2 comments about Mystery Train.

1. Vocalist Junior Paker cut some of the finest blues/R&B records ever laid to wax in the 50's and early 60's and was a dominant influence on legions of blues, R&B, and soul artists-Bobby Bland, Otis Rush, and Al Green, to name a few. Sadly, he remains to this day an unsung hero in a genre of unsung heroes, probabaly because he was never big with white rock musicians. On the upside, the 1990's saw a number of fine Parker compilations released, "Mystery Train" being one of them. "Mystery Train" consists of the brooding title track(yes, later covered by Elvis) and everything else Parker cut for Sam Phillip's Sun label in the early 50's. These tracks are a brilliant hybrid of country and urban blues stylings. Despite uniformly superb performances, these sessions yielded only two R&B chart entries-the aformentioned title track and "Feelin' Good," a John Lee Hooker inspired boogie. Perhaps the finest track from these sessions, though, is "Love My Baby," a wild proto-rockabilly number featuring the nasty, distorted, twin guitar attack of Floyd Murphy and Pat Hare. Hare's punishing fretboard work is also heard to good effect on an included James Cotton Sun single, "Cotton Crop Blues" and Hare's only solo side, the now darkly ironic(it's a long story)"I'm Gonna Murder My Baby." All in all, this music is as powerful and unique as anything cut by any of Sun's more famous artists.



2. Feelin'good; the best song ever recorde

5 comments about Release the Hound.

1. This is a terrific show and probably THE Hound Dog Taylor album to own. This is a fantastic live raw blues, played energetically whilst the band is in 'top condition'.Hound Dog's lazy friendly voice nailing each tune. Plus the bands really in shape too..a neat drum solo, absolutely crankin' slide tones, groovin' bass... fun fun fun !!! Let's get drunk !...I own his other albums [which are very 'raw shows' and possibly a bit too rough for everyday listening].But this CD is a truely great record,thoroughly enjoyable and timelessly exciting. *(Mind you..beware if you are into homogenised white blues)..this set is 'real' electric slide-guitar juke-joint boogie & blues music.Presently on permanent rotation in my car stereo.This is one of the best 'live' blues shows on record ever...I'd say *[I own possibly 6,000 cd's and records].



2. This CD Jukes,Boogies,Rocks and Rolls!The sounds of Hound Dog Taylor is like Pre-Psychedelic,Elmore James,Blues Rock boogie that came straight from the Cotton fields to mix with the tough urban feel oF Chicago Blues.While my favorite Hound Dog Cd live is still "Beware Of The Dog" this CD is a very Close 2nd!The Hound Dog is Howlin'!



3. Hound Dog Taylor
   Release The Hound
   
   Alligator is the house that Hound Dog Taylor built. On 14 previously unreleased shufflin' boogies, mostly recorded live between 1971 and 1975, he depicts the joy that is the blues using his raw guitar and sloppy vocals. These 70 manic minutes were primarily compiled from radio broadcasts and board tapes. There are imperfections such as hiss and distortion but don't be put off as the sound is remarkable good.
   
   You can't visually witness the band's alcohol-induced, wild entertainment as described in Bruce Iglauer's liner notes but you easily sense it via numbers like "She's Gone". Many of the tunes such as "Wild About You, Baby" feature Taylor's simple musical template. Taylor often gets too wrapped up in a song's hypnotic rhythm, e.g., "See Me In The Evening". However, "Sitting At Home Alone" makes you fall in love with the blues all over again.
   
   If you've already been attacked by the Hound, this collection may not offer enough to be added to your library. Big time Dog fans will want and cherish these historical recordings. Almost 30 years after his death, this disc further proves Hound Dog was not one of the greatest but was one of the best.
   
