5 comments about The Anthology.

1. What can I say that hasn't already been said??
   Bobby is the man (period)
   And to top it all off, Amazon has a great price for this Anthology CD. Dont even think about downloading per track! You will be looking at about $45-$50 bucks. And the free shipping... just cant be beat.
   There are at least 30 "hits" on this CD of 50. Excellent value



2. Yeah, this is what I mean when I say, "talking about the blues". This is it. Bobby Blue Bland is the man!!!! That roughness in his voice is it!!! Sit down, pull your shoes off, relax and listen to this!!!! You need no other!!!! My husband and I love it!!! We have all of Bobby's cds AND some tapes (we're from the "ole school").
   
   B.T.



3. How many artists have been covered by the Grateful Dead ("One More Saturday Night"), been sampled by Jay-Z ("Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City"), and played with B.B. King in concert? Just one: Bobby "Blue" Bland. Man, this guy is amazing. I religiously listen to the blues show on my local jazz radio station every weekend, but besides one live Albert Collins CD, some John Lee Hooker, and some Howlin' Wolf, I've almost never actually gone out and bought something I heard on that show. But when I heard Bobby's "Goin' Down Slow," I was transfixed. I had already arrived home in my Jeep, but I sat there through the five minute song, in awe, and I couldn't stop thinking how this was something that Dylan or Jerry Garcia would just LOVE (and that was before I knew that "One More Saturday Night" was actually a Bobby Bland cover!). Well, about half the stuff on this Anthology is equally good. Just listen to the sound sample for "Poverty," as well as the songs I've already mentioned. Check Bobby Bland out for yourself and you won't be disappointed.



4. You can't think about downhome blues without thinking about Bobby Bland. Even though he has a more sophisticated style of singing the blues, his singing will put you in a bluesy mood.



5. This cd is the best option for avid Bobby Bland fans. It has every song that you might possibly want and some you may have forgotten. For the price, its optimum.

5 comments about Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

1. AN EXCELLENT CD & DVD BOX SET FOR ANY SRV COLLECTOR....!!! WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ITEM!



2. This is a great CD from Stevie Ray Vaughan. I would recommend it to all Vaughan lovers.



3. I'd attend every Stevie Ray concert ever held if granted a wish to change something about my life. This box set is about as close as I can get to that wish. It covers his career pretty well and includes his excellent cover of Jimi's "Third Stone from the Sun." The only disappointment is the brevity of the video disc: an Austin City Limits performance that left me crying for more!
   Love Stevie Ray? Buy this box!!!



4. The CD set arrived in excellent condition and well within the stated delivery time. I was very pleased with my order.



5. I got pulled into the music of SRV by my brother. I gave him this collection for christmas and was a big hit.

5 comments about The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 3.

1. I'v been avoiding writing a review about these dvd's (American Folk & blues festival vol 1, Vol 2, vol 3,) for a while now, mainly because I get so emotional when I think about them. So I wont even try. But I will say this much....The ONLY place in the world where you can see the fabulous T-Bone Walker on dvd... is on these sets (he appears on all 3 volumes). And where else are you gonna see Lonnie Johnson, Shakey Horton, Junior Wells, Big Joe Williams, Willie Dixon, Otis Span, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Mama Thorton, A very young Buddy Guy, and a very young Hubert Sumlin, Big Joe Turner, Son House, Koko Tayler, Lightnin Hopkins, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Howlin Wolf, AND MANY MORE!!! YOU NEED TO HAVE ALL 3 VOLUMES FOR YOUR COLLECTION!



2. If you like the blues you'll love this DVD. I especially liked the acoustic set with Skip James, Son House & Bukka White. The Black & White is cool and the sound is good.



3. buy all 3 volumes - if you are a music fan, this is the origin of the blues.



4. I am new to the Blues. I've listened to many songs, from Delta Blues to Chicago Blues, and loved them all. After listening to so many songs, it is nice to put a face to the name. Not only that, but to see and feel the energy of real Bluesmen and women. I absolutely loved this DVD! I'd highly recommend it to anybody looking to start or continue a Blues DVD collection.



