5 comments about Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast.

1. After visiting New Orleans recently I have tried to help the area in any way I can. Buying this great cd with loads of great tunes is one small way I can help, and it is so worth it, the music is fabulous!!



2. This was not of very good quality and the performers (?) did not do justice to the honoree.



3. two-and-a-half years after the "event" and this music is the best story of what we lost.



4. Yes, there is a melancholy, tragic quality to this collection. The emotional honesty and pain of the artists, all of whom experienced great personal loss in Katrina, is almost unbearable in places. And yet there is a toughness, a fierce determination to rise again, that shows through. New Orleans, America's great city of celebration, is too deep and rich to simply party as an escape from the agony. This music, like this city, confronts the pain honestly, but in the end if certain it will survive. Especially beautiful is when this exercise takes on a spiritual cast, as the singers lay their burdens down at the feet of the Lord and trust in his goodness.
   
   As one who lives in New Orleans and is working with Katrina victims on a daily basis, this all rings very true.
   
   The sad but hopeful tone of Allen Toussaint "Yes We Can Can," Davell Crawford "Gather By the River" is just beyond description. Two of the lovliest songs I have ever heard. Beausoleil "L'ouragon" and Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927" are also highlights. But frankly there isn't a week song on the disc. Certainly my favorite album of the year.



5. This is a fantastic CD and it really is a shame that the rating is brought down by someone who praises it in words but can't correct a mistaken one-star rating. Fantastic music, although the person who gave it two stars does have a point, it does lack the vibrant upbeat music New Orleans is famous for, even in mourning. All I can say is this was NOT the funeral. It was merely the bedside vigil at the start of a long recovery.

5 comments about L' lAmour Ou la Folie.

1. I'm a Beausoleil addict! I agree with everything Riverdude said about how wonderful this CD is and I bought this one from David Doucet himself from the back of his car so that makes it even more special to me. Newcomers and diehard fans of Beausoleil must own this one! Oh and Riverdude, sorry sweetie but the drummers name is Tommy Alesi, not Jimmy.



2. From the wry lyrics and joyous melody of the title cut ("Love or Folly") to the heartfelt slow-dance sadness of Les Blues De Creve De Faim ("The Hurting with Hunger Blues"), Beausoleil's musicians again demonstrate their enormous range. Born out of traditional Cajun-Creole folk, the group has raised old-time Louisiana French folk songs to artistic heights few down-home bands have achieved. Beausoleil is the dynamic rhythm and lead guitary of David Doucet, brother Michael Doucet's alternately dizzying and passionate fiddle and strong lead vocals, Jimmy Breaux's virtuoso accordion, backed by dead-on percussion of Billy Ware and Jimmy Alesi.
   The guest musicians include Guitarist Richard Thompson, Augie Meyers, saxophonist Harry Simoneaux, Josh Graves on dobro, Murnel Babineaux on pedal steel, pianist Dave Pellicciaro, Tommy Comeaux's mandolin, and accordionist/steel guitarist Bessyl Duhon.
   You get a some old-time Cajun, a little "newgrass," some Caribbean spice, a Parisian-flavored melody, and the most danceable and toe-tappable TV news theme ever broadcast (Newz Reel really is the theme of the nightly newscast in Lafayette, LA).
   If you already know Beausoleil, you'll have a hard time deciding if this isn't the best of all of their studio albums. If you don't know Beausoleil, the first Grammy winning Cajun band, this is a fine place to start appreciating their talent for inventing a new sound out of a musical tradition stretching back decades and even hundreds of years. If you do like this album, you'll also want to get Cajunization, Cajun Conja, the new live album, and all the collections they've released. These guys really are the Beatles, not just of Louisiana, but of all roots-based American music.



3. Maybe it's the Cajun boy in me, but I used to be very unnerved by the popularity of Beausoleil across the world. I just couldn't comprehend why folks in cities like NYC or Boston or San Francisco would enjoy this music, most of which was in a language they couldn't understand. It almost seemed as if Beausoleil was using their "ethnicity" to trick people outside of Louisiana into liking them because they were a "novelty" act. Boy, was I ever wrong. As I've become more mature, I've realized that Beausoleil's popularity isn't due to their "novel" status, but their brilliant music. Few contemporary Cajun bands can play songs like these guys and turn it into a beautiful thing that crosses language and cultural boundaries.
   
