Editorial Review

To listen to Ray Wylie Hubbard's Read more

Reviews (6)

Dirty and Mean with good guitar work
The whole album has that old southern blues rock grind, but it doesn't lose the Ray Wylie effect.Good guitar work throughout the entire album.As most of Ray Wylie's songs they are songs of blood, sweat and grease with a touch of sin and redemption.He and Gurf Morlix really sound like they are having fun playing together and that always makes an album special to me.
Love at first note...
I can't get this cd out of my player. I love Austin music and Ray is the best. The swampy, sultry sound can take you away. The lyrics are amazing and certain lines stick in my head. Amazing stuff and a far cry from 'Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers' although I like that too.

Middle-of-the-night music, fuel for bonfires, dice, and showdowns
Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Snake Farm" is one evil, growling monster of a record, a finely focused muscular effort that effuses grit, malice, and funk. The sound ripples with thick, raw grooves that compliment the subject matter: the devil, women, redemption and damnation, hexes, and guitars. Clearly, this stuff is middle-of-the-night music, fuel for bonfires, dice, and showdowns.
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Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Country-Rock    3. Folk    4. Folk & Traditional    5. Outlaw Country    6. Pop    7. Rock & Roll    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Swamp Blues    10. Texas Blues   

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Electric Texas Blues    5. Modern Electric Blues    6. Modern Electric Texas Blues    7. Pop    8. Popular Music    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. Texas Blues   

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

This legendary 1983 debut by the fallen torchbearer of the '80s-'90s blues revival sounds even more dramatic in its remixed and expanded edition. Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar and vocals are a bit brighter and more present on this 14-track CD. And the newly included bonus numbers (an incendiary studio version of the slow blues "Tin Pan Alley" that was left off the original release, and live takes of "Testify," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and the instrumental "Wham!" from a 1983 Hollywood concert) illuminate the raw soul and passion that propelled his artistry even when he was under the spell of drug addiction. Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (84)

Modern Day Blues Classic
This is one of the finest blues albums to be produced in the past 25 years.Right off the bat from the blistering 'Testify' to the classic 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' to the closing jazz influenced 'Lenny' you know this album is going to be something special.SRV & TD are found here as a trio and you would be hard pressed to find a tighter band.This album is a little more striped down and more bluesy then SRV latter works.This and 'In Sessions' with Albert King are probably Stevie's best blues albums.

king of strat
saw hendrix,have seen clapton-stevie was the best i ever saw-saw him every tuesday night for 2 years as a member of paul ray and the cobras-tequila night at soap creek saloon as he was mastering his craft and nose diving his body-last time i saw him was new years eve at the ritz in nyc the year he would die way too early.he was then clean and as good as ever. texas flood may be his best-raw and overwhelming-anybody looking for a blues guitar master-look no further.by the way,stevie could play a little hendrix himself

Stevie Ray Vaughan = Awesome. Argue not.
Okay, Texas Flood and Pride and Joy are, plain and simple, two of the greatest blues songs ever. His solo on Texas Flood shows just what a guy with enough talent could do with the simple Blues format, as does Pride and Joy. Two amazing songs...
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Electric Blues    5. Electric Texas Blues    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Modern Electric Texas Blues    8. Pop    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. Texas Blues    12. United States of America   

Editorial Review

The real deal is that this is not so much a hits package as a hyped collection of songs that made the charts, album tracks, and rarities like Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Pipeline" duet with surf-rock king Dick Dale. (At least SRV completists no longer have to buy the God-awful Read more

Reviews (59)

Best introductory SRV
If you are new to SRV and looking for a great sample of his best work, this is the album for you.Selections are among the most intense blues ever to burn from SRV's guitar. The recording quality is top notch - including the live cuts.

Blues Done Right
Stevie Ray Vaughan was getting better by the year,never playing the same song quite the same way twice.He was the best of his kind.King of texas blues.Mr.Vaughan came to a tragic ending in a plane crash after fighting a life threatning drug addiction.Such an abrupt end for such an amazing person.
Not as good as Volume 1, but very solid
What you have here is Volume 2 of the Best of Stevie Ray Vaughn.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Popular Music    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (58)

SRV Is The Man
SRV has to be on the short list of greatest guitarists ever. He is amazing. This album is one of his best, it is just awesome. This man could play and this album really shows off his skills. Great album.

