5 comments about Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - A Musical Journey.

1. Blues is a genre of music that is greatly under-appreciated by most Americans, despite being the fundamental roots and building blocks of all other forms of music, minus the Old-Timey music which was created by Western European immigrants in the Appalachians and down south, though even that music mingled with the Blues; the perfect example being "John Henry", which was hugely popular in both black Blues traditions and in Old-Timey music. Jazz, Rock 'N' Roll, Soul, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal all borrow heavily from the Blues. Though I am only 25 years of age, I have been a major Blues fan for over ten years. When I say "major", I mean that I am an obsessive collector, fan, singer and have just started to learn how to play the acoustic guitar. When I saw this documentary on television when it originally aired, I was disappointed. Upon renting the dvds from my local library three or four months ago, I was even more disappointed. It'd be much easier to tell one what's WRONG with this documentary than what's RIGHT about it.
   Firstly, Corey Harris is a wonderful musician, but his original compositions and the Country Blues classics which he covers have nothing to do with musicians in Mali. Although that (very long!) segment of the film was interesting, it didn't pertain to the subject matter at all. It's nice to hear that someone thinks John Lee Hooker's music is "African", but what exactly does that mean? His music is meditative, hypnotic and sexual, but when we look up "Africa" or "African music" in an encyclopedia, we don't see "meditative", "hypnotic", or "sexual", do we? I think this is just the romanticism of a bunch of middle-aged whites who worked on this dvd, and perhaps even some of the young black musicians. With that said, it's great that Harris is in the documentary, as he is one of the top three greatest living Bluesmen. Alvin Youngblood Hart is also present in a different episode of this documentary, but why is he never interviewed? He is the best, that is, he is #1, out of all the living Blues musicians. His guitar playing is fantastic, he is able to compose songs which sound like they are from Charley Patton in 1928 but which contain all original lyrics, and his voice has an accent and snap to it that sounds like a real Country Bluesman from the '20s or '30s. In addition to Hart and Harris being shown covering important songs from the past, Samuel James and John Hammond should have been included in this documentary. John Hammond has done more to spread the word about real Blues than any other person alive, for the last half-century, and his brilliant father did the same thing during his long life. It's deeply insulting that John wasn't included. Furthermore, the artists who WERE shown performing classic Blues songs are simply Godawful. Beck's reading of Skip James' "I'm So Glad" is the most horrendous, disgusting, laughable thing I've ever seen in my life. Keb' Mo is a lightweight and not a Bluesman; he sounds more like James Taylor than he does like Big Joe Williams. Also, Skip James did not re-record all of his 1931 classics, as this stupid documentary would have you believe. This is just poor research on the part of the people who produced this monstrosity. Bonnie Raitt turned in a considerably good performance. Los Lobos and Susan Tedeschi had no business being part of the project, just as Susan didn't belong on Buddy Guy's newest album. I have seen her live; she is very good at playing Blues licks on her guitar and she's a good singer, but she is not Blues. Chuck D. makes an absolute ass of himself, along with his rapper friends, and Marshall Chess shows that he has no taste in music, and can't distinguish good Blues from crap. The footage of Skip James and the discussion of James' life and career by Dick Waterman is the highlight of this entire project and is wonderfully done. The J.B. Lenior business was ridiculous, as the private tapes of him performing show his limited talents on the guitar. The episode about the young man going to live with his uncle is utterly ridiculous because few blacks in the south at that time knew who Robert Johnson was, though the uncle supposedly touts him as one of the greatest of all-time, and even fewer blacks or people in general had any understanding of the greatness of the Blues as a serious musical form, like we think of Classical music, or Jazz, these days. So, why would the uncle have a shrine dedicated to Blues and be a Blues historian?!?. "Sleepy" John Estes is mistakenly called "Sleepy" Joe Estes. If Ken Burns' "Jazz" documentary were to call Thelonious Monk, "Thelonious Blunk", can you imagine the outrage on the part of the Jazz community? Bobby Rush is a joke and isn't a Blues artist. He should stay on the chitlin circuit, doing his dirty dances and poor James Brown imitations. I have no idea why he was included in this documentary. Also, although we all love and respect B.B. King, perhaps we didn't need to see him sitting on his tour bus, talking about his love for the Blues for an extended period of time, but this is one of the minor things wrong with this atrocious documentary.