   The songs on "L'Amour Ou La Folie" are fun, imaginative and heavily steeped not only in Cajun tradition, but the French tradition as well(listen to "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" and don't tell me that you think of France when you hear it). "Newz Reel" had me longing to watch KATC news(you won't get this if you haven't been around Lafayette). The rest of the album, from the tribute to "Pop" McGee to the title track, is fantastic. The fiddle work is brilliant and the band's sound is tight. The songs are well done and nothing comes across as gimmicky or fake. When you hear "Charivari," you catch a glimpse of life that few have ever experienced outside of the Pelican State. Everything is found on this album. It's a true masterpiece. Not only does the music pay homage to the past, but you can hear new sounds that haven't been played by a Cajun band before. The closest example I can come up with would be rockabilly. In its infant stages, most of its pioneers could barely play instruments, but when folks like Buddy Holly, who studied music and experimented with it, came along, the sound took on a whole new state. Beausoleil does that with Cajun music. It's traditonal, but at the same time there is a "newness" about it.
   
   Thanks, Beausoleil, for spreading the music of our unique culture across the world. As long as bands such as yourself exist, I don't think we'll have to worry about the Cajun culture fading away for a long time.



4. I hav seen Beausoleil Every time they came to the Bluegrass and Cajun Festivle, in Rhode Island. This cd is a must have. The music brings me right back to the many times I have seen them play. As a matter of fact, it's 2:15 a.m., Have the headphones on and have it cranking.



5. One day in early March I was wondering around the LSU campus with hours to go before the Tulane/LSU baseball game. On Chime Street I stumbled across an excellent Cajun band right on the sidewalk. Talk about perfect music for a perfect day...They were so good that I took them with me to the "tailgate" at Tiger Stadium before the baseball game. This type of music gets in your head and stays. When I returned home I purchased L' Amour Ou La Folie. There are certain albums/CDs that are great the first time through. Without question, this is one of the best I have ever purchased. It would be silly to try and name the best selection. Each song is better than the next. Merely playing this CD makes you want to visit the great state of Louisiana (as well as get up and move). Not only is the music exceptional, the technical production is too. I have ordered two more Beasoleil CDs. You should listen to this when you are in a good mood, want to be in a good mood or need to be! (P.S. If anyone knows the "sidewalk" Cajun band from Chime Street on March 5th, please e-mail me) They are well worth seeing.

5 comments about Black Magic.

1. Black Magic seemed to be another stepping stone to an extremely promising blues career. The young man, having had the stereotypical hard upbringing that seems to be a blues artist's rite of passage, was on his way to stardom based on very successful appearances at several blues festivals.
   
   But Black Magic, instead of being part of his beginning, ended up being his epitaph. Sam Maghett died of a heart attack in December, 1969 at the age of 32, leaving much promise unfulfilled and lots of thoughts of what could have been.
   
   This record was a very good followup to his phenomenal first record, West Side Soul. His playing and vocals were very good on this record, and while overall it is not up to the extraordinarily high accomplishment of West Side Soul, it has its merits, including What Have I Done, Easy,Baby, and a nice cover of Freddie King's classic instrumental San-Ho-Zay.
   
   His third record probably would have been better than both West Side Soul or Black Magic, but we'll never know. At least we have his two studio records and a number of other live and previous unreleased records to listen to and enjoy.



2. Magic Sam Maghett was a bluesman from the Mississippi Delta first and foremost, but he was also instrumental (so to speak) in introducing an element of soul in his music, which was called "soul blues" or "west side soul".
   The soul element is especially prominent when listening to Magic Sam's vocals, which are those of a soul singer rather than a blues singer, but most of the songs are structured and played mostly like blues numbers (except for the funky drumming by Odie Payne).

