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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Chicago Blues    3. Electric Chicago Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop    6. United States of America   

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• Soundtrack

Reviews (9)

no slide
I bought this cd to learn the potential of slide guitar, figuring that a live album would best capture it.So you can understand my disappointment when I patiently listened to the first song, assuming that he'd pick up his slide later.But he doesn't.
Doesn't get much better than this
I had the privilege of taking in a live performance by Mr. Phelps in Fall River MA this past weekend, and all I can say is that it was mesmerizing.This live CD does an excellent job of capturing his utterly unique take on the acoustic blues.It's a must have for any serious blues afficionado.However, you MUST see this man live - I promise you will not regret it.

beautiful music
I have all Kelly Joe's cds and this is my current favorit. His music is so warm and soothing. I have had the pleasure of seeing him perform in person and this cd reminded me very much of the live performance.His guitar playing is wonderful and I highly recommend all his cd's. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Folk-Blues    4. Modern Acoustic Blues    5. Pop   

Editorial Review

Most live blues recordings have a feeling of intimacy, as if the concerts took place in some out-of-the-way venue for an audience who not only know all the lyrics, but know the performers personally as well. Read more

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Reviews (31)

really good. good as any live album.
this is a really good live album. some of the songs he sings are first timers for him like Superstition or I'm Leaving You (Commit a Crime). but all and all, a really great album.

Not His Best
Stevie's contract mandated that he produce another album.He was so strung out on drugs at the time that he was unable to produce new material.A live album was all he was able to come up with.The available material (mostly the Montreaux performances) evidently didn't meet the highest standards of quality so a lot of overdubbing was done.Stevie's drug induced monologue at the end of Life Without You was an embarrassment to many of his friends and colleagues.
****1/2. Much underrated
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan rocked on stage. His rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Commit A Crime" may lack the raw punch of Wolf's original, but that's a minor complaint...most of this album is simply excellent, filled with gems from Vaughan's first three albums.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Guitar Virtuoso    5. Modern Electric Blues    6. Modern Electric Texas Blues    7. Pop    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop   

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Reviews (9)

Basie at his best
It was a great time in the late history of big bands and Basie was enjoying his popularity.It also had to be a high working with Sinatra.This collection was recorded live and definately swings.

One of my favorite Basie recordings
Energy....killing Sonny Payne fills and set-ups for the band....absolutely electric live recording from a peak period for Basie and his Band as they backed and opened for Sinatra at the Sands.Great recording quality and remastering for surprising clarity.
a classic
a powerful collection of live sounds from one of the greats, commanding respect and infinite hours of listening. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Big Band    2. Jazz    3. Jazz Music    4. Pop    5. Swing    6. Trad Jazz   

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Reviews (5)

Mott's American Axe
If you had to make up a list of the top 5 most technically brilliant and influential guitarist in the world of rock music, it would be a very hard job and one that would be open to a mountain of debate . But if pushed in no particular order I would come up with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Roy Buchanan. If you were just going for influence then a few more names would have to come into the frame ,Robert Johnson,Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page,even the likes of Toni Iommi and all would come in. For just plain technique some of the new guys would have a say Satriani, Vai or Stevie Ray Vaughn would have a shout, and more than a handful of votes. But to combine the two I would have to stick to my original five. Now three of those might be up to negotiation,but not Jimi or Roy.
The 'Greatest...' Live!!!! Who will contest this?
Once again, It's Roy at his finest!I really enjoy the early/mid seventies live Roy recordings more than the 80's stuff (they are great as well, but theres something about the 70's).Anyway, awesome playing, great songs, maybe not as good of singing as "Livestock" but an excellent album!!

solid guitar playing
very awesome cd, live is the only way to hear this guy. he's great. really really underrated. i always heard his name and decided to pick some of his stuff up. he has an interesting guitar tone. he plays the tele with a very trebly sound. most guys don't play with this sound so this is refreshing to hear. but he's good. check him out if you're fan of blues at all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues-Rock    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop    6. Rock/Pop   

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Reviews (4)

Great blues from great venues
You really, really should see the documentary that this soundtrack comes from.Then you really, really should make a weekend round trip to Clarksdale, Miss. to the Ground Zero, and to Jackson, Miss. to the Subway Lounge on West Pearl Street. (The previous reviewer made an error--it's the SUBWAY Lounge in Jackson, the Ground Zero in Clarksdale.)The Subway Lounge is only open Fri and Sat nights, starting just before midnight, as it has done for a long, long time.Thank God they saved it from demoliton.For blues, tearing down the Subway to put a road through would've been like tearing down Liverpool's The Cavern to make a new goldfish pond. These are the real folks, the real places. You'll do no better than to make this part of your planning for a Delta Blues road trip.