   The British episode of this abomination is ridiculous, due to Lulu and Tom Jones' presence. Honestly, Mayall and Baldry are of very little importance to Blues and we didn't need to hear about and from them, over and over again. If there needed to be a British "Blues"-themed episode to this disgrace of a documentary, why not focus on the lives of Clapton, the early Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck, and, more importantly, their influences, and why they (the British guitar players) love the Blues. Clint Eastwood's work is very well-done, but the problem is that very few of the musicians have anything to do with the Blues. Where was Roosevelt Sykes? He, in my opinion, was the greatest Blues pianist/singer in history. Dave Brubeck is a Jazz musician, and he doesn't even perform good Jazz; he does what Jelly Roll Morton or Joe Bussard would consider to be something other than Jazz, to put it nicely. The Johnny Shines footage in one of the earlier parts of this documentary was fantastic, but why wasn't the great Johnny Shines honored for what he truly was; a musician every bit as good as Robert Johnson, with a stronger and more versatile voice than Johnson, and the ability to perform both acoustic Country Blues standards and originals, and electric Chicago-style Blues standards and originals with equal force and beauty? When, oh, when, will Johnny Shines be recognized? He was the last of the great Bluesmen. He belongs up there with Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James, and, perhaps, Alvin Youngblood Hart, who should have had a much more prominent role here. It would have been better to have a dry, historical reading of the story of the Blues, even if the directors and producers didn't know their stuff (which was obviously the case) than to have a mish-mash of different segments, done by different fools, with, and this is the really awful part, horrible performances by living, supposed "Blues" or Blues-influenced "artists". I am able to sing these old classic Blues songs better than any of these morons, minus the great Hart, Harris and Bonnie Raitt. I believe it was the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion that was the low-point of this entire documentary, though it's really hard to discern what the worst part of this walking disaster was. Lou Reed, Oscar Peterson, Dr. John; why are they a part of this documentary? There was plenty of great Son House footage here, but why wasn't Blind Willie McTell mentioned? What about the unique Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas, who sounds nothing like anyone in all of American music, and who was an important Songster who came before the Blues, along with the brilliant Luke Jordan and the heavenly Richard "Rabbit" Brown?
   I am not a huge fan of Eric Clapton, but the discussion of white teenagers' embracing the Blues during the 1960s and '70s is very important to the history of the Blues. With that being said, instead of having talentless artists who happen to be white covering Blues classics, it would have been better to sit down with Eric Clapton for one hour and just have him talk about the records he loved growing up, right off the top of his head. This would also help de-bunk the myth that "Clapton is God", and show young guitar-playing-Clapton-obsessed Blues-Rockers out there that Eric doesn't think he's the best; he feels he can never equal Muddy Waters' greatness, not to mention the beauty of Skip James or Robert Johnson. As Clapton has said in various interviews with various magazines, he is incapable of playing solo acoustic Country Blues because he is not a good enough player to play the complete guitar accompaniment to a song, which is what men like Blind Blake and Blind Lemon Jefferson did. This is why Clapton's album of Robert Johnson covers has other musicians on it. Finally, where the hell is the virtuoso of the Blues, Lonnie Johnson? This man was the inventor of Jazz guitar, performed marvelous guitar duets with Eddie Lang that still sound unbelievable almost 100 years laters, accompanied the brilliantly talented Texas Alexander by playing some of the most startling, dazzling, ominous guitar work in the history of mankind, pioneered Rhythm & Blues ten years later, and was able to play and croon Pop music standards with the best of them. I could probably go on and on about the inaccuracies and mistakes associated with this sad disappointment of a documentary, but I will have to stop here. Rent this thing from your local library. Do not buy it under any circumstances! If you want to know what Blues cds you should buy or which artists you should check out, just ask me, and I will tell you. I will save you a lot of money and aggravation, which is something that this documentary won't be able to do!



