up the "Live" part, while the latter half of this disc features studio cuts - the "Well" half. There's no comparing or contrasting both halves of this CD, as the live material and the studio material compliment each other quite nicely, and without any major flaws, too. The only minor flaw on the studio tracks which feature blues legend Al Kooper on piano, is his playing, although quite masterful, comes across as being barely audible for the most part. Kooper's piano digitry is somewhat drowned out by the heavy-bottom bass playing featured here, which is why a remastered version of "Live & Well" is so desperately needed, complete with bonus tracks. As for the upstanding compositions on display here, B.B. King is up to his usual guitar playing virtuosity, especially on the "Live" versions of "Don't Answer The Door" and "Sweet Little Angel". The lone "Live" instrumental, "My Mood", contains lots of soul-searching, power-driven down-to-earth chords. The studio tracks have a lot to offer as well. "The King of the Blues" really "Gets Down To Business", as he provides some down-home primo licks on the effervescent "I Want You So Bad", the utterly demanding "Get Off My Back Woman", as well as on the "run the gamut-like" studio instrumental "Friends". But, it is on "Why I Sing The Blues", where B.B. really cuts to the chase, as he gives his fans a major clue as to why he's in the business of performing in the first place (besides his mastery and his love of his "girl" Lucille). Besides the work of Al Kooper on the studio-based "Well" selections, Hugh McCracken provides some top-notch guitar licks as well. It is due to the musical talents which come to the forefront in grand form on "Live & Well", that makes it a must-have, must own CD, and is one title that every B.B. King fan definitely needs to add to their collection - no ifs, ands or buts about it!!!



3. "Live and Well" features a blend of concert material from the late '60s with tunes recorded in the studio. The material is not uniformly brilliant, but there are enough high points, both in B.B.'s singing and his playing, to make this a worthy release.

   The best of the live material is the menacing "Don't Answer the Door," which King shouts over a pulsing organ line and punctuates with some wicked guitar licks. "Sweet Little Angel," a staple of his songbook, is also great, especially vocally. B.B's still one of the best blues singers around, and on "Angel" he shows off the power and sense of vulnerability he can deliver simultaneously.

   There are a couple of clunkers in the live offerings, however. "Please Accept My Love" has another strong vocal, but the tune is hampered by sappy lyrics. "Just a Little Love" is a sing-along that doesn't offer a whole lot musically or lyrically.

   The studio work includes a genuine classic, "Why I Sing the Blues," which is surely the definitive statement on that subject. King here is again in complete command as he storms through verse after powerful verse and unleashes some of his best solos on the record, if not ever. "I Want You So Bad" is a dark blues, mournful in the way that his hit "The Thrill Is Gone" was. Again, not all of the studio material is as strong as these two tunes, suggesting that King wasn't completely on his game for this date.

   Still, there are plenty of good moments on the recording, making it a good representation of B.B.'s late '60s work, when he was working toward crossover status.

No comments about Muddy Waters Live.

No comments about Live in Concert.