   This album doesn't contain the obvious number 1 (or five star) hit - unlike his previous album, "West Side Soul" - but the quality of the songs is uniformly high, with "I Just Want A Little Bit" and "Keep Loving Me Baby" among the best songs.

   "Black Magic" is a fine album, made with a contingent of very skilled musicians (Maghett himself being one), well produced (that is, not over-produced), and certainly recommendable to everyone with an interest in both blues and soul.




3. Sam is first rate. If you like Buddy Guy you might like Sam. If you like Otis Rush, you will almost certainly like Sam. If you like good music with soul, rythm and feeling- this is it. Not too much production, not stripped down either. It is a happy medium for most blues fans. There isn't an overboard horn section or interfering keys, or crazy looped guitar tracks. This is pure taste. A piano that plays perfectly to the music [ Sam learned by West side soul to only play with the best. ] and one Tenor Saxaphone for a few tracks to add some layers. Sam plays lead and some extra rythm. He is the only vocalist. There are two tunes that are kinda soul/ r and b. And the rest are solid blues, sometimes funky, sometimes slow. Sam is one of the great blues singers and innovators. This record does have a happy medium in a lot of respects. You got an instrumental. You got guitar playing that is technically respectable and creative but totally tasteful and with a feel for the music. Sam doesn't drill over the music with confused lines that go no where in particular like alot of bluesmen tend to do. He plays with his band. He solos and he shines, but he doesn't ever mess up the sound of the songs. Its got the slow soul, the feel good, the funk, everything. This album and West side soul are Sam at his peek, and the cream of the electric blues players. The man was an all around innovator of blues music, live he played bass, drums, Harmonica, Piano or whatever the band needed, it didn't matter. He Pushed the cool blues ahead. He and Otis Rush changed the game. And Sam has a respect for Otis because he did his songs, like Keep loving me on here and My Love Will Never Die on West side. I tell everybody I know who likes good music- If you don't know this guy, then you are missing a big piece of the puzzle. This is where it's at. His two major studio records and only real studio Lps are two of my favorites out of hundreds of albums. I can't even see how anyone could not like this.



4. Magic Sam's Black Magic and West Side Soul are 2 of the greatest blues albums of all time--absolutely essential for any one who loves urban electric blues. The singing is absolutely incredible --one of the most powerful and expressive voices in the history of the blues. His guitar playing, rhythmic drive, and arrangements are also excellent and unique-he died soon after these 2 albums were recorded just as he seemed about to break out into stardom. His slow songs exhibit a soulfulness that is incomparable and the faster songs have a drive and excitement that is also beyond compare. You can't go wrong with these two albums--highest recommendation possible.



5. I first heard this album (as vinyl) in 1969. As a guitarist and bass player who lived in Chicago on the South Side at the time, blues was in my BLOOD then - as it still is. I had several opportunities to play with Otis Rush on the West Side, and was going to play with Magic Sam . . . when he died.

   This album is sheer beauty. Unlike his other blues counterparts in the city at the time, Magic Sam had a very R&B flavor to his blues - clean, always in tune, using that Fender reverb in ways that Otis, Buddy and others didn't. Yet he had an intensity that truly . . . well, touched me. Magic was a wonderful guitar player - and one hell of a singer. he was a gifted musician.

5 comments about Raisin' A Ruckus.

1. Anyone who has listened to a Roomful of Blues CD knows that their music is hard to classify. That doesn't matter to the band's members. All they are concerned with is whether it sounds good, whether you can dance to it, and whether you can feel it. With suave horns that swing off the big band dancehall floors of the '30s and '40s, Raisin' A Ruckus is one of Roomful's most swinging CDs. Since 1967, the multiple award-winning group's combination of swing, rock `n' roll, jump, blues, and soul has earned it just praise. Forty-six band members have come and gone since then without a negative impact on the band's exciting music.
   
   This disc features a new bass player and a new drummer on this disc, but the most obvious newcomer is singer Dave Howard who replaces Mark DuFresne. Howard hails from Rhode Island, the band's home state, and his expressive voice contains a hint of Louis Armstrong. Listen as Howard reveals a state of feeling disturbed on Black Night then uses his voice as the band's fourth horn on Talkin' To You Eye To Eye.
   