2. If you love music and love the Blues, this is a must have for your collection.



3. Save your money and instead borrow this set from your local public library. There is nothing about any of these DVDs that you'd want in your permanent collection. I guess I was hoping for more of a well organized documentary and less "filler". I mean, how many shots of BB King staring quietly out of his bus window do we need to see? This whole series is a collection of disconnected, rambling pieces that could have been better organized. All the parts are probably there, but it's like handing the viewer a pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces and saying "here's a nice oil painting".
   
   This mess has Scorsese's name on it for marketing reasons only. It's clear that, other than the single DVD that he directed, the only message the other directors got was "put something together about the blues".
   
   Out of the 900+ minutes of video here, I'd estimate that there are about 240 minutes worth of interesting material for the blues aficionado (I'm not talking just music here; for example the thread about Rosco Gordon was touching and worthwhile). The majority is senseless filler. Who cares about a rap musician's interpretation of a blues classic? Who cares about Clint Eastwood playing his piano?
   
   A much better approach to this would have been to start with the roots of this wonderful music, and then highlight notable musicians and performances in chronological order. Connections of "who influenced whom" and "who worked with whom" would help tie it together. Sometimes presenting something in a simple, organized manner is the answer, rather than lathering every trick in the director's book on top of the project.



4. I learned blues this DVD. This is my teacher about blues.
   I met several musicians in this DVD, I remembered lot's of person.
   Thank you Mr. Maetin Scorses.



5. I purchased this for my son for Christmas. He likes it very much.

5 comments about Smokin.

1. Jonny rocks the blues as usual. Heard it at a friend's house and had to have it to go w/ my newer Lang cd's.



2. This album Jonny's first try. I like it but the following four
   of his are really great.



3. I think his best blues album. Just amazing music from such a young man.



4. I appreciate and like Johnny Lang's music. There is no doubt that he is amazing. However, this CD is awful. It does not demonstrate his true abilites and should have the "kid" still in the title. The CD is good if you want to complete your collection, but this CD is not one worth listening to twice. Save your money and wait for his next CD release.



5. this kid is great. i have several of his cds and they all are great. this kid can sing. i listen to him at work, in the car and on my ipod.
   this is good sounds, not hostil or booming. you can hear the words and understand what he sings. he as always has a good band backing him up.
   i would buy this again should something happen to the cd that i have now.

5 comments about Power of the Pontchartrain.

1. Louisiana blues ace Tab Benoit recorded this album using another Louisiana legend Leroux as his back up band for the album. The title track tackles the subject of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and it's effect on the city of New Orleans. Tab is in fine form throughout this album. His guitar playing is crisp and clean and his voice is as gruff and soulful as ever. Benoit has been churning out his special brand of Cajun blues for well over a decade now and it is a formula that he continues to improve on . Highlights include "Don't Make No Sense", "Power Of The Pontchartrain", "Midnight And Lonesome", "Sac-Au-Lait Fishing", and "One Foot In The Bayou". Tab also covers a cool version of Stephen Still's "For What It's Worth" with lyrics as fitting today as when they were written 40 years ago. This is yet another solid release from Benoit that follows in the tradition of his earlier albums.



2. I bought this CD for one song, track 3, Shelter Me. To my surprise and pleasure all the tracks are good but track 3 is still the stand-out.