   -- Tim Holek



4. The late, great Hound Dog Taylor was one of the best live acts ever. This CD brings him back in all his ragged, raunchy live glory. Hound Dog's appeal had nothing to do with his modest abilities as a guitarist or singer. His self-assessment was: "They'll say he couldn't play s___, but he made it sound good." Amen. Don't let any references to "sound quality" deter you here -- the plain truth is that Hound Dog's "sound quality" was never that much to begin with, so this CD is a pretty fair representation of what he sounded like live. He never had good equipment, and it wouldn't have mattered if he did. He just wanted everybody to have as good a time as he was having. We did. He had the most fun of any musician I ever saw. Also the most alcohol.
   
   For the uninitiated, the most obvious comparison is Elmore James. The comparison used to annoy Hound Dog, who insisted "I don't sound like no ___ ____ Elmore James!" Well, musically he did, but Elmore James never sounded anywhere near as joyful. `Dog played the same style loud electric slide boogie, but never had a horn section or bass player. Given the low-tech, stripped-down nature of Hound Dog's act, if a bass part was needed, it got played by whoever wasn't playing lead. At times, it sounded like rhythm guitarist Brewer Phillips was playing bass, even though he apparently didn't have a bass guitar. If Phillips was playing lead on one of his songs, `Dog played a passable bass line on his legendarily cheap Silvertone guitar.
   
   It's hard to be fully objective if you ever saw Hound Dog live, because it is impossible to hear this CD without strong visual memories of just how much joy he had and gave. Hound Dog had an impossibly large grin that remained in place no matter how low-down, sad or abused the subject matter of the song was. He was the happiest looking man on earth, despite (or because of?) the fact that The HouseRockers gigged constantly for peanuts.
   
   At times, it seemed that `Dog might be the most easily amused man, too, although again the level of his alcohol consumption might explain it. I recall a show where Blind Jim Brewer was the opening act. `Dog was absolutely beside himself about the fact that the warm-up dude and his rhythm guitarist shared the name Brewer. He kept saying: "We got two Brew' tonight. We got Blind Jim Brew' and ..." By then he was in hysterics. He tried at least three times, but just couldn't get through it without falling out laughing. When he couldn't even say "two Brew" without cracking up, he just went on with the show. You probably had to see it to appreciate it. I wish I could go see him tonight, but I'll treasure this great live CD to remember the good times.



5. "Raw, Rough And Reckless" the back cover proudly proclaims, and that's no lie.
   
   Theodore "Hound Dog" Taylor only released two LPs in his lifetime, but several posthumous albums have added to that sparse legacy, and "Release The Hound" is the latest addition to the Hound Dog catalogue. It brings together 11 previously unreleased live recordings and three studio outtakes, and while this is NOT the place for newcomers to start, those who are already in the doghouse will be delighted by this gritty close to the catalogue of one of Chicago's most legendary bluesmen.
   
   Hound Dog Taylor and his extremely loose bass-less trio sound like they're about to lose it at times, but they never do, and while the sound quality is not excactly stellar, nothing is anywhere near unlistenable.
   Hound Dog tears through well-known songs ("Sadie", "See Me In The Evening", "It Hurts Me Too", the instrumental "Walking The Ceiling" which has been equipped with a drum solo) and less well-known ones (the slow grind of "Sitting At Home Alone", a live ten-minute "Things Don't Work Out Right", the tough "Dust My Broom"-ripoff "Wild About You Baby"), and the set ends with a "hidden" track, Hound Dog, Brewer Phillips and Ted Harvey bantering with the audience ("I'm gonna streak tonight", says co-lead guitarist Brewer Phillips, "gonna get buck nekkid!")
   
   We don't know if that particular threat was carried out or not, but it sounds like the audience had a good time either way. Hound Dog fans will, too, once they pick up this slice of supremely gritty, gutbucket blues.

2 comments about Best of the Verve Years.

1. What we have here is the very desirable, very RARE and OUT-OF-PRINT, and most importantly, groundbreaking first solo releases of the great James Cotton on Verve records. It is titled "Best of the Verve Years", and it is just that!
   