   The chosen covers are vintage blues and R&B tunes. You'll swear someone has just put on one of your parents records from the 1950s when you hear their nostalgic version of Big Mamou, the R&B hit by New Orleans artist Smiley Lewis. The Crescent City connection continues on the often covered New Orleans and Eddie Bo's Every Dog Has Its Day, which contains as much fun as a summer beach party. Boogie Woogie Country Girl is loaded with exhausting boogie woogie piano. The song's legendary writer, Doc Pomus, helped land the band their first record deal in the '70s.
   
   Five band members prove they are capable of writing enticing songs that mesh perfectly with the band's extensive repertoire. Each of the eight original songs is a flashback to the big band era, e.g. In The Mood that influenced Roomful. On Talkin' To You Eye To Eye, the three-piece brass section trade licks like guitars do in guitar driven bands. The infectious horn arrangement of Solid Jam will remain etched in your memory. Horns as lively as a New Orleans street funeral procession appear on saxophonist Rich Lataille's instrumental title track. The song, which depicts Lataille's big band and jazz roots, is one of the highlights of the CD. In fact, it should be included on the soundtrack of the next '30s and '40s gangster film to come out of Hollywood.
   
   The rhythms of all 14 songs are so exhilarating; most of the light-hearted lyrics get lost or overshadowed. Life Has Been Good stands out as its lyrics are emotionally heavy and quite touching. It is about expressing true feelings toward your spouse and thanking them for making life so wonderful.
   
   The CD's strength, and in fact the group's greatest asset, is how well the band performs as a cohesive unit. Throughout, the horns hop, the keyboards sway, the vocals enthuse, the guitar rocks, and the band jumps. This record swings more than a number three wood on a golf course. You must experience it for yourself. Put this record on and watch as your house transforms into a building made of horns.



2. Roomful Of Blues just keeps on rolling. During the last 40 years or so, they have dealt with numerous personnel changes, and have had to shift some musical gears in order to accommodate them. But their latest release, "Raisin' A Ruckus", is proof they are still at the top of their game.
   Since the band's last release, "Standing room only", Roomful has added a new rhythm section, and also vocalist Dave Howard, late of the High Rollers. All the new parts fit very well.
   Unfortunately, this is the last CD to feature longtime trumpet player Bob "Bubba" Enos, who died shortly before its release. He will be greatly missed.
   8 of the 14 cuts are originals by various band members, including "While I Can", written by and featuring guitarist Chris Vachon's wife, Bethie, On vocals. Other standout originals include Dave Howard's "Sweet Petite", keyboardist Travis Colby's "Round It Down", Vachon's "Solid Jam", and sax player and longest standing band member (since 1970!) Rich Lataille's title instrumental. Covers include "Big Mamou", "Black Night", and a rousing version of "New Orleans", made popular by Gary (US) Bonds.
   There are many opinions as to which Roomful lineup is preferred, and I've heard them all. To these ears, this is their best yet. Give it a try, then check out some of their other offerings- you just might become a "Room Head", too!



3. In 2000, former Roomful of Blues manager Bob Bell wrote that the band "is, and always has been a living, breathing creative unit". How right he was. "Raisin' a Ruckus" is their 19th album, and with three new members, the current incarnation is as strong as any before it.
   New vocalist Dave Howard has the phrasing of Sugar Ray Norcia, but possesses the soulful grit of Kim Wilson.One of the highlights of the disc is "Lower on your list of priorities", an original he first recorded with his band the High Rollers (check out that band's "Sure Bet" to hear how hot this Rhode Islander is on harp).
   "Ruckus" has some well chosen covers including "Big Mamou" by the late Cajun saxophonist Link Davis. Jesse Mae Robinson's "Black Night" features a beautiful guitar solo by band leader Chris Vachon, who knows how to fit guitar into horn charts better than anyone performing today.
   "New Orleans" is given new life with a great horn arrangement featuring saxophonists Rich Lataille and Mark Early, with trumpeter Bob Enos, who sadly passed away on Jan 11, just four days before this recording was released. "While I can" is an original penned by Vachon's wife Bethie and features her and Howard in a duet remarkably similar to Lou Ann Barton and Kim Wilson. The title cut is a swinging Lataille original worthy of earlier instrumentals in the Roomful canon like "Red, Hot and Blue "and "Back on Front Street". Russian born bassist Dimitry Gorodetsky brings the vintage jump blues style to this band, while new drummer Ephraim Lowell drives the group, especially on "New Orleans"
   Personnel changes-about fifty to date-usually weaken a band of this stature.Not so with Roomful of Blues. A five star effort is just about what we can expect from a living, breathing creative unit.