Healing with passion
Mr. Vaughn's recovery from addiction comes through loud and clear while he loses none of the passion and style that made him so popular to begin with. Every song is like a self-portrait of an man who has finally found the way to real success. The songs are upbeat and make you want to dance with the newfound joy of the artist.Some of the best that SRV has to offer.

SRV - In Step
I just wanted to add some info for anyone who's considering buying this but is not completely sure:
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Electric Blues    5. Electric Texas Blues    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Modern Electric Texas Blues    8. Pop    9. Popular Music    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop    12. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

Released after Vaughan's death in a 1990 helicopter accident, Read more

Reviews (41)

The Sky is Falling
Music triggers memories for me and this disk brought back some wonderful memories about where my life was at that time.

My Favorite Stevie Ray Album
I love all of Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but this album is my personal favorite. Maybe it's because he really shows his blues roots here more than on any previous album. All of the cuts on this album are great, but if I had to pick my favorites it would probably be "Wham!", "Boot Hill" and "Life By The Drop" for my top 3. Stevie's guitar playing is amazing as always and listening to this album (which was released after his death) only makes it more agonizing to think how much more great music this man could have put out if he were still alive. As far as I'm concerned, Stevie is right up there with Jimi Hendrix as the best rock/blues guitarist of all time. I remember reading an issue of a guitar magazine that showed results for people's votes on the greatest (rock/blues) guitarists of all time. Stevie was all the way down at number 13 and if that isn't bad enough Kurt Cobain was higher than Stevie at number 11! Saying that Kurt Cobain was a better guitar player than Stevie Ray Vaughan is like saying that Kenny G is a better saxophone player than Charlie Parker! Give me a break!

Lovingly Produced Tribute
All these years later, this is still a difficult disc to listen to.Read the liner notes, which include comments by Stevie's brother Jimmy, Double Trouble bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton - as well as Stevie himself.In sum, these comments and other historical tidbits provided by Dan Forte make for a poignent backdrop to these excellent outtakes.The tunes work just fine as an album, pointing towards Stevie's own inspirations, including Elmore James, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and Lonnie Mack.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Popular Music    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

Though the name "Indigenous" reflects frontman Mato Nanji's heritage as a member of the Nakota tribe, on Read more

Reviews (17)

Mato Rated with SRV, Clapton,. Hendrix??
This is what the front of my new Indegenous cd says. Early on, there was Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Then later Carlos Santana and SRV. Heres a new name to throw on the blues rock alter Mato Nanji.
Another great release from Indeginous
I thought the previous self-titled offering from Indeginous's was their best effort to date.This is right up their.Not a big departure from the last but maybe a little bit more diverse.I will say Mato's vocals have caught up to his guitar abilities on this one.His best vocal work to date.A lot of heart and soul on this one.As always the guitar work is awesome.
INDIGENOUS... THE BRIGHTEST SHINING STAR IN BLUES ROCK!
I will talk specifically about this CD in a moment, but first let me start by addressing all the comparisons you hear of Indigenous to Stevie Ray Vaughan, or more specifically comparisons of the guitar playing of Mato Nanji and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Yes, their guitar sound and style is similar, and yes there is no doubt that SRV was exceptional on the guitar. However, although there are many that do, I am not one that raises SRV to the nonsensical level of a guitar demigod who will never be equaled. That is simply ridiculous. And lets be real, there are many examples of music artists who receive this conspicuous importance only after their untimely deaths. We all loved SRV and may he rest in peace. Now, fortunately for us Mato Nanji is alive and well, and I am just going to come right out and say it, Mato is every bit the guitar player SRV was, and dare I say better? And I in fact much prefer the songs and music of Indigenous, and the guitar playing of Mato Nanji. Mato's guitar playing just has a sound and fluidity, which to me just sounds much better than anything I've heard from SRV. Mato's guitar playing is powerful, skillful, soulful and if you really love great blues guitar music you may often find the combination of Mato's voice and guitar playing a moving experience to listen to.
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Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Modern Electric Texas Blues    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

In a brief interview that precedes this CD's four bonus tracks--all unreleased gems from the original 1984 sessions--Stevie Ray Vaughan makes the point that "music used to be more based on common everyday occurrences like a train's sound going down the track ... a horse walking." Then he comes on with a version of Freddie King's "Hideaway" that chugs like a locomotive. There's also a heretofore unheard slide-guitar-powered "Give Me Back My Wig" and a blueprint of what became Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (34)