Who ARE these people?
Who cares?They're great!This is the real deal, boys and girls and, because you're here, I can only assume the real deal is what you're looking for.Buy this. It'll make you want to move to Jackson, Mississippi so you can feast on this buffet on a regular basis.

Still humming...
If you want a listen to the real world of Mississippi blues, this CD is for you.These artists are gems! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Electric Blues    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Pop    4. Soundtrack    5. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Features

• Live
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (8)

****1/2. Better sound, better mixes
The original seven-track Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters Live" album was a nice, but ultimately inessential record.
and I thought I've heard it all
I guess I must have not read Muddys biography enough or didn't put two and two together. I thought with the Chess Box 3 CD set I have almost all of his recordings. Best Blues Vocalist
This is the best blues vocalist ever, and the 2nd disc with its more laid back atttiude is better. Excellent sound, excllent band. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional    4. Chicago Blues    5. Electric Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Pop   

Editorial Review

This double-disc, 19-song concert recording, which serves as a fittingly funky retrospective of McClinton's 30-year career, is as close to the definitive Delbert as can be imagined. And, oddly enough, his third and best live album was an inadvertent one--a Norwegian radio broadcast captured a festival set too hot to confine to the airwaves. Here, the Texas honky-tonk blues hero dynamically delivers the core of the live McClinton experience, including an energetic rendition of his 1980 breakout hit "Givin' It up for Your Love," a testifying take on Otis Redding's "I've Got Dreams to Remember," and a rambunctious (and extended) reading of his own "B Movie Boxcar Blues." But Read more

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Reviews (18)

Awesome Blues
If you only want to buy two Delbert CDs; then this has to be one and Room To Breathe should be the other one.If you are disappointed in either of these offerings then you have no soul!

honky tonkin'
For some, the claim to fame of venerable Texas rocker Delbert McClinton is that he gave harmonica tips to a young John Lennon - who put the advice to good use on early Beatles' hits such as Love Me Do and I Should Have Known Better. To others, that is a mere footnote in a recording career that stretches back to 1960 and, on the strength of his vigorous performance here, shows no sign of fatigue. McClinton, who just turned 63, is one of those Texas musicians whose brew of country, blues, rock and soul defies categorisation (Doug Sahm and Roy Head are others, consider too Barbara Lynn, and the Vaughan brothers deserve mention). This double album documents a single 2003 performance at Norway's Bergen Blues Festival. Originally intended only as a radio broadcast, it is a high-energy career review. McClinton and his six-piece band (rhythm section and two horns) mix newer songs with long-in-repertoire nuggets such as B-Movie Boxcar Blues, Giving It Up for Your Love and Otis Redding's I've Got Dreams to Remember (19 songs in all). This set drips honky tonk sweat. (This review appeared in The Age newspaper, Melbounre, Australia.)

A FINE ALBUM But Didn't Meet My Expectation
I purchased this recently after reacquainting myself with DM's work through a couple of studio works. I have never seen him perform live, and might feel differently if I had. I will see if this CD set grows on me over time, but my initial reaction to it is that it's just Okay. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Modern Electric Blues    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Soul-Blues   

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Reviews (9)

F for sound
Well this is a total F for sound. I have 3 dif 3 cd players, home, port, and car, and yes they are good ones, car is a Q45 with a Bose. I bought this CD because of the reviews I read here, what is everyone smoking? or is there not that good of stuff avail from Albert? I don't own any other CD's, but I do know about him from the SRV Sessions VHS I have had for a few years, and it sounds pretty good.
Everybody Can Enjoy
Some guys play guitar to impress girls.They play some cool sounding licks and are rewarded with oohs and aahs.Other serious guitar players impress other guitar players, but their talent surpasses the mortal mind, and they might not appeal to a wide audience.Albert King is a guitar players' guitar player that everyone can enjoy.
Best Blues guitarist ever!!
This is AWESOME Albert King live guitar playing!!! He was at his best on stage!!! Every song is soooo good!! I'd venture to say this is the best blues I've ever heard and I've heard a lot. This includes Hendrix, BB King, EC and SRV. His guitar sound isRead more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. Soul-Blues    6. Urban Blues   