4. Just received my copy and was just elated by the new vocals of Dave Howard.
   
   For those of you Roomful of Blues fans that liked the 'sound' of the Sugar Ray Vocals..........Dave has his own blazing gritty sound, but it reminds me of the Sugar Ray days.
   
   This CD will be a welcome bluesy, swinging addition to your 'jump blues' collection.
   
   Check out tracks Sweet Petite, Life Has Been Good and Lower On Your List of Priorities.
   
   Sadly, master trumpeter and long time musician for Roomful Of Blues, Mr. Bob Enos has passed away on January 11th, 2008 on his way to a blues-cruise getaway.
   
   The last song on this, Bob's last CD with Roomful of Blues, is aptly entitled..........Life Has Been Good.
   
   So were you Bob, and thanks for the many memories of swing, jump blues that we have listened to over the years with you.



5. I work in a record store and the store manager has been a fan of Roomful of Blues for a while now. When he put the record on over the sound system in the store, I started dancing in the aisles! Great energy, excellent vocals, tight playing and clever lyrics abound all over this record. This has to be the best band playing besides Bob Dylan's backing group and the E Street Band. Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw.

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BLUES FAN TO OWN THIS CD
   
   This is pure Genius, such a substantial sound, one of his best CD's.
   The best blues Harp in the business, of course Paul Butterfield is one of my Musical Heroes, need, I say more. Just tune in and listen.
   
   HMR Music Lover



2. I have loved this record since the first time I listened to it oh so many years ago. This is, in my opinion, the best blues record ever recorded and that's saying alot. All of the songs hit the bullseye. "Driftin' and Driftin'", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Tollin' Bells", and all of the rest were truly inspired renditions of these songs. I appreciate all of the previous and latter Paul Butterfield Blues Band recordings but "The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" is their zenith. Do yourself a favor and get this fantastic recording.



3. From Kim Whitesides colourful images to the blistering music inside this cd. This is the best of the Butterfield band during that tumultous period between its 'start' in 1965 to the late 1967 period. This album cooks with driving tunes such as 'Drivin Wheel', 'Driftin' and Driftin' and Born under a Bad Sign. After the departure of Mike Bloomfield Elvin Bishop kicks this band up several notches. His stinging solos and dynamic rhythmic interplay with other band members including drummer Phillip Wilson make this a hands down success. Phil Wilson here pumps one beat after another into this creative ensemble. He is worth the ticket alone. Sadly this wonderful musician was murdered in the 1990's. Butterfield's singing catapaults this band into 4th gear. This is the blues as it was meant to be played. Tollin' Bells is the sad and lonely blues harp wailing at life's misfortunes. The band sounds fresh and excited about this music and it still burns after several decades. Go get it!



4. 
   Yes, this is the great PBBB's 3rd album, but it's not the CD you should be buying.
   
   This domestic CD was released in 1989 and has never been remastered.
   
   The import 2CD version of this title (backed with the PBBB's 4th "In My Own Dream") is the one to get. It was remastered in 2004.
   
   Ditto for "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band" & "East West"; the 2004 import 2CD is also remastered (and sounds incredible) and the domestic CD's are not.
   
   Why WEA and Elektra have not made these four remasters available domestically is a mystery.
   
   Don't waste your money on these inferior versions: Get the imports!
   