Unoriginal, but enjoyable
Whether you know it or not, you've heard an LP like this before. But the difference between Couldn't Stand the Weather and other similar LP's; you'd be hard-pressed to find a better guitarist than Stevie. That being said, don't expect to shelve your Allman Brothers Band so you can devote your life to the music of SRV. However, you should expect to enjoy this every time you hear it.
Hendrixian Genius
For a person who has so many opposite characteristics to Hendrix - white, right handed, slightly overweight Texan - he sure shows alot of similarities to the legendary guitarist; proof that looks, race and location have no effect on good music.His playing style consists of the same adventurous stage ploys- playing behind the back, through the legs, and everywhere else- while also containing the ability to go from hard hitting romps to soulful ballads and still be the master of the instrument.Hendix covers by SRV always stand up well to the original and stand as a tribute to the first master."Voodoo Child" holds it's ground extremely well, but no one can do the opening wahwah riffs as well as Hendrix.After a only decent opening, the song opens up as a masterpeice that hits harder than the original.
****1/2. Even better with bonus tracks
While not quite matching the greatness of Stevie Ray Vaughan's debut album, "Couldn't Stand The Weather" is a terrific album in its own right.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Texas Blues    10. United States of America   

Editorial Review

"I've been to hell and back, I'm still looking good / I've found the fountain of youth, I've got the blues in my blood," sings Guitar Shorty on "Blues in My Blood"--one of the more autobiographical tracks, albeit one he didn't write, on his second Alligator album in three years. After working for decades with little to show for it, Shorty makes up for lost time, charging through unapologetically tough blues rockers such as "Sonic Boom," "Can't Get Enough" (not the Bad Company tune), and "What Good Is Life?" with the rough-and-tumble enthusiasm of someone half his 67 years. There are few surprises here--Shorty's throaty voice pummels through these tunes, pausing only long enough to make room for his fat, fluid leads to slice into the powerhouse rhythm section. Subtlety is not Shorty's strong point, and even when he accompanies himself on "Cost of Livin'" with just guitar and a tapping foot, it sounds like he's a caged tiger before feeding time. The title track concerns the average laborer's tough life, but this is primarily a blues album tied to the usual subjects of nefarious women doing Shorty wrong. In fact, his ex's phone prefix in "I Got Your Number" is 666. But nobody need look for profound lyrical insights when Shorty slings his molten guitar, pouring his psychedelicized solos like lava over anything in his path. Just push play and get out of the way. Read more

Reviews (3)

He is what he is.
GS is what he is. Either you like him or you don't. Or you think he's ok. That's my point. If you like his previous music, buy this disc right now, you won't be disappointed. If you don't like his previous work, don't buy this disc. If you think he's ok, wait until someone puts up a used copy on Amazon for half price. Follow my advice and you will be happy whichever group you are in.

Where'd the blues go?
Somewhere along the line Guitar Shorty lost the meaning of the word 'subtle" when he hooked up with Alligator records. He just pummels through just about every song - loud singing, guitar playing, smashing drums, etc. Where's the blues? This is a rock CD.He has had some fine releases this past decade that mixed blues and rock but now he's moved to almost all rock. This is not his forte and this big change in his sound might gain him some new fans but leaves old fans like me puzzled.GET BACK TO THE BLUES!

Shorty Stands Tall Among Blues Guitar Gunslingers
I stumbled upon Guitar Shorty's previous release 'Watch Your Back' and I have been hooked on him ever since. Couldn't wait to get my hands on his new CD 'We the People' and a 1st listen confirmed my urgency. If you like testosterone drenched blues guitar, this recording won't disappoint. The cuts are raw, the musicianship stellar and the lyrics are contemporary to the difficult times we find oursleves in. I saw him lives at Buddy Guy's club in Chicago this past April and was blown away by Shorty's Guitar playing and the talent of his band mates. An interesting note on Guitary Shorty, he helped school Jimmy Hendrix in his early days. This CD won't disappoint, you'll get more than your money's worth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Electric Blues    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Pop    5. Soul-Blues    6. Texas Blues    7. United States of America   

Reviews (15)

Great Seasonal Album
This is one of the most impressive period albums I own.Wonderful for the holiday season.Will miss it during the rest of the year.