3. Good guitar. Has the feel of the New Orleans scene. Excusing an arrangement or two, it's a good listen.



4. Excellent Blues cd with a strong dose of Cajun from a very talented artist! I had never heard of Tab Benoit before I found him here on Amazon, but after hearing this wonderful cd, I'm anxious to get more of his work! I'm a true fan now!



5. I first heard Tab Benoit at the 2006 Western Maryland Blues Fest and this is the first cd of his that I purchased. He really knows his way around a guitar and that sound dominates this effort. He runs the gamut from soulful ballads to rousing up-tempo stomps and each song is well crafted and performed. The only way he could improve this collection would be the addition of a great horn section. But it still gets 5 stars in my book.

5 comments about East-West.

1. This recording contains what has to be the one of the greatest blues/rock songs of all time. The song is East West which contains some of the greatest music I've ever heard. It is a preview of what the bands later in the 60's will produce and remains one of the finest example of the extended guitar solo pieces.
   
   At this time the Butterfield Blues Band had two of the best guitarist around, Elvin Bishop and (my favorite) Mike Bloomfield. They each take an extended solo, Elvin Bishop first. Elvin throws out a blazing fast mountain of notes. It is what happens next that makes this an unique experience. It is Mike Bloomfield's turn next, not with another show stopper solo, instead he pares back the music to the absolute minimum. His clear ringing notes lifts one from out under the mountain into the clear blue sky. From this he slowly builds, never to excess, an exquisite solo that sends us flying above the mountains. There is nothing else like it that I've ever heard. I cannot do it justice, this music must be heard. It is unique moment that everyone deserves to experience.
   
   For this reason along, the song East West, makes this recording a must. But there is also all of the rest of the songs, including Butterfield's catchy solo on Work Song.



2. I sampled all tracks and was surprised that I knew all of them since I had never owned it or even heard it in 30 years. Bought it and love it.



3. I too had this on vinyl and wore it out 5 times and one listen to "I've got a mind to give up living" will send you out of your head. Maybe this is one of the cd's or of of the bands youeither love or hate because I don't love evry cd they have made. But with this versions line-up, the Butterfield Blues Band ain't s***. Sorry to all u die hards.
   
   There are many more memorable sond here than on any other PBBB albums, but go ahead and listen and u be the judge.



4. I'm a huge fan of Chicago blues and a big fan of Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, but this album doesn't do it for me. The title cut East West is great and is nearly half the album hence the three stars. This album sounds a bit dated and I its due to the slightly heavy phycodelic rock influence found on this album. PBBB was on of those groups (like the ned of the Peter Green Fleetwood Mac era) that was trying to push the boundries of the blues art form. What you have 30 years later is an album that just doesn't sounds that good. that doesn't do it for me. I don't think this album as aged well. The blues are timeless and should hold up to the test of time. Great artist like Magic Sam and Lowell Fulson still sound great today. This album doesn't. Buyer Beware I guess.



5. The Jazz-Rock fusion movement of the late 70's (Weather Report, Spyro Gyra, Tony Williams) was born on this album. If I could only keep one record in my collection, this would probably be the main contender for that position. This album is a musical safari including a remarkable variety of musical idioms in a Blues context that goes way beyond Blues. Obviously, the East-West track is the pinnacle of this exploration. Listen closely and you will hear East Indian, Calypso, New Orleans Jazz, Bluegrass, and 4 or 5 other distinct musical styles each in a separate movement with very striking transitions. When I first got this album as a sophmore in college in 1966, I used to put on the East-West title track in the late afternoon and drift off into a wonderful, dreamy nap carried off in a magical concoction of World music as I think no one had ever heard before.
   
   This is just a glorious masterpiece, a high-point in American popular music. It feels as good today to listen to it as it did in 1966.
   
   Oh, aspiring blues guitarists would be wise to try to copy Mike Bloomfield's delicate, complex and powerful solo on "I've Got A Mind to Give up Living." I wore out my vinyl copy trying.

5 comments about The Progressive Blues Experiment.