   After serving as front man and harpist for the legendary Muddy Waters band for 12 years, blues harp legend James Cotton's debut at Verve Records in 1967-1968 is generally conceded to be his most fertile period artistically, and this intelligently chosen best-of does little to dispel that impression. This CD covers all the music from Cotton's first classic LP on Verve, plus nine tracks from his next two Verve releases. A total of 20 awesome cuts in all. It remains one of the crucial artifacts of the '60s blues revival.
   
   Cotton is in fine form vocally throughout (on "Feeling Good" he threatens to turn into Screamin' James Cotton), and the big band backing (featuring veterans of the Butterfield Blues Band and Muddy Waters) couldn't be better. Highpoints: A virtuoso take on Little Walter's harp instrumental "Off the Wall", an intense cover B. B. King's classic "Sweet Sixteen", and an excellent showcase for underrated guitarist Luther Tucker's flurry-of-notes approach. Then there is my personal favorite, "The Creeper", a six minute showcase of Cotton as harpist extraordinaire.
   
   Here is the Personnel Line-up:
   
   James Cotton (vocals, harmonica); Robert Anderson (vocals, electric bass); Michael Bloomfield (guitar); Luther Tucker, Bill Nugent (alto saxophone); James F. "Gene" Barge (tenor saxophone); McKinley Easton, Delbert L. Hill (baritone saxophone); David "Fathead" Newman (saxophone); Paul Serrano (trumpet); Louis E. Satterfield, John M. Watson (trombone); Alberto Gianquinto, Mark Naftalin (piano, organ); Sam Lay, Francis Clay (drums).
   
   Producers:
   
   Michael Bloomfield, Norman Dayron, Barry Goldberg, John Court, Elliot Mazer.
   
   Recorded in New York on March 24, 1967 and February 20 & December 17, 1968. Includes liner notes by Dick Shurman.
   
   Get this CD! It will quickly become one of your favorite Blues Harp CD's. It's right up there with Little Walter's "His Best", Big Walter's "Fine Cuts", and Junior Wells' "Hoodoo Man Blues".



2. What we have here are the The James Cotton Blues Band debut album from 1967 and tracks from the Pure Cotton album from 1967 and 2 tracks from Cotton In Your Ears cut with members of the Butterfield Blues Band(Bloomfield is here)...Remastered.. blues for those who know..

5 comments about These Blues Are All Mine.

1. There's something about Tab Benoit that reminds me of John Fogerty, and I mean that in the most positive possible way.

   Benoit brings together a mix of influences from the Louisiana gumbo of his musical upbringing and produces a fine album here. Of the thirteen tracks on this disk, he wrote five, and arranged the rest. The tracks he didn't write draw on such diverse origins as Albert Collins, Willie Dixon, and even Hank Williams. "Greatness creates, genius steals" -- and Benoit steals from only the best.

   He brings strong chops to his work, and all the songs are driven by his undoubted guitar skill. He takes hold of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" and makes it his own while remaining true to the classic original. Tracks like "Twenty-Nine Ways," "Bayou Boogie," and the title song harken back to the great minds of the Louisiana Blues heyday. And his sandblasted but sculpted voice is a pleasure to listen to.

   But for all that, he breaks no real ground on this disc. There's really nothing that establishes a distinct Tab Benoit voice. He hangs close to the established forms of the genre. This creates an ambience that suggests he wants only those who keep to the center of the road without venturing into new domains to listen to his tunes.

   This disc, though accomplished, feels like an early work by someone whose greatest creative accomplishments are yet to come. This is odd, as this is Benoit's sixth album. There's a feel here like the artist is still finding who he is apart from the influences that guide him.

   Still, the disc is eminently listenable, and offers a pleasing sound for lovers of the blues. Though he doesn't venture from the fold, he does have a firm grasp of the roots from which he hails. Perhaps with time and experience he'll establish himself as himself; until then, he's established as a voice of a classic sound, and that's not half bad.