   Link to the remastered import of Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw/In My Own Dream



5. This is my favorite Butterfield album. I do love East-West and the debut album too, but it can't get any better then this. The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw is blues full of soul.
   
   Elvin Bishop shines with his spare, "Claptonish", blues playing. Butterfield sings better then he ever done on any other album and his harp wails as never before. The addition of horns make the songs rich and very soulful. The music is deep rooted in the southern blues and soul of America.
   
   Put on the opening number, One More Heartache, turn it up, feel the bass and hear the beat when the handclapping starts, no one can resist tapping their foot, I promise!

1 comments about Jack Daniel Time.

1. Full disclosure: I was fortunate enough to be a fly-on-the-wall during the recording sessions for this record, so I might be a little biased. But let's face it, it's hard NOT to get excited about a new T-Model Ford record. The man is an irrepressible, incorrigible force of nature.
   
   As on his previous offerings for Fat Possum, T-Model serves up a healthy dose of raucous, juke-ready blues on Jack Daniel Time. But this record - the inaugural disc for Kari Jones' Mudpuppy Recordings imprint - offers a couple of new twists in the T-Model canon. For starters, it's great to finally hear him on record with harmonica accompaniment. Terry "Harmonica" Bean of Pontotoc, Mississippi blows a mighty harp on several tracks here. Terry and T-Model have known each other for ages and played together for several years prior to T-Model's rise to blues fame in the late '90s. The other great surprise on this disc are the handful of wonderful solo acoustic tracks. The Taildragger of Greenville, Mississippi (as he likes to call himself) has never sounded more intimate or vulnerable. But don't tell T-Model I said that. He's liable to cut me for it.

5 comments about Harlem Street Singer.

1. The Reverend picks you up, makes you want to sing, and if you play guitar, this album will make you want to trade in the axe and let someone else play it! He sings and you want to sing...its got a really nice groove about it too, it moves along, chugs along...all by himself.....check him out on youtube, 'if i had my way' i love it.



2. If heaven really exixts, Reverend Gary Davis will be playing at the gates to welcome us all in. Man!! Only a blind man could finger a guitar the way this man did. At some point the material becomes secondary to the performance of this incredible gifted musician and singer. This is music from the very core of one's being. Though there isn't a bad cut on the album, my favorite's are "Let Us Get Together" and "I Belong To The Band," to mention a few.
   
   This is the music that influenced some of the greats, I recommend it highly.



3. Gary Davis was born blind, black, and broke in South Carolina in 1896. Big obstacles, but he also was blessed with talent and got paid for his guitar-pickin' by the time he was a teen. Ordained as a minister at age 36, he changed his song inventory to Gospel and hymns exclusively. He ended up in NYC, performing at mostly Black churches and on the streets. In the late '50's, the "Folk Revival" of blessed memory provided him a brief celebrity beyond those venues. This album was recorded in 1960 at the Jersey jazz studio of the legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. You get 44 minutes of soul survival stuff here, and any blues buff ought to own it. The more casual fan may have to listen a few times to really like Gary's vocals, but his guitar work is fun from the first chord. The recording quality is excellent. To me, the only flaw is that each song would have benefitted from one fewer sung verse, and one more instrumental passage. It's not that Gary's voice is any more rough than other bluesmen. The problem is that the lyrics of these church songs belabor the point and get a bit repetitious. Still, he was one of the best of his kind. Imagine him at 64, alone in the recording booth for three hours, doing 20 songs, of which these are supposedly the best takes of the best 12. He had not recorded anything in four years: in fact, he had only recorded in 1935, '54 and '56 prior to this August 24, 1960 session. On that day, Kennedy and Nixon were running for president, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Yankees were heading toward a classic World Series, and I was living about 40 miles south of the studio, getting ready to begin 11th grade. Rev. Davis was doing something more important: preserving the Black church songs of early 20th century for posterity.



4. My collection includes all of The Reverend's recorded works. If you are going to buy just one Davis disc -- or if you are looking for a good introduction to this Blues/Ragtime master, "Harlem Street Singer" is unquestionably the best choice. The recording captures Davis at his most passionate vocally and at this top of his game as a gutarist. A lot of his early work suffers from poor recording technology, however this disc sounds like it was cut in a 21st Century studio.