1. Great record, a must for any blues/rock lover. Johnny bridges the gap between blues and 70's rock and roll. My favorites are Tribute to Muddy (the best on the LP), Help Me, Got love if You Want it, and Fourty Four. Special mention to Mean Town Blues, which he nails.
   
   Not the best recording quality, but I can just see JW tearing into his Fender XII with the six string set up.
   
   Great album!



2. From the opening riffs of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" you know right away that this is a blues album you want to keep. Johnny Winter made his name primarily with blues rock, with his name getting wide recognition through his Columbia releases. But this album is a quintessential title for any blues collection. It gets dirtier with the second song, "Tribute to Muddy," and Johnny Winter would go on to have a few collaborations with Muddy Waters. One of my favorite cuts is "Mean Town Blues," which appears elsewhere on his Woodstock appearance (and not a really good example either) and a few other albums, although his other recorded live performances of this song didn't capture the rawness of the title from this album. And that is what makes this album such a classic; it's rawness, the dirty sound, like it's all one take and there it is, take it or leave it. But after listening to it, you won't want to leave it.



3. Well I also have the Imperial Records origional still with the new sales sticker of $1.99 and JW has always been one of my favorites but I wanted to give it as a gift to a friend who doesn't have a record player. Imagine not having a record player in this day and age ! LOL
   
   I have yet to hear a cd or dvd that comes near 180+ pure vinyl analogue pressing but have no choice here and thank you all that this digital is bearable.



4. As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.
   
   You've heard the story before. An artist makes it big and there is a mad scramble to find anything prior to their rise to fame. Often the product may be interesting but isn't at the level the consumer demands. "The Progressive Blues Experiment" is not the typical archival find. Over the years there have been at least ten different labels that have had the rights to this because of the music and not only the name.
   
   Originally recorded in 1967 the ten tracks are a tremendous treat as we travel down a Winter road. Any doubts of the validity of this release are erased the second Muddy Water's "Rollin' & Tumblin" booms from the speakers. The version is one of the finest covers of the tune. The guitar is a sonic blast of energy played with exquisite taste. Johnny penned the next song "Tribute To Muddy." The blues shred anything in its path. A perfect follow up to the opening number. "Bad Luck & Trouble" has Winter's guitar crying the blues. If you don't sincerely pay homage the blues will spit you out like yesterday's supper. Johnny with six string in his hand seems to relish the role. The Dixon/Williamson tune "Help Me" comes at you with volcanic ashes. Nothing is left standing. Chester Burnett's "Forty-Four" is a perfect close to the festivities. Winter plays a classic blues/rock riff with gusto. The power of the band (Remember it was guitar ,bass, and drums) will leave you shell shocked.
   
   Although even the remastered versions don't increase the ten tracks, the original configuration is all you need to appreciate a blues legend. While Johnny's music is normally thought of as part of the Columbia Records catalog, there once was a label called Imperial. You know the story, now enjoy the blues!
   
   
   Enjoy the music and be well,
   Craig Fenton
   Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"



5. This is one of my favorite JW cds. If you love the blues, then you need this now! You will NOT regret this one.

5 comments about King of the Blues Guitar.

1. If you like blues you probably already know about Albert King. If you don't then sit back and listen to a few tracks. You'll love it.



2. Listen to this and you can hear a lot of where SRV got his style. It's no secret and he's the one who directed me to listen to Albert in an interview I saw with him. Albert wears it out, flying V upside, bendin' the crap out of those strings. He's got chops, feel and soul, not a bad singer either. I wish this CD had his version of "Stormy Monday," but it's a great CD anyway. Enjoy!



3. Agreed - this is some of the best songs I heard Albert play on record. Truly an excellent collection. You'll hear not only Albert's awesome soulful singing but also a LOT of intense blues guitar, which is truly "King". The sound quality leaves more to be desired, but it is acceptable. Material more than makes up for it. I played this record to someone who's never heard Albert King's material before and they were shocked. I'm a fan of Albert King, and this is a valuable disc in my collection.