The Most Beautiful Sounds I Have Ever Heard
A fluid and seamless piece of heaven that transcends all classical and holiday music. This is an OUTSTANDING non-traditional Holiday CD!!!Many voices come together as one in these enchanting verses sung in languages other than English. It is just enough language mix to appease and intrigue the soul but not too much so that the listener does not understand the lyrics.For example, the English verse is sung then a verse in German and then back to English.Emmanuel is written this way.Other languages include French (Angels we Have Heard on High) and even Catalan which is a dialect of Spain. Beautiful and Precise
When I was a kid, we used to listen to this album every Christmas (on vinyl).We often contrasted it with a Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas album we also had, the Mormons good for rousing anthems, Robert Shaw for more intimate and moving and, I think, more beautiful evocations of the Spirit of Christmas.Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Christmas Music    5. Classical    6. Easy Pop    7. Holiday    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    11. Piano Blues    12. Sacred Choral Music    13. Secular Choral Music with Keyboard (or Continuo)    14. Vocal    15. Xmas Classical Vocal   

Editorial Review

Unlike many men, Alligator Records never forgets an anniversary. "The country's largest contemporary blues label," as it rightly bills itself, has released multidisc compilations celebrating its 20th, 25th, 30th, and now 35th years. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, only tracks recorded for an artist's first Alligator disc are chosen for this chronologically presented summary of music that stretches from Hound Dog Taylor's electrifying 1971 label debut to Mavis Staples's in 2004. Although the imprint made a tentative stab at reggae in the mid '80s, its roster generally upholds the "genuine houserocking music" credo Alligator has boasted as a tagline since the early days. Whether reviving the careers of blues rockers (Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan, Lonnie Mack, Elvin Bishop) or ageing icons with plenty of gas left in their tanks (Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Katie Webster, Mavis Staples, James Cotton, Guitar Shorty) or finding new blood to carry on the traditions (Michael Burks, Corey Harris, Dave Hole, Tinsley Ellis, Shemekia Copeland), Alligator sets the standard for what an independent label can achieve. These 35 nuggets extracted from a catalog of 225 albums only begin to tell the label's story, but there's not a weak one in the lot. Founder Bruce Iglauer's intriguing and insightful liner notes for each act add depth to the tunes, making Read more

Reviews (3)

Genuine Soul Rockin' Music
Even though this package only compiles material from Alligator Records, you probably won't find a more fascinating tour through the history of the Blues over the last 35 years. Of course, Alligator has a knack for signing up the most interesting Blues maestros. This compilation shows the development of cutting-edge Blues over the namesake era, ever since Alligator's inaugural release with Hound Dog Taylor in 1971. During much of this era, the Blues was still progressing, before settling into the respectful revivalism of recent years. In the 70s, Alligator was at the forefront with new artists who added flavor to tried-and-true styles, like the sinister Son Seals or the groovy Lonnie Brooks. Also during that decade, Alligator brought several veteran masters back into prominence, with powerful new material by the likes of Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, and Professor Longhair (noteworthy for his authoritative New Orleans style). As this compilation rumbles along, we hear a surprising amount of experimentation and progression in the 1980s, as interesting new artists expanded the basic template of the Blues, including some great finds like Lil' Mo & the Blues Imperials and Little Charlie & the Nightcats. The songs here from the 90s and 00s show that even the genius artists at Alligator followed the trend in Blues to solidify the classic template, with technical chops becoming more important than innovation - notwithstanding intriguing gospel-inflected works from the Holmes Brothers and the queenly Mavis Staples. But thanks to the impeccable expertise and taste exercised by Alligator when signing masters both new and old, this compilation is a must for any fan or historian of modern Blues. [~doomsdayer520~]

A great range of great artists
This double-CD set has great artists, great selections from the artists, and a killer set of liner packaging.You get some choice information and showings by legendary cats as well as non-household names, with explanations as to why they were great (as if the music wasn't doing that job already).And at the price, you can't beat the value.

A great collection for anyone
If you're just getting into contemporary blues or you've been listening for awhile, you're going to love this collection.Alligator has been one of the class acts of the indie labels for a long time and these discs give you an idea why they are so well thought of.35 artists doing the first track from their first Alligator release.Marica Ball, Coco Montoya, Lonnie Mack, Johnny Winter, William Clarke and the list goes on with not a weak cut in the carload.These type of samplers are great if you're just getting into this type of music since you do get a wide selection of artists and styles.Alligator has released double disc anniversary sets in honor of yeas 20, 25, 30 and now, 35.They're all great to listen to, so grab one or all of them and have yourself a party with genuine houserocking music from people who know how to do it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues    3. Blues Collections    4. Blues-Rock    5. Contemporary Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Electric Harmonica Blues    8. Electric Texas Blues    9. Harmonica Blues    10. Modern Acoustic Blues    11. Modern Electric Blues    12. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    13. Modern Electric Texas Blