5 comments about Best of Johnny Winter.

1. You know if Johnny did't exist you would have to think he was a work of fiction cooked up in some promoters mind in the late 60's high powered Blues Boom. Johnny was certainly in the ritht place at the right time. The man was the real deal with a depth of talent rarely seen...and he was well versed in a lot of music styles besides the blues and thats what sets JW apart from the crowd--besides being a 6' albino from Texas. All in all this is a great collection of songs from an American Treasure..He dam well should be!!



2. I think he is one of the best musicians that has redone the blues, he could play the guitar and make it sound like his second nature



3. classic Johnny Winter songs are a haven for old electric blues fans--



4. This is a great CD to get you going into the world of Johnny Winter.

   I'm not too thrilled about the Rick Derringer tune but a little bit of everything is covered here. From the rocking 'Johnny B. Goode' to the slide playing on 'Highway 61 Revisited' to the shredding on 'Hustled Down In Texas' to the melodic blues of 'It's My Own Fault', this is a great buy.




5. This is a nice CD that covers the early years of Johnny's career. His range in many aspects is one of a kind. Its nice to feel the music rather than just listen to the music. For all you young rock and blues fans take notice, Johnny truly is an American guitar legend. Go out and get this one now!

5 comments about Crucial Harmonica Blues.

1. Various Artists
   "Crucial Harmonica Blues"
   Alligator Records ALCD 115
   
   Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell continue the protégé and mentor tradition on "Have Mercy". Blues harp doesn't get any better than that. Under-rated Bell appropriately adorns the disc's cover. With one `whew', you will recognize the brown jug, country blues of Sonny Terry on "Sonny's Whoopin' The Doop". Junior Wells could combine funk, grease and sweat like no other. Experience it on "Broke and Hungry". James Cotton's "Superharp" remains one of the best harp-blowin' tunes ever, while fiery Carey Bell shows why he now reigns as best harpist/vocalist on "Lonesome Stranger".
   
   Do these artists and songs qualify as Crucial Harmonica Blues? You're damn right they do.
   
   -- Tim Holek



2. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good collection, but crucial? I don't think so. It should be re-named "A pretty good collection of blues harmonica from a diverse group of cats, ancient and modern", but of course, the name's too long.



3. It is a great collection, that harmonica lovers will enjoy - BUT it's also a great CD to give someone not all that familiar with harmonica playing. There is enough variety on here for everone to find a style they love.



4. Alligator Records hit it right on the head when they named this series, "Crucial". As in this is a crucial series that every Blues fan should add to their CD collection. I bought this CD because I'm new to the Blues and wanted to find a few new artists to add to my collection. This CD introduced me to several artists that I have now added to my collection buy purchasing several other CDs. This CD starts out with an up tempo and rousing romp with Charlie Musselwhite's "Make My Getaway" and then moves on to a Harmonica Duet by Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell. The Gems just seem to roll out one after another from there. Among the notables on the CD are Legends like Billy Boy Arnold, Sonny Terry, Junior Wells, Delbert McClinton and James Cotton. I not only recommend this CD from the Crucial Blues series but all of them, especially for new comers to blues material.



5. The tracks with Cephas and Wiggins, the harmonica champ Sonny Terry, and Billy Boy Arnold (best known for his work with Bo Diddley) are the standouts here. Among the many good collections of Harmonica music (particularly of the blues variety), this is highly recommended budget-friendly stuff that is for the casual fan of good music as well as the practicing harmonicist.

5 comments about Captured Live!.

1. What a joy it was to 'reconnect' with my guitar hero from my youth. Though I was mostly a metal head in my teens, I was always drawn to the chops of Johnny Winter. Seeing him in person @ 15 years old left a lasting impression. This CD brought back the memories of his show.
   
   Highway 61 Revisited is worth the price of admission. Johnny simply tears up the fret board and demonstrates his slide guitar acumen. Sweet Papa John is a great album ender as Johnny takes one's breath away with his raw blues rock.
   
   The songs Roll With Me and Rock-n-Roll People have some distracting feedback, but hey, it's a live concert. If you are a fan of live music AND enjoy blues/slide/lead guitar, you will enjoy this CD.



2. Johnny Winter has turned his back on rock-n-roll. All he plays live and all he has recorded for the past 20-something years has been traditional blues based. Like many other guitar greats of his period,( Clapton,Page etc) Johnny Winter may feel it is the ultimate homage and tribute to the black blues masters of the Delta to keep to strict blues form nowadays instead of the mutated white boy hybrid that 60's and 70's rockers Cream, Led Zeppelin made their bones on. Don't misunderstand. There are blues on this excellent live album, "Sweet Papa John" being the most distinctive. But as for balls out, boogie rock with a Southern but never lazy bent, "Captured Live" is a fine if not the BEST example of this basically extinct genre.I love the blues, but I can't believe any artist would turn his back on something as great as this..
   