4. This is my absolute favorite recording by Albert King. I had the album for years and literally wore it out playing it. I finally got the CD to replace my album and was pleasantly surprised to find it included some additional material not on the LP. Any collection of blues material is not complete without this.
   
   Albert King's "Personal Manager" is one of the best examples of why he was such a genious. The soft, syncopated piano, the delayed introduction of horns, the gradual build of energy in his voice and the blazing guitar lead send chills up my spine. I love this CD.



5. CD arrived in sealed jewel case, new, and was without flaws. The music was great, as expected, and the artist lived up to his reputation as one of the truly fine blues pickers.

5 comments about Live On.

1. Perhaps Kenny's best album to date great cd ! If you don't own a Kenny Wayne Shepherd album this is a good one to start with.



2. I really love this CD. It goes everywhere with me the house, the car, work and parties. I've carried it around so many places and played it so much that it developed a scratch that I couldn't get out! That's why I had to have a second copy! I can't do without Kenny!



3. I am a huge fan of Kenny Wayne Shepherd. But I was disappointed in "Live On." It's more hard rock than blues. Naturally, it's all a matter of personal taste. If you like more of a hard sound, you may like this. But it's quite a departure from his earlier work.



4. If you like guitar driven blues with a twist of classic rock than you'll love this album. Kenny's playing is excellant and unlike other critics I think the vocals are fine for this genre. Excellant rocked up version of Oh Well is one of many highlights. In 2 Deep and Last Goodbye are great songs. Was,Shotgun Blues and You Should Know Better do not dissapoint. All told 14 tracks for your pleasure. There are those of us that think KWS, Joe Bonamassa and Rob Tognoni are carrying the blues/rock-classic rock torch. The sad part is how few realize how great a job they are doing. If you like these three then check out Bill Perry, Joe Bonamassa and Gary Moore.



5. This guy can jam!. Buy his CD's!! If you get the chance to see him and his band live GO!!! - a true talent. I am so thankful that he is making this music as there are not too many out there. I was devasted when we lost Stevie Ray Vaughn. Now look, so young Kenny Wayne Shepherd, so gifted and devoted to the guitar...just think of how awesome he could become. LIVE ON Kenny Wayne, you are totally fantastic!! I dance like a maniac to all of your CD's when no one is watching!!! ;)

5 comments about Stone Crazy!.

1. I love Buddy Guy, his falsetto voice, his guitar tone, his mellow pickin', his frenzied shreddin', it's all here too! The songs are few, but long and let him stretch out and wear it out! This was his first solo endeavor and it's totally raw and rockin'! I listen to it everyday! Get all his stuff, it's eclectic from acoustic blues to psychedelic rock, he's the coolest!



2. This is the only album prior to about 1990 where Buddy Guy plays like Buddy Guy. It is one of the best blues albums by any artist, and is one of only a few things out there that show you what Buddy Guy can really do. You get an idea of what he was like live, and an idea of why people like Hendrix, SRV and Clapton counted Buddy Guy as one of the best ever.



3. It is hard to compare this album with anything prior to or after. It stands alone in my Buddy Guy collection, and I have all that I can get my hands on.
   This album introduced me to Buddy Guy. I made me a true fan. This is reminiscent of the first times I saw him live at the Chestnut Cabaret in Philly in the summer of '85 I think. Back to back nights. Not a lot of people at the shows in those days (in Philly in the summer everyone is "down the shore"). But he played it just as hard as he does now in front of packed venues. Had the honor of passing him a Cognac at one point of the show. He used to walk through the crowd to the side door, walk outside and stand there for a while and continue jamming on the sidewalk. Truly amazing guitar player, and what a great all-around performer. If he couldn't play a note on the guitar, his voice would have made him a star.
   Don't think about getting this album, get it. Now. It will not disappoint. "When I Left Home" is unbelievable. Check it out.