5. This dvd is an historical treasure. The product is very high quality in every way. It has some of the earliest films known from some blues artists, as well as some of the only known films of some as well(Little Walter).Everything from the urban blues of Big Mama Thornton, Buddy Guy, Hound Dog Taylor,and Koko Taylor. To the haunting,country blues,of Skip James, Bukka White, and Son House. I particularly like the performance of the famous song " Crow Jane" by Skip James, as well as the extras like the raucous, obscure Earl Hooker, who evokes shades of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix with his Univox guitar and Sound City amplifier. Buy and enjoy this forgotten legacy!

5 comments about The Real Deal: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.

1. Stevie Ray is absolutely awesome. Next to BB King and Eric Clapton, he's on my fav five.



2. SRV guitar goes smooth like silk in this Greatest hits. You do not have to search yourr entire SRV collection for those masterpieces because they are all here.



3. It's a shame that for all of us SRV fans every knew albulm that his estate releases will always and forever be a rerun, but for a true SRV fan all ya gotta do is shuffle the order and throw in a song or two that was recorded different and we are in Heaven. It's SRV to the bone, like everything he did, to the bone!!!



4. I Have almost every SRV CD out there.And a couple of Bootlegs that are worthy.But still I'ma SRV collector.Just like those people who collect everything The Beatles recorded. I just got a note that they re-released
   "Pride in Joy" on DVD. I saw it for sale on another web site years ago & when I went back to buy it. It was gone. Including Amazon.Til Now. I just hit the buy button seconds ago for it & this CD.
   
   BTW,I live in Houston & when I'm in Dallas,
   I always have a cup of coffee with Stevie,when I'm in his hometown.



5. I own many SRV CDs but needed this one to have in my car at all times. Some of his best music is on this CD and it is great to have it handy on one CD. If you own a collection of SRV music this is not really needed unless you want a travel CD like I do. I find it necessary to have one. I mourn for him every time I play this CD and find it difficult to accept the fact that we will never hear the music we could have had if he had not left us so young. And I am grateful for the the music he did leave for us to enjoy.

No comments about Vantage Point.

5 comments about The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Stuff: The Greatest Hits.

1. This is a great album! This has all of their great hits.I highly recommend this album!



2. Kim Wilson solo is even better! I saw him at a
   blues club by the Virginia Beach oceanfront ten
   years ago. He interacted well with the crowd and
   slapped me five when he came into audience. But
   'Fabulous' Thunderbirds is a stretch. Good or
   better than Avg. would be sufficient!



3. The Fabulous Thunderbirds are what real Rock n' Roll is all about! This is a really good compilation, it hits all the high spots and is a joy to listen to. The sound is very good and everything about this compilation is just great. If you love good Rock, you need this!



4. HOT STUFF: THE GREATEST HITS is a wonderful collection of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' later material, which combined their Texas R&B with a Memphis funk style to create a blend which succeeded in crossing over to rock radio. You should buy this anthology and the first four CDs first to start your Fabulous Thunderbirds collection.



5. What I just found out today was some of the best news I have ever heard. The T-birds are playing at my prom! This will be the best night of my lifee!!

5 comments about Martin Scorsese Presents: The Best Of The Blues.

1. This CD, part of the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese's PBS series, showcases blues hits and singers from Robert Johnson and Son House to Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Allman Brothers. One can trace the evolution of blues from its raw beginnings to its more contemporary manifestations. As such, it is fun to listen to, although one can quarrel with the selections chosen for this single CD (there are other products available that are more inclusive). But I'm not quarreling about anything after having listened to this CD.
   
   It starts right off with Robert Johnson singing "Cross Road Blues." It is always interesting listening to this artist, legend that he is. He sings with a raw blues voice and his characteristic guitar work. His role in the history of the blues is unquestioned.
   
   Another pioneer was Son House, who--after many years of absence from the musical scene--was happily rediscovered in the 1960s. Listen to him sing "Death Letter Blues." No wonder he is so well reputed! A rough and ready voice and simple guitar work, a link to the early days of blues.
   
   One of my favorites is Howlin' Wolf, represented here by his wonderful "Evil (Is Going On)." His rough, raw blues singing always appeals to me. He sings of evil going on, with fine backing music. He sings of "Mule kickin' in a door" and "You better watch your happy home." I'd say there's a little tension in the air!
   