   "Roll With Me" is a thumping rocker, with great interplay between Winter and guitarist Floyd Radford."All Over Now" is an adrenaline pumped update of a good but not exceptional Stones cover, with great leads and a tempo that is a huge improvement to the original. The standout piece for me is Mr.Winters absolutely blistering rendition of Bob Dylans "Highway 61 Revisited". Gone is Dylan's mumbling vocal and the toy sounds that accented the original. Johnny Winter's "Highway" is one of the most dexterous excercises in guitar mastery ever complimented by a rhythym section so tight, it's almost unhuman. Johnny's slide work is incredible on this number. Winter pushes his guitar licks to lengthy (but melodic) excess, but is quick to add creative changes that make a very long song not so long. If you ever have a 15 minute car ride on the highway you'd like to do in around 10- this is the song for that ride. Brilliant fretplay and nice cohesion with Floyd Radord's equally deft guitar work- it don't get no better than this!



3. Listening to this album now is still an amazing treat! Johnny and Company smoke every song on this blistering set! "Johnny Winter Captured Live" was one of my staples I would bring to parties as a teenager and it hasn't lost it's edge one bit! Johnny Winter is one of the greatest Guitarist to ever play the instrument, but what make this album so fantastic is that his counter part Guitarist Floyd Radford is just as good as Johnny. To the casual listener it might be hard to tell who's playing what! The Drums and Bass are solid and keep up with these two face-melters every step of the way.
   
   If you like great guitar work and thumpin' 'Rock N Roll' live sets. Please do yourself a favor and buy this set! It's that good and it has been reissued at a very affordable price. Even if you aren't a Johnny Winter Fan per say.....give it a listen, you just might become one! Stand out cuts like Bonie Moronie, Roll with Me, It's All Over Now and Highway 61 Revisited will blow you away!



4. I'll keep it brief. The 1970's had a lot of great live albums. This was probably the best one of them all. It's timeless. Down and dirty blues rocking with guitar work that you will have to hear to believe.



5. When Johnny Winter used to play rock roll, he really knew how to do it right. There is some blistering guitar work here, as well as some of the meanest slide guitar this side of Elmore James. A nice combination of rock and blues, the more you listen to this album, the more you will come to appreciate how great it really is. They just don't make records like this anymore. ALL Of these latter day rock bands could learn a thing or two from Sweet Papa John.

5 comments about Old School.

1. I mean she really can. This album is a must have. Koko Tailor doesn't leave anything behind her as she rips through every song with such power it is truly amazing.
   This album has such heavy sound it could be hard to handle for someone who was listening to Nora Jones and decided to experiment with blues.
   But for the true dedicated blues fans this is a treat that will make you sweat.
   Enjoy!



2. Koko Taylor still has got it! This is a great blues cd, some great musicianship and Koko sounds great1



3. When I saw Koko Taylor's fiery performance at the 2006 Pocono Blues Festival, I knew we had not seen or heard the last of her. Given The Queen Of The Blues had a close brush with death and months in hospital in late 2003 and 2004, the fact that she is still "Fixing to go to work" at age 78 is amazing. Even more remarkable is the strength of her vocals and songwriting skills on Old School. She wrote five vibrant originals and chose seven others with a special meaning to her. Many are about relationships and contain age old blues imagery and analogies. The music on this disc comes with power, forcefulness, and a certain sexiness. It's the Queen's first album in seven years and one that quite frankly Bruce Iglauer "Thought would never be made." In a career that practically spans half a century, she's been recording for Iglauer's Alligator Records for over 30 years and continues to be their monarch.
   
   Born just outside Memphis, Tennessee, Koko Taylor was influenced by the blues music she heard on the radio. At the age of 18, she moved to Chicago with nothing but thirty-five cents and a box of Ritz crackers. There, while singing in a club, she was discovered by Willie Dixon. "I love singing the real, old school blues," asserts Taylor. "This album is the kind of blues I was listening to down South and I when I first came to Chicago." That traditional style of electric blues, which now only attracts a small audience, is commonly misunderstood as boring. However, that isn't how these thrilling tracks come across.
   