4. I'm not a blues expert. I'm a born and bred south Chicagoan, and a blues fan for over thirty years. Purists be damned, this IS a blues album.
   I bought this album on vinyl when it was released. I saw Buddy playing live a lot around then (and many times since) and if you want to get an idea what kind of a pounding show he played in small clubs at that time listen to "You've Been Gone Too Long".
   Although this is a studio album, it feels "live" and has none of the over-produced slickness that mars many of the albums on the Alligator Records label. Buddy and the band are loose (not sloppy though, the chops and grooves are tight) yet intense. Phil Guy, Buddy's brother, is also on Stone Crazy and is a phenomenal blues guitarist as well (I'm not sure, but I believe some of the solos on this album may be his).
   If you are in a Son House / Robert Johnson kind of mood this isn't the album for you. But if you'd like to know what it was like at small, smokey blues clubs in Chicago when this album came out, buy this.
   If you like this album I also recommend "Son Seals: Live and Burning". Both are rough, raw, powerfull, and "sloppy-tight" I never play Stone Crazy without it...and a shot of whiskey.



5. Imagine being in a London nightclub in 1966, when an unknown man with a guitar named Jimi Hendrix climbs onstage from the audience. He plugs in his instrument and begins to play with the headliners - Eric Clapton and Cream. Minutes later he's gone, leaving the musicians, critics, and the audience gaping in awe. From that moment forward, everyone who witnessed this spectacle knew that rock guitar playing had been forever changed. Hearing Buddy Guy for the first time can be equally momentous. Buddy and Jimi heavily influenced each other, and the results speak for themselves. When Buddy's at his best, as he is on Stone Crazy, practically no one can stand toe-to-toe with him without getting burned or schooled. His self-taught mastery, unbridled creativity, and berserk ferocity on the electric guitar make lesser players seem impotent by comparison.
   
   George "Buddy" Guy had been working professionally as a musician for more than two decades when he recorded this album. But, it was his performance on Stone Crazy that firmly established him among the pantheon of electric guitar gods in the minds of rock aficionados. His playing on this album undulates sensually, laughing, crying, sighing, teasing like a faint tickle one moment, and then thrusting like an ice pick in the gut without warning. Plainly speaking, listening to this CD is like having hoalistic sex with reckless abondon - passive participation is simply impossible.
   
   As he nears seventy, the flashes of brilliance and moments of astonishing prowess on the guitar are now fewer and farther between. But on a good night, he can still let loose a jaw-dropping, blistering solo that will sonically assault your senses.
   
   If you like Stone Crazy, I'd also recommend his 2001 release, Sweet Tea. While it lacks the guitar pyrotechnics of Stone Crazy, this album cooks with a slow burn like Mississippi mulligan stew. On one incredible tune, Baby Please Don't Leave Me, Buddy conjures up some fuzz-tone mojo with reverb that would make the Voodoo Chile himself shiver in his grave.

5 comments about Come on In.

1. The Eelectric Blues never sounded so good. R.L. Burnside is very talented and Tract 3 "Let my Baby Ride" is one of my frvorite songs EVER.
   
   This album was produced, engineered and mixed by Tom Rothrock and I enjoyed it all the way through. This is an excelent album!



2. This is bad bad bad. I am certainly a purist and hate to see cultural icons and forms such as this melded so poorly. It doesn't work. I love R.L.'s pure blues. They are top notch and tough to find better but electronica and blues doesn't cut it. I am a Depeche Mode fan as well but some things are best left alone. I will be selling this back to a CD store.



3. Thank you Sirius Radeo and Amazon for bringing us RL Burside. Too bad the local "music (??)" Channels and stores still haven't got a clue in what great music really is.
   Its easy to see why "It's Bad You Know" is the most requested song on Sirius Blues.