   And then another of my very favorite artists--Muddy Waters, singing "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man." The opening bars represent some of the absolute best blues work in the repertoire. Momma said of the birth of the character in the song that "He's gonna make pretty women jump and shout." Waters' blues singing is absolutely classic (Yes, I'm a cheerleader here). His backing musicians are wonderful (some great talent here, including Little Walter, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, and Fred Below).
   
   More contemporary? I could not resist listening to Janis Joplin again (It's been a long time since I've listened to her music), as she sings "One Good Man." Her familiar wailing voice sounds good to my ears. Some good backing music. She sings that she likes to go to parties and have fun--but what she really wants is one good man. As she says of such a person in her inimitable style:
   
   "It ain't much,
   It's only everything."
   
   So, in the end, this is a fine compilation, taking, as it does, only a small segment of the music covered in the original series. Nonetheless, it provides one a nice example of the evolution of the blues over time.



2. very good collection of blues all over the years of its existence. recommendable.



3. Having watched this series on PBS, I knew what I was getting when I made this purchase. For anyone new to the blues and wanting a good starter disc for a well rounded taste, this disc is a must have. It affords the listener a sampling of the evolution of the blues sound, beginning with the founders right up to today. For the established blues fan, it's a nice addition to their collection. A great disc for travelling.



4. Big thanks to the "gods" in heaven and other places were they maybe hangin' out, for gaving Mr. Martin Scorsese the vision and the tools to bring together the past, the present and the future of the history of the Blues music...so every man or woman will not have any excuse not to know that "the blues is the roots and everything else is the fruits...," according to (Willie Dixon)... In short, thank you Martin Scorsese! Exhilarating to say the least!
   
   --"Big Dave" Burleigh, an 'AmeriCanadian' Record Producre/ Artist/ Singer-Songwritre.



5. As a long time Blues player, I was very disappointed with this set from two perspectives: poor quality recordings on the CD itself (I expected a better digitally mastered sound, and the imprinted sound volume was sorta lower than normal) and the actual collection of selected songs (not overly representative of the best Blues by these artists or Blues in general). I had seen part of it on PBS TV and bought the collection w/o first listening to it. So after spending the big bucks for it, I was sorely disappointed and do NOT recommend it for anyone serious about the Blues. It's just an okay set. There are many other higher quality collections online. Check them out first.

5 comments about Folk Singer.

1. This is one of my alltime favorite blues albums. It is an acoustic album and Muddy shines in this format. The only thing I didn't care for on this version were the five bonus tracks. They just don't fit the vibe of the original version. On the other hand, it's some additional Muddy Waters for no extra cost! Get this album and you won't be disappointed.



2. A top rate blues album. One of my favorites, it gets at least weekly listens if not daily.



3. I found this in my friends cd collection, threw it on, noticed it had willie dixon, one of my all time faves, on stand up bass. It blew my mind!what a discovery. never had heard this before somehow altho i love blues. and have seen specials on muddy. get this immediately. stop everything you are doing right now and buy this lp. it is simply one of the best blues lps of all time. beautifully restored remastered in the 99 pressing. gold pure gold.



4. What a great blues album! I just received it in the mail, and this is one of those CD's that exceeds all expectations. First, I was floored by the sound quality - hi-res with beaucoups of air and a realistic soundstage. As I continued through the disc, it became obvious that this CD belongs on a short list of the best blues albums ever made because the performances were also incredible! No folk songs here - it's all acoustic blues with Willie Dixon on bass and Buddy Guy on guitar accompanying Muddy. The bonus tracks are all keepers too. This is absolutely essential blues, and music for the ages.



5. This is a wonderful CD, it has several alternate takes of songs that we've all heard versions of, which I find very interesting. One of the most interesting qualities of blues music is that the performers rarely play the song the same way twice, that's what makes it exciting. Definitely a good CD for you collection!

1 comments about The Original Delta Blues.

1. For all those pursuing deep blues this is essential listening. Sound quality is excellent. Guitar playing is rough and ready by modern technical standards, but hey - that's the way it is - all feel. Vocals are stunning. Great to hear his homage to Patton's 'Moon going down' -'Empire State Express'. This is your chance to hear real deep delta blues sans the crappy dynamics of 78RPM recordings. If only more of the old Delta players had survived long enough to be able to be re-recorded with such quality.

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.