   If you've seen Taylor's energized show over the past several years, you'll not require the credits to confirm which adrenalin-laced track features her rockin' road tested Blues Machine band. On every other song, the young contemporaries step aside in favor of a band of lifelong musicians. With bellowing vocals and an unquestionable Chicago blues technique, Piece Of Man contains a classic Taylor sound. Bob Margolin's killer slide and Billy Branch's superb harp can be heard on Memphis Minnie's Black Rat and Lefty Dizz's Bad Avenue. Margolin is an old school aficionado who once referred to it as being a contagious disease. Like water into a sponge, you'll be so absorbed into the slow blues Money Is The Name Of The Game you will experience everything Taylor sings and each note Johnson plays. Now that's the blues.
   
   Most of the songs where Criss Johnson - her long-time arranger - is the only guitarist have a contemporary feel due to his modern-day guitar sound. By nature, Johnson isn't an old school guitarist. On occasion he can't resist playing a practically distorted hard rock style guitar solo. Ironically, distortion was purposely a part of the old school sound thanks to cranked up old amplifiers. Mark Kazanoff's bursting sax, Jimmy Sutton's commanding upright bass, and Brother John Kattke's stellar piano help to keep the structure in the past on Gonna Buy Me A Mule. It and Better Watch Your Step are the CD's strongest selections. The former features Taylor's best vocals of the album. You Ain't Worth A Good Woman - a kickin' and fashionable song - contains Taylor's well known sass, strut, and funk, which is absent from the dragging rendition of Magic Sam's All Your Love.
   
   I initially thought this CD had missed its mark of being an old school blues record because it is quite contemporary sounding. Upon realizing the goal was to create a blues record in the spirit of old school blues, I can honestly say the goal was exceeded two fold.



4. This album proves once and again that Koko Taylor was, is, and always will be the original "Queen of the Blues!" No one does it better!



5. released in 2007, her first album in seven years, Koko Taylor picks up right where she left off, without skipping a beat, as the undisputed Queen of the Blues. This woman still has great chops at 72 years old, her raw, gut-bucket style of singing can still peel the paint right off the walls, nothing subtle or introverted about her singing. Great backup playing by her band, too. LET THE JUKEJOINT JUMP!

5 comments about The Best of Slim Harpo.

1. A very nice recording of early bluesman Slim Harpo. Had a few hits, all covered here, and was a major influence on bands like Rolling Stones.



2. A great blues album.
   Two songs covered by the rolling stones,"shake your hips" and "I'm a king bee.They dind't make any changes...Dind't have too , the original was good enough to be reproduced note for note.



3. Slim Harpo was a terrific harmonica player and a fine blues singer. His works were covered by many rock and rollers. He died, too young, of a heart attack at age 46.
   
   Let's consider some of the exemplar tracks on this CD.
   
   "I'm a King Bee": The Rolling Stones covered this and came up with their own credible version. But Slim Harpo's take on this is great fun to listen to. The vocal riff that recurs throughout this song:
   
   "Well, I'm a King Bee
   Buzzin' around your hive."
   
   Another nice line:
   
   "I'm a king bee,
   I want you to be my queen."
   
   Harpo displays an interesting blues voice in this sensual song. The backing music is almost hypnotic with its rhythm. Harpo plays the harmonica well.
   
   "I've Got Love if You Want It": One of the Rolling Stones' earliest live albums played off this song title. The piece begins with Harpo's harmonica playing. This is rollicking music with the backing group playing well.
   
   "Shake Your Hips": What a neat song, a nice up tempo dance piece! Once more, the harmonica work is strong.
   
   "I'm tellin' you a dance that's going around
   . . . .
   Just shake your hips,
   Do the hip shake, Babe."
   
   The Rolling Stones, on their "Exiles on Main Street" recorded a close variation on this classic piece.
   
   Finally, "Baby Scratch My Back": This is a nice dance piece. As the liner notes put it, "a slinky dance groove." Harpo's harmonica sings.
   
   This is a nice sampling of the work of Slim Harpo. Well worth listening to. A good piece to add to one's blues library.



4. The first song I ever hear from Slim Harpo was "Rainin' In My Heart." I hadn't heard that song before and I had to find out who this guy was. I called up the a.m. radio station and actually asked the disc jokey who that was. That was back in the late 50s and times were simpler then. From that moment on, I was a Slim Harpo fan. Slim is great all the time but I especially was knocked out to hear again "I'm A King Bee," "Rainin In My Heart," and "Baby Scratch My Back." Slim Harpo doesn't blow you out of the room. He sneaks up on you and just gets you. I dig him and his music and I think you will to.



5. If you're not into ' 50's style electric blues....STAY BACK This is Slim Harpo...The KingBee......I litrally sleep with this CD

5 comments about Blues at Sunrise.