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Reviews (5)

As brilliant as Rush and Clapton are, it's Allison in the end
that takes this record to places it never would have reached otherwise. Otis Rush is a major force compositionally and stylistically in contemporary electric blues, and he has the voice of genuine authority when he sings. What you get on the first five cuts are a sampling of just how strong those talents are. When Clapton comes on to join him, Rush pulls out of Clapton some of the very best work Eric has committed to recording ever. For my ears, it would be until THE CONCERT FOR GEORGE and the Robert Johnson discs that Clapton would be this incendiary again. And that's odd about Clapton: on his own, he is not his best advocate. Put him in a context like this, where he is working within the blues, and he is a very different beast altogether. Clapton tears up his counterattacks to Rush and they clearly are intensely focused on wringing everything out of each song.
Would be better if...
I bought this CD only after a reviewer reported below that "the sound is excellent." The sound is not excellent. It reminds me of Albert King's 1967 Fillmore West recordings. The sound is very bright. Fred Barnes's cat quick bass licks lack any low end. This CD sounds best played in my car where the recording's high frquency bias isn't as noticable.
Great live performance!
This is really, as someone has already pointed out, a great live recording. Surely one of the best live electric blues album that I own. Recorded at the Montreux Blues and Jazz festival in 1986 this CD is packed wall to wall with extraordinary feeling and great playing from all the musicians present on the stage. It appears immediately evident from the first note of the first track that Otis Rush was in a great form that night, and his singing and guitar playing is simply superb through out the entire concert. If you add to the mix an inspired Eric Clapton (that when plays the blues is second to none) sharing the centre of the stage on 4 songs and "dulcis in fundo" even the great Luther Allison for the closing act, you may start to have an idea of the final result. As a plus, and not a minor one, the quality of the sound is excellent and all the instruments sound clear. Very difficult not to mention the killer version of the classic "Crosscut saw" and an even more intense "All your love (I miss loving)" with Otis and Eric jamming together. In conclusion a five stars plus record that I suggest you should add to your collection if you are a blues fan and you like your blues very much guitar driven. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Chicago Blues    3. Electric Blues    4. Electric Chicago Blues    5. Pop    6. United States of America   

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Reviews (7)

Keep track of this young man
Derek Trucks is a remarkable, emerging improviser. He, with the support of a solid, capable band, is interpreting songs in a soulful, heart-felt way, delivering music with a distinctive sound and feel.
Great CD
I Went to this show, and I recorded it with a little hand held tape recorder. Of course, it sounded terrible, but at least I could hear it again. Now I got it on cd, and it sounds great!I've seen Derek Trucks 6 times over the past 10 years, and this is the best I've ever heard them play. This cd is a must have!
ESSENTIAL for fans
For fans of Trucks and The Allman Brothers this live recording needs no more recommendation, it is a great show and recording; familiar songs but done with enough variation to keep it interesting.
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Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Free Funk    3. Jam Bands    4. Slide Guitar Blues   

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Reviews (3)

Dan Penn ... Heartfelt & Soulful Songwriter!
I was fortunate enough to see Dan Penn perform solo (opening act for the brilliant Hacienda Brothers) in a small club in Philadelphia last night, and he held the audience completely spellbound for his entire set. Penn has written several heartfelt and soulful songs over the years (many are hidden gems), and his guitar talent and vocal abilities are very touching and bring out the best in each song. Several of the songs on this CD with Spooner Oldham were played by Penn last night, and they were all terrific ... some touching and some funny ... and all played with his total heart and soul with such natural ease. My favorites from this CD with Spooner Oldham that Penn played solo last night were the tender and romantic "I'm Your Puppet", the upbeat "I Met Her In Church", the heartaching song "It Tears Me Up", the sensitive and touching tribute to seniors "Ol' Folks", and the downright funny "Memphis Women & Chicken" which contains clever and comical lyrics. I was deeply impressed by Dan Penn, and consider him to be a brilliant songwriter and underrated and naturally gifted performer. Needless to say, I am buying this CD now!