2. Simple...this disk is Tab on front, on his own and on fire...Every tune is very well recorded, but not over produced. The Tones are solid all the way through. Really this is the disk you want people to hear if your gonna introduce them to Tab Benoit!



3. I was lucky enough to catch Tab at a blues festival here in New Mexico this summer-WOW! He had the last of three blues bands appearing that day. None of the three were the least bit bad, but Tab was in a whole different realm. Consider buying this CD an investment in the good health of your soul. Tab comes on with a blast of energy that gives you a thrill. Great stuff.



4. I caught Tab playing at a small club in Madison, Wisconsin, sometime around 1993. There weren't many people there, but he and his trio played the hell out of the place. Strangers started dancing with each other, kid guitar players were slack-jawed, and everyone ordered up more beer. He brought Louisiana to the Chilly North, and the Chilly North was better for it. We were amazed at how good and whiskeyed-up his voice was. You want a good blues record? Tired of the same Stevie Ray licks? This is your man.



5. Agreeing with Tab's live performances,theres none like it around>!The man can put on a show,you just wanna move.He brings that to his studio albums,plays his friggin heat out,pulls out all the stops.The killer covers of albert king & collins is on the money with Tab's own sig. licks.BUY THIS CD p.s anybody have any Tab tunes transcribed,write me,thanks.

5 comments about A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

1. 
   Vaughan's old band, led by his brother Jimmie, and a group of big-name blues-rock stars, play tribute to the late-great blues man. Guests are B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr. John and Art Neville.
   
   In between the songs are tributes by those guests, and some short excerpts of Vaughan's performances from various concerts. Those excerpts are great, and really show off Stevie Ray's extraordinary talent.
   
   Speaking of talent, all the guests are entertaining and fun to hear. Buddy Guy is fun to watch, too. Does anybody have more fun playing blues on his guitar than Guy? Nobody, frankly, does a super song but they are all good and, for just $10, this is a good deal.. The best number is at the end when the group jam and takes turns with solos. The finale, "SRV Shuffle," to me, was the best song on the DVD. It's so good I get tears in my eyes every time I watch and hear that last number.



2. This is one of the best of ACL and that's saying a whole lot. This 1995 tribute to Austin-based Stevie Ray Vaughn featured an all-star cast, including Stevie's brother, Jimmy, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bonnie Raitt, and more.
   
   "Pride and Joy" by Bonnie Raitt is probably my favorite of the bunch, but there's not a bad song in the collection.
   
   For such a short life, Stevie Ray Vaughn made an outstanding contribution to blues and guitar and he will be sorely missed. In my opinion, this is one of the best tributes I have ever seen or heard.



3. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King are my two favorite electric blue guitarists. I've had this CD for 10 years and it's just as great every time I play it. Until the last month (December 2006) I didn't know about amazon.com's venue for reviews, so Shaq is making up for lost time. This is without a doubt a 5 star classic! With stars paying tribute to Stevie, such as Bonnie Raitt, BB, Buddy Guy, Clapton, Doctor John, Robert Cray, brother Jimmie, and others. Buddy Guy performs a "haunting" version of "Long Way From Home". The lyrics for "Six Strings Down", which basically, welcomes Stevie to blues heaven, where he joins with the likes of Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, T-bone and others, is intelligent, touching, and oh yea! Has a good beat! SHAQ BLUES HISTORICAL TRIVIA NOTE FOR MY LOYAL BLUES FANS: "The night Stevie died, at the end of the concert in Wisconsin, Eric Clapton, told Stevie, with witnesses, "You're the best blues guitarist I ever heard!" By the way, read all of Shaq's blues reviews for all kinds of nuggets like these. P.S. Stevie's last recorded CD is "Family Style". I'll rate it a 5 here because I can't find it on amazon. It's a 4 musically, but the fact that it was the last CD he recorded, in addition to being the reuniting of brothers Stevie and Jimmie, and the hatchet between the brothers was buried.



4. Tribute albums aoften strike me as a collection of poor imitations of the original- but this is different. First and foremost, everyone on it was close to SRV, from his brother on down. They knew him, they played with him, and they understood his style. Second, and perhaps even more importantly, this was a live concert. Instead of a bunch of gunslingers trying to out-SRV each other in a studio, you have a group of great musicians, each a great stylist in their own right, and none of whom has to prove anything to anyone. The result is magical music that serves as a true tribute to that great Texas guitar player, Stevie Ray Vaughn.



5. This CD has the best blues musicians in the world paying tribute to SRV.
   Bonnie Raitt opens with a killer slide version of Pride and Joy,
   Jimmy Vaughn does a great version of Texas Flood second only to the version by Stevie.
   BB King does Telephone Song. Buddy Guy almost steals the show with Long Way From Home.
   Eric Clapton does a solid version on Aint Gonna Give Up On Love.
   Robert Cray does a strong version of Love Struck Baby
   This is a fitting tribute of musicians who are honoring SRV along with SRV's former band members.
   This is a must for any SRV fan, or any blues fan............

5 comments about Makin' Love Is Good for You.

1. B.B. King is Blues. I love this album. So much feeling; so much soul. Not sure if as good as Blues by the Bayou (arguably his best album). But this man Speaks. Anybody wanting to get into blues should listen to B.B. King, and this album is no exception! What would blues be like without B.B. King? This album makes me feel good.



2. Let me start this by saying I love B.B. King. I have about 8 of his recordings. Blues on the Bayue is better in my opinion though. Why? Better songs, less bad notes, better feel. I like these two that he did his self and they do have a good night club sound, I just thought he needed to spend a little more time on the recording as well as material. Some of the lines were cliche.

   ...

   Dave




3. The soft melody and his strong personality are more than enough to welcome this new materwork. The sound is clear and effective. He is like good wine, he becomes better with years. My respects!



4. This is a better album than Blues On The Bayou, I also love that but Makin' Love Is Good For You truly is more inspired.



5. This cd shows why B.B. King is really the KING! This is another great King's work as a great producer and that guitarman of old times! For me,one of the best cds of B.B. King and my favorite is "I know".Excelent by all the ways...nothing more...just hear...and dance...and love....! Thanks a lot B.B.!

5 comments about Favorite Hymns of the Homecoming Friends.

1. One of the best Gaither CD's I've listened to. Recommended especially if you like slow, spirit-filled ballad type music



2. We just love this group, they are like family to us, their songs of praise are just so beautiful to listen to. Added this one to my collection.



3. God delivery time and a great CD



4. This is an average recording all around, but it is worth it to hear Guy Penrod on "I will sing of My Redeemer."



5. You won't find a bigger fan of Gaither music than I am. I love the new songs of today, but there is something special about the old hymns. The highlight of this album is Glen Payne and Guy Penrod singing "The Haven of Rest". This is probably a 6 star album in my opinion!!!

2 comments about Shoulder to Shoulder.

1. For nearly 30 years, John Cephas & Phil Wiggins have been a premier combination. They are skilled in performing Piedmont Blues. This melodic and acoustic brand of blues came from the tidewater region of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. It was popularized by Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, and more recently Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Cephas, a former carpenter, wrote six new originals for the album. There are also a half-dozen cover songs from the likes of Sleepy John Estes, Blind Boy Fuller, Skip James, and Sonny Boy Williamson. On them, it is daunting how the venerable duo transports you to the past while not allowing you to become trapped.
   
   These thoroughly enjoyable 51-minutes are all about the songs, not the solos. With a baritone voice, 76 year old Cephas delivers smooth and clear lyrics. His guitar work is gentle while Wiggins adds heavy harmonica. It is rejuvenating on Ain't Seen My Baby. If he was plugged in, 52 year old Wiggins - who learned to play by listening to recordings of Sonny Terry, Little Walter, and both Sonny Boys - would single-handedly create an electrical storm. With a natural feel, their music is simple and complex.
   
   Unlike their many other releases, this CD features Ann Rabson and Daryl Davis as guest pianists. Recorded live earlier this year at The Democratic Club in Washington, D.C. (where Cephas & Wiggins were born), The Blues Three Ways features Davis' trembling treble hand while I Did Do Right reveals Rabson's boisterous keyboards. On I Won't Be Down and Seattle Rainy Day Blues, the partners are accompanied by piano and Andrew Volpe's chugging bass. The arrangement on the former is a treasure piece. Urban polish is added to rural muck on the standout track All I've Got Is Them Blues. Throughout, Cephas' finger picked guitar is constantly subtle. As on Catfish Blues, you never know where Wiggins' free-roaming harp is going to travel. When it starts to stray, the guitar acts like a faithful sheepdog and reels it back in. Cephas' nonchalant and unpretentious voice is the perfect companion for the distressing lyrics of Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
   
   On Shoulder To Shoulder, Cephas & Wiggins perform a style of endangered blues in a stress-relieving and contenting fashion. Although acoustic blues can be mistakenly declared dull and boring, Cephas & Wiggins brighten this fading American art form. Why don't you allow them to give you a new, or renewed, lease on country blues?



2. A nice CD. Has some good music. If you like lots of harmonica, this is a good CD for you!
   
   Tucky

1 comments about Philadelphia Folk Festival - 40th Anniversary.

1. I love this album because it brought back memories of my attending the Festival. It's a great way to discover a lot of new (and old) people such as John Prine, Mollie O'Brien, Richard Thompson, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and so many others. I realize that space was at a premium but I'm sorry Judy Roderick (who was a wonderful blues singer and very big in Philly) and the Greenbriar boys were left out. John Prine's Hello, in There and Richard Thompson's Beeswing are wonderful. In fact, the latter version is more haunting (if it's possible) than the recorded version and the song never fails to make me cry. Thompson is brilliant.
   
   Even if you've never attended the Festival, it is worth getting for the joyous music on it.

4 comments about Live at Theresa's 1975.

1. This is a great live blues album. The sound quality is pretty good and the venue is small enough to give you a good sense of what it would have been like to see Junior is a club. This album finds junior in his prime (which was quite a while) and feeling comfortable with his environment.
   
   For more great live Junior Wells check out Buddy Guy's Smolin' TNT and Drinking Dynamite (which is just as much a Junior album as it is a Guy album). For great studio work check out Hoodoo Man Blues, which may be one of the finest studio blues albums ever made.
   
   Given his catelog and this album,it got me thinking that may be Junior is a little (or a lot)under rated. He was one of the best and this album is proof of that. Enjoy.



2. A good live blues album featuring Junior Wells. The version of Key to the Highway on this CD is my favorite. If you want to know what it sounds like to be at a live blues gig in Chicago in the 70's then buy this album. However, if you want a live album with good sound quality and performance I would recommend Junior Wells Live at the Golden Bear instead, as he performs better on that CD in my opinion.



3. Junior Wells' "Live at Theresa's 1975" should grow into a classic live blues recording because it gives you the heart and soul of a live blues performance: great music, great songs, and great patter.
   
   Theresa's was a popular Chicago blues spot in 1975, and it served as one of the chief hangouts of blues harmonica great Wells when he was in town. On the record, he's definitely in his element: laughing, joking, and working the room. The music is great, and Wells' gritty, raw-edged vocals heighten the flaovr of the live performance.
   
   This is a great live recording of an genre, and one that will be fondly remembered.



4. This CD is a great companion to "Junior Wells: On Tap". On Tap was the first blues album I bought (on vinyl) around 1980 and it inspired me to play blues harp. I never saw Junior play at Theresa's but I saw his performances at many other venues, often with Buddy Guy. The combination of the songs and speaking on this album make you feel like you're in the audience. I was especially surprised by Junior's rendition of "Juke" which almost sounds like Little Walter or Carey Bell playing live on Maxwell Street! To me, this recording captures the essence of Junior Wells, a true blues legend who died before his time.