1. One of finest SRV CD's including the title track. Another great guitar player, gone too soon.



2. Great Rocking Blues. Take a Long ride in the Sierra Mountains and it will heal you.



3. This is absolutely the best compilation of slow-tempo guitar-godlike blues I have ever heard. Every time I open my cabinet to listen to a CD, I cannot keep my hands off this album. If you like the blues and love to be blown away by amazing guitar playing and great songs, buy this album. This album is an abolute GOLD MINE of amazing tunes. It is easily my favorite SRV album. Don't even think about not buying this if you are a blues fan. You will be missing the greatest soulful, **s-kicking music SRV ever played. Treat yourself...buy this album and enjoy!



4. If you know me, or have read any of my world famous blue's reviews, you'd have to wonder how I could rate anything by Stevie Ray under a five. Well, it's not SRV's fault or Shaq's. This is a digitally re-recorded CD that is not done well. It is not loud or clear. So to enjoy it, you better turn you stereo way, way up, and make sure when you're done, you turn it back down, or you will have a "FREAKIN" heart attack, when a regularly recorded CD plays. That being said, there is one song that should not be on this CD because it doesn't measure up to the company it's given, and that is #4 "Chitlins Con Carne". The rest are classic Stevie. What made me buy this CD, to add to my SRV collection was the 11-minute plus "Tin Pan Alley". As long as you accept the warning of the poor recording quality, and one song, that could have been replaced by any of 20 other SRV songs, I would say buy it.



5. The brief existence of Steve Ray Vaughan meant a great loss not only for the guitar world but the blues. Vaughan owned a personal trademark for this genre, even he was a famed rock singer. His special dark vocal inflections, and his peculiar style added the blues a propulsive fresh breath.
   
   The best track in my opinion is Texas flood, but the CD is absolutely rewarding from start to finish.

5 comments about Burnside on Burnside.

1. I'm a young guy and just scratching the service on blues legends like R.L. Burnside. This is the first CD of his I've bought and I'm extremely happy that I purchased it.
   R.L. has an absolutely perfect blues voice. His guitar playing along with Kenny Brown is incredible. The slide guitar is one of my favorite sounds on earth and they play it to perfection throughout the album.
   My favorite songs are Shake Em' on Down, Rollin' and Tumblin', Goin' Down South, Skinny Women (which is covered by a great band named the The Black Keys they call their version "Busted"), and Bad Luck and Trouble. But my very favorite is Walkin' Blues. It's the total package. It's perfect in vocals, lyrics, emotion, slide guitar, and everything in between. I can't get enough of that song.
   The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because a couple of songs are repetitious of each other and don't stand out to me.
   I would give this album a 4.5 stars but it won't let me.



2. Powerfull, driving and gets under your skin. Buy it and play it loud.
   My favourite blues album in my collection.



3. It don't get no better than this. Burnside's best. I wish I could compare it to something, but ain't nothin' to compare it to.



4. Skinny woman though... anyone heard busted by the black keys? Same song... subtly different lyrics. Black keys came out first though... I think.



5. This cat is good. Mesmerizing beat and tempo, he has the blues in his voice and his soul. A "must buy" for the down home blues lover. This is what it's all about.

4 comments about Joy In the Camp.

1. Bill Gaither often says that if Christians can't get along on earth what are they going to do when they get to Heaven where they HAVE to get along. This is one of the favorite Gaither Homecoming dvd's. It exudes pure joy and is very funny. Actually it has the best humor of all the dvd's in my opinion.
   
   Those of you who know your Bible remember that Shadrach, Meschah & Abednego (I hope I spelled them right) were put in the fiery furnace because they would not bow to the King. But they did not burn and there was a fourth man in the fire (Obviously God). Bill Gaither and crew develop a skit called the "Fourth Man" with Tim Lovelace, Jake Hess, Rex Nelon, George Younce, Willie Wynn. It is hilarious. At first you think Bill is serious - then you know he is joking. I won't tell you the skit - would spoil the dvd for you.
   
   The other songs are:
   
   Joy in the Camp - Ann Downing
   The Happy Jubilee
   Thank God I'm Free - Jack Toney, Ed Enoch, Vestal Goodman
   The Haven of Rest - featuring Glen Payne
   I Was There When It Happened
   Beautiful Isle of Somewhere - Bob Cain
   Getting Used to the Family of God
   I Know - Ivan Parker, Willie Wynn, Jake Hess, Calvin Newton
   Swing Down Chariot
   The World Didn't Give It to Me
   The Fourth Man - Tim Lovelace, Jake Hess, Rex Nelon, George Younce, Willie Wynn
   
   Go Ask - Bill Gaither, Gloria Gaither, Ivan Parker
   (This is one of the few videos that Gloria sings in a trio)
   The Night Before Easter - Donnie Sumner
   Sinner Saved By Grace - Glen Payne George Younce
   and many more.
   