It tears me up!
Soul music knows no greater friends than Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham. The wrenching vocal on 'It Tears Me Up' does exactly that, while the spare arrangements lend a poignancy to thesesongs that is missing from the more famous versions. This is music to break up/make up/make love by. I toyed with the idea of buying this CD for a long time before buying it. Shame on me! I won't be dithering about buying anything else these two have done, I got the plastic out and ready!

This has it all
Some of the greatest songs ever written. I mean, "Memphis women and chicken" - doesn't that say it all? And, "Dark End of the Street" - if that song cut any deeper, you'd have to have a transfusion to listen to it...
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. R&B    3. Rock/Pop    4. Singer/Songwriter   

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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Texas Blues    5. Pop   

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• Import

Reviews (3)

The Supreme Tele-Master
I said it in my other Roy Buchanan reviews and I'll say it again, Nobody before or since has played electric guitar with more power than Roy.By "power" I don't mean volume or distortion,etc., I mean emotional weight.In the world of classic Black gospel groups of the 1940's and 50's (Soul Stirrers, Pilgrim Travelers) this kind of musical-emotional intensity is called "house-wrecking" and "pew-burning".Roy Buchanan definitely knew how to wreck the house like no one else.As many reviewers have pointed out, he used nothing more than an old Telecaster straight into his Fender amp.But most importantly he used his awe-inspiring technique to pour his soul into every note.Just as on his other live recordings, on this night in Japan, he scorched the place.

More Great Live Roy Buchanan!
I was wondering if this would ever be released on cd."Live In Japan" was released by Polydor only in Japan in 1978."Live In Japan" documents Buchanan's tour of Japan in 1977 and was his gift to his Japanese fans. This disk was supposed to be Roy's favorite among all of his releases.Buchanan's live disks tend to be much more explosive than his studio albums. The standout cut is a great live rendition of "Hey Joe" with "Foxy Lady" as a coda.The disk begins with an excellent cover of Booker T. & the MGs instrumental "Soul Dressing". The disk also includes the upbeat "Sweet Honey Dew" a cover of Larry Williams' "Slow Down" and an inspired version of "My Baby Says She's Gonna Leave Me"."Sweet Dreams" one of Roy's personal favorites is also included.Roy's playing shines throughout and if you are a fan this release along with the new "American Axe" another live set from 1974 are essential.My only regret is that the disk is only about 46 minutes long.A number of other songs were played during Roy's tour of Japan including a smokin' cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love".Maybe at some point this will be released stateside in an expanded edition with some of the outtakes from this tour!Until then enjoy the master of the Telecaster!

Roy's Favorite
This was recorded during a tour of Japan in the late 70s. Roy stated that of all the albums he released this was his favorite-many of the others he refused to acknowledge. Listening to this CD helps the listener understand why Roy thought so highly of this album- Roy was on that night and the band was tight. My only complaint is that the whole show isn't available. This is the editted show, some 46 minutes of the two hour event. Still if your a fan of this amazing guitar player you owe it to youreself to pick this CD up along with American Axe to hear this guy make that guitar cry! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

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Reviews (4)

We've been losing so many of our great bluesmen.
In the tradition ofgreat bluesmen such as Freddy King and Albert Collins, Morris "Magic Slim" Holt plays a music that ties together two worlds, with a physical style of playing that technically resemblesacoustic soloists, but an electric sound that rocks as hard as anyone ever has. Don't let a chance go by to see Magic Slim.

Slim's Magic keeps on keepin on....whooooo!
I was just listening to Buddy Guy's new Cd but halfway through I had to switch over and put this one on again. Magic Slim seems to keep getting better.This is easily one of the most energized live CD's I've heard in recent memory. The band is clearly up to the task supporting the superb guitar and trademark powerhouse vocals of Magic Slim. You positively won't be able to sit still listening to this.I had to immediately order up the DVD of this performance.I've been to one of Magic Slim's shows at B.L.U.E.S. in Chicago and his perfroming is just totally captivating. With this recording he's never sounded so good and inspired vocally and playing the Jazzmaster. This, folks, is Chicago Blues at it's absolute best.

The Best It Can Be Without Slim Actually In The Room
If Magic Slim & The Teardrops AREN'T the best pure Chicago Blues band around somebody's going to have to prove it to me.Though a live album will never match what Slim & his band can do on stage, this album proves to be a great way to get pumped for one of his shows or a way to cure your jonesing between shows.Played loud enough, you can nearly feel the presence of the man coming through the speakers along with his guitar.After listening to this album a couple hundred times, I highly recommend taking it to your local blues club and forcing the owner to book Slim to come to your town.Get some copies of Black Tornado, Grand Slam & Snakebite if the owner needs some extra convincing.I've seen Slim and various versions of the Teardrops going back to 1991 in Chicago and most recently in 2004 in Tennessee and have always been absolutely blown away by what this band can do on stage.If you've never seen Slim & The Teardrops live, you can start buy picking up a copy of this album to prepare you for the experience of seeing them either in your town, on the road, or maybe it's time to start considering a trip to Chicago. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Pop    4. Soul-Blues    5. United States of America   

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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Pop   

Editorial Review

Performed for a tiny audience at the renowned Pachyderm Studio in 1998, this CD is the best example of what Indigenous sound like live. While their national debut Read more

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Reviews (36)

Indians play super blues - also live!
I didn't know about Indigenous before I heard them on Amazon.
Overrated boring performance.
I have tried several times to like this band. I have seen their live DVD and it is very similar to this CD. The vocals are weak and hardly understandable, every song sounds like the last one. There are absolutely NO dynamics in their music and anyone who thinks this guitarist is something special is either NOT a guitarist, or a beginner at best. They also have no stage presence, just looking like they're going thru the motions. There's too much great blues out there to be wasting your time with this.

mire mimics
I listen to the mp3 here, and believed the words of praise by other reviews andbought this CD.Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues Music    2. Blues-Rock    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

This in-concert CD caps Buddy Guy's partnership with harp hero Junior Wells, who died of lymphoma in January 1998. The set, taped five years earlier at Guy's Chicago nightclub, is an unabashedly sentimental journey back to their roots. It's just Guy and Wells on acoustic guitar and harmonica, cutting up and playing their own standards like Guy's "You Better Watch Yourself" and Wells's signature "Hoodoo Man," as well as classics by such influences as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers, and even Ray Charles. Guy's focused intensity is offset by Wells's good-natured clowning, yet the performance never sacrifices its strong musicality. Read more

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Reviews (5)

****1/4
The sound is excellent on this 1998 live album, and Buddy Guy and the late, great Junior Wells both lay down some of their best vocal performances on record.
Best from the best
This is the best acoustic live album from the greatest duo in blues history.

Just A Great Live CD!
If you want to sit back and put on some easy listening music then this is the CD for you. I like nothing better than putting this CD on loud after some lung exercises and relaxing! Just great! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Chicago Blues    4. Electric Blues    5. Electric Chicago Blues    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    8. Pop   

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Reviews (4)

Stirring
Odetta's passion brings home the burden of the slave and the sharecropper.Haunting!Sound quality could be improved.

One fine compilation, one fine artist
"The Essential Odetta", consisting of 20 live songs, was recorded and released in the early sixties as two separate albums capturing performances at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall. The full 20 songs showcase her extraordinary singing capabilities, interpreting folk and blues numbers. It is one of the two best compilations of her work, the other one being "Best of the Vanguard Years".
One of the most powerful voices ever recorded
You have to know Odetta, and this is the best album for getting to know her -- so there you go!Read more

Subjects:  1. Folk    2. Folk & Traditional    3. Folk-Blues    4. Folksongs    5. Pop   

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Reviews (9)

****1/2 actually
This 1963 live album finds Etta James at 25, catering to the crowd at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee. And she is great vocal shape, backed by a tough R&B combo which features saxist Gavrell Cooper and his brother Vonzell on keyboards, and a great David T. Walker on guitar.
THIS IS THE A-BOMB!!
This album is the best album I own, and I own a lot of music. If you don't love the emotion, intensity, and power of this than nothing can move you.

The toughest singer you've ever heard.
This album rivals B.B. King Live At The Regal for best live blues album ever. Etta James sings so tough, so ballsy, I cannot think of another singer to compare her to. She almost makes even Wilson Pickett and James Brown sound like wimps.On a couple of songs, she does some scatting you have to hear to believe. Takes my breath away everytime.Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Soul-Blues