   I'm not a religious person, but Davis' music is almost enough to send me running to church. The piercing conviction of the lyrics and sycopated guitar in Twelve Gates, Great Change and Samson and Deliah still send chills of guilt up my spine.




5. If you enjoy both blues and gospel music, you will discover on this CD that for Reverend Davis there is no distinction between the two forms. Samson and Delilah and Death don't Have No Mercy were tunes that influenced The Grateful Dead and other Rock bands, but here you get the full, original impact of these songs.

   Reverend Davis was without question one of the greatest blues guitar stylists ever, and this album captures some of his strongest recorded work. The importance and beauty of this recording cannot be overemphasized!

5 comments about Howlin' Wolf: His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection).

1. I have been waiting to review this CD, which says a great deal about the quality of the music. This was my introduction to Wolf's music, and it was a most memorable introduction!
   
   I was hoping that someone would pick up on the fact that Howlin' Wolf's vocals sound like they were just about to overload the microphone. It says a lot about the power and ferocity of Wolf's vocal delivery. I have heard stories about people being scared stiff after, having seen him in concert; although I never had the pleasure, I don't think they were exaggerating. The man was physically very intimidating, without trying to be and his music carries that, too.
   
   There is a lot of fire and passion in his music. The songs here are incredible. I enjoyed this CD from start, to finish. And I have listened to it many times. It is just fantastic! I have rarely been so excited to write a review. Please, buy it for yourself, if you don't believe me. The Wolf was a fantastic harp player, as well; he plays it on many songs here.
   
   Nothing is half-hearted on this CD. Everything is 100 per cent energy! Well worth the money.



2. This review was used for Howlin' Wolf: The London Sessions. Except for the references to the Rolling Stones it applies here. Additionally the quality on this Anniversary edition is probably slightly better.
   
   One of my first exposures to the world of Chicago-style blues, after a steady dirt of country-style Delta blues, was the Rolling Stones' version of the Willie Dixon classic Little Red Rooster back in the early 1960's. I thought that was a song to beat all songs and it had nothing to do its allegorical nature, you know, about sex. What, moreover, capped it for me the fact that it was originally banned in Boston- from the radio airwaves of the times. Naturally that made this teenager want to hear it even more.
   
   All this is by way of saying-yes; the Stones did a great version of that song but if you really want it heard then you must go to the master- Howlin' Wolf. That big gravelly voiced man who, in pictures that I have seen, seems to be inhaling the microphone lets it all hang out as he struts his stuff on that number. In Do the Do, Little Red Rooster, Killing Floor and on and on the Wolf sweats, bleeds, sucks up the whiskey, has another one for good measure and gets down on his knees, sometimes literally, to belt out the blues.
   
   In this two-disc set of Howling Wolf classics some of those Stones did exactly what I mentioned above-went to the source. Listen in to the dialogue when the Wolf tells these trained musicians how to do the do here on Little Red Rooster. And they are all ears. That says it all. Moreover, the musical excitement builds as song after song gets you in a true blue mood. This is all about sex, about whiskey, about hardworking weeks to get to fun-loving Saturday nights. Yes, the hour of the Wolf is just before the dawn. Get this masterwork. You will not regret it.



3. 
   It was the use of "Goin' Down Slow" in an episode of The Sopranos' last season that finally prompted me to correct a long running omission: no Howlin' Wolf in my collection. Let me be brief and clear: You've heard a lot of these songs from The Doors, Cream, Steppenwolf, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin - to name a few. But if you haven't heard these versions by Howlin' Wolf, you just haven't heard them yet. Just listen to "Spoonful" and ask yourself if you ever want to hear Cream's version again. Yes, it's that good.
   
   Since this CD spans recordings from the early 50's to the mid 60's, there are stylistic progressions and the sound quality starts to improve significantly after the first handful of tracks. But, during the period when these tracks were recorded, recorded Blues was released mostly on singles, so compilations are the way to go. Unless you want to spring for the three-CD set from Chess, you simply won't find a better single disc representation of this legendary Chicago bluesman. Start here to find out why Howlin' Wolf was such a huge influence not just on the Blues, but on some of the greatest rock bands of all time.