   This dvd is joyous, has a chapter insert, and there truly is Joy in the Camp.



2. Best ive seen yet, I would recomend it to all



3. I have seen several of the videos, but this one is by far the best. It is uplifting and encouraging. The testimonies tell of the love of a savior who is also a redeemer.The video will make you laugh,and it will make you cry, but most importantly, you will experience the majesty of Jesus through this worship experience. This video is wonderful



4. Oldies but goodies!!!!!!!!!!! Spirt Filled Awsome jo

5 comments about Alone & Acoustic.

1. Buddy Guy is a killer electric guitarist, but this album shows off how truly great of a guitarist he is. Just acoustic guitar and harmonica with Buddy signing, worth more money then they are charging.



2. This product meets expectations any fan of the blues could ask for, content and cliarity are very good. If you are looking for a warm feeling old style blues ( circa 1940's to early 50's) this will satisfy anyone who enjoys the blues of older times and the twelve string rifs are impressive to say the least.



3. This album is a welcome return to acoustic blues. The guitar playing is crisp, accurate and soulful and the singing is first rate. An essential purchase for blues lovers.



4. It's geat live, impromptu blues, good quality, good jams, great harmonica, a must have for anyone who loves Junior and Buddy.



5. Buddy Guy and Junior Wells do not quite replicate the magic of Hoodoo Man Blues, but Wow, they come as close as could be expected nearly 20 years after the release of that marvelous and inimitable 1965 album. What we are treated to on this album are the songs which are in the annals of blues history as the tried and true blues greats. From "Boogie Chillin'" to "My Home is in the Delta", we get an experience of the blues as (in my opinion) they are meant to be, pure and acoustic. And listen closely to the lyrics of "My Home is in the Delta".....the lyrics are vastly different from those of the same song Muddy Waters sang decades ago. These two take blues classics and reshape them to fit their own style, instead of simply making a retread of a famous song.
   
   One of the "must have" albums in the modern blues genre.

5 comments about Blues Masters, Vol. 4: Harmonica Classics.

1. Another excellent collection of blues harp playing. Buy this and you won't be disappointed!



2. pretty much all the songs on here are actually good, unlike with a lot of compilations. a good buy.



3. cd was as advertised and arrived in good condition, in a timely fashion. this is the first used product i have purchased on the net and i am very satisfied with the results



4. Wow! A friend recommended this CD to me (as I am beginning to play), and what a treat this was. Terrific variety in style, and superb playing all around. Especially helpful were the extensive liner notes to the CD, listing each artist and going into their background as well as details about the songs. Really enjoyable reading. I just can't say enough about it if you are looking for a good sampling of harp songs. :)



5. Rhino's "Blues Masters" series is the best of its kind, and while this one disc obviously only scratches the surface of blues harmonica playing, it does feature a lot of good music.
   
   Most longtime blues fans will own the lion's share of this material already, but "Harmonica Classics" also features several lesser-known songs like Jerry McCain's "Steady", Lazy Lester's superbly groovy "Sugar Coated Love", "Boogie Twist" by Snooky Pryor, and "Easy" by the greatest blues harmonica player of them all, the great Walter Horton (that's the song credited to "Jimmy and Walter").
   
   Howlin' Wolf is here as well, Billy Boy Arnold is here, Little Walter Jacobs is here with his instrumental classic "Juke", and Jimmy Reed is here, doing the loping "Ends And Odds" in his lazy, minimalistic style. Other highlights include Junior Wells' tough "Messin' With The Kid" and Sonny Boy Williamson (II)'s "Help Me".
   
   These songs don't necessarily rank among the artists' very best, since they were chosen primarily for the harp playing, and that may be seen as a little bit of a drawback. But that's not to say that these songs are generally below par, however, and this collection does focus on blues harmonica after all.
   And there is some impressive instrumental prowess on display here, including the Fabulous Thunderbirds' lyrical "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White", "Last Night" by George "Harmonica" Smith, and the one-armed John Wrencher's rendition "Take A Little Walk With Me".
   
   As I said, this is not excactly the defintive word on blues harmonica, or on the artists represented here, but "Harmonica Classics" and its companion volume (excitingly titled "More Harmonica Classics") are still a fine purchase for casual and "mid-level" blues listeners.
   Lots of great music here.