4. This album is kind of like wasabi: it takes some getting used to but if you do, you have a friend for life. You're in for a big surprise if you're expecting traditional blues from this old bluesman. This is techno remix blues, which obviously won't please some, but he pulls it off. Best-known and probably the best tune is "It's Bad You Know", played on WXRT in Chicago, who turned me on to the album. Most of the cuts are musical loops, not all of which work, but overall pretty solid and recommended for anyone wanting something different. Die-hard blues purists need not apply.



5. Dear Mr. Yates: Are you one of those turtle-neck wearing folks with plenty of money and a nose in the air? Are you one of those that believe that the Blues must adhere to some unforgiving rules that you made up? Get off yo' high horse and put down that pipe! The Blues have always been a "blasphemy", a walk downtown, a soulful melody, a harsh reality.... etc... The Blues NEVER did adhere to any rules of musical education. The Blues is the Blues because of a feeling, an attitude. This album has all of that attitude, irreverent as it is. Take off that turtle-neck sweater and listen to these grooves. Blues grooves. The only other artist to take the Blues to this level this decade has been G. Love. No, it's not your daddy's Blues.... but it is Blues.... fun Blues.... New Orleans Blues... Blues the way it was supposed to be: Fun, Exciting, Soulful and NOT standard! Blues with a capital "B".

5 comments about The Big Easy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

1. The problem is in the billing.
   This is the second time that I have ordered an item and gotton two copies-clearly I am doing somehting wrong. but as a doctor, I am quite capable of doing things correctly-so, what I have come away from this second experience is -don't order from Amazon.
   I then ordered a breadmaker and the order went to 'one stop shopping' a (which it was) and utilized a card that I have purposely cancelled with a leter (Amazon Visa?)-again -it is just not worth the time to follow your instructioins and correft it though I have never, to my knowledge, in the last year used that card-and dropped the order.
   Diane Berman



2. Pros: This is such a great movie, filmed in possibly the most unique city in America. If you know New Orleans, you'll realize how well the film makers captured it. The "accents" are a little over-the-top, but the acting is great, the music wonderful, and the story-line and directing top-notch. If you love anything NOLA, then get this movie. It'll become one of your favorites.
   
   Cons: The color is a little washed out compared to the VHS version. I've got both and probably watch the VHS more than the DVD.



3. Great soundtrack, if you liked the movie and New Orleans! I love both!



4. We loved the movie and discovered the sound track. As a New Orleans regular this CD just adds to the mood when we are back home. I predict you'all will jus' love it.



5. the keyword here is single disc. the whole album clocks in just under 47 minutes. don't know why, but back then the standard running time for a cd is about 45 minutes, so that's at least 20 some odd minutes worth of music they could have put into this cd. of course, at additional right fee. perhaps that was why we couldn't tap into the music of new orleans a little deeper.
   
   that being said, this is a great compilation for beginners. the music of new orleans is an acquired taste that you may never get used to. no matter how much japanese people likes toro, the fatty belly section of tuna, if you don't like sushi, then you will never know. once you get a hang of sushi, you will get to love toro. once you start to liking the new orleans music, you will never get enough.
   
   although new orleans is heavily influenced by the french, but they don't have this type of music over in france, so we can almost say that this is one of the most under recognized original american music. few people knows any new orleans songs outside of tell it like it is and iko iko, and frankly speaking tell it like it is really doesn't sound new orleans to me. it is about as new orleans as toto's africa is to africa. if nothing else, getting this disc to hear the music from the big easy is both fun and educational .
   
   one single disc cannot do new orleans justice, so there is a 4 disc boxset: doctors, professors, kings & queens - the big ol' box of new orleans, also available here at amazon. that set, as comprehensive as it is, does not sound as good as this disc in terms of fidelity. there are only four songs from this cd that appeared on the boxset, but none of them are the same version as the ones appeared in the other title. if you get both you won't feel cheated.