4. Put this album of Howlin Wolf in your top ten albums to listen to on that old preverbial desert island. I find this recording inspiring, relaxing, invigerating, mesmerizing, fullfilling and totally enjoyable. What more could you ask for in a CD? - Ciao



5. As Sam Phillips of Sun Records said so poetically when he first heard Chester Arthur Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf, "This is it, this is where the soul of man never dies." It's hard to top that for commentary.
   Late at night, there is very little in music more deliciously frightening than hearing "300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy" in a dark room or driving down a lonely stretch of highway.

4 comments about If You Love Those Blues, Play 'Em As You Please.

1. this is an awsome cd.straight blues no frills.some really great playing.but dont expect super session.some cool acoustic stuff too.



2. Mike Bloomfield's trademark style was a foundation of BB King riffs with jazzy noodleing and raga-like easternisms in the spaces where King would simply not have played at all. When MB first hit the scene, this style shook every young guitarist up; it was no longer ok to just learn the tunes, you had to learn how to -play-. His ahead-of-the-barlines phrasing, and melodic fearlessness conveyed a sense of constant exploration. As time has passed, the original blues artists' simplicity has come to be appreciated by a mass audience, and Mike's busy style has become less in vogue. On that basis, this may be the best place to start your Bloomfield collection: because he is referencing the styles that influenced him, more than performing, the performance itself is more rooted and bluesy than much of his other work.



3. I have the record for "If You Love these..." so my comments are related only to that parts of the CD from that record.
   
   Anyway, I rate this very highly but for hardcore blues fans only. Bloomfield does a great job re-creating the feel/style for each song using the style of the original artist/time period. My favorites are Mama Lion, WDIA, and Hey Foreman.
   
   This is not your Bloomfield guitar slinger album, rather a serious study in the diverse styles of the blues. He shows why he was so great.



4. This CD is a collection of two Mike Bloomfield albums that include an instructional album done for Guitar Player magazine in the 70's and the hard to get Bloomfield/Harris. You can forget about the hard charging sounds of Butterfield Blues/Electric Flag/Super Session. This is stripped down accoustic blues and gospel played by one of the greatest guitar players of all time.
   The first 22 tracks are the instructional album "If you love those blues play 'em as you please", accoustic blues with a very interesting narrative by Mr. Bloomfield himself before each song. The remaining tracks are accoustic gospel with Woody Harris and Mike Bloomfield. The sound mix is excellent.

5 comments about Bill and Gloria Gaither - Kennedy Center Homecoming: A Celebration of Our Faith and Our Heritage.

1. This may be the best of all the Gaither DVDs. Nothing is better than I've Just Seen Jesus with Larnelle Harris and Sandy Patty. You must own this one.The Mystery of God's Will: Living the Christian Life as Seen in Ephesians



2. I picked this up at the local Christian Bookstore, having grown a taste for the music from the relentless hours my parents watched these reruns on TNN. Now at 22 I'm a huge fan of old time gospel music. Be sure to get the copy that includes the bonus tape "Backstage". There is an acoustic (piano/voice) version of a song the Katina's wrote for their late mother that's awesomely inspiring. The backstage tape ends with about 20 minutes of Andrae Crouch and the gang around a piano just jamming. Pick this one up for sure!



3. Without a doubt, this is the best! The quality of the music and performance is wonderful. I have watched this video many times and still sit on the edge of my chair through-out.



4. I have seen most all of the Gaither videos and love each and every one. I will eventually own all of them as does both my brother and sister. Vestal Goodman is my most favorite, but Lillie and all others, especially Karen Christmas inspire me to greatness. Being from Marietta, Ga. should also give you a clue as to who I think is the absolute pinnacle of beauty.



5. This tape is so good. I would like to be able to send it to all my family and friends. This tape made me so proud to be an American, and a Christian. Everything is excellant. Thank you for the vision to tape in our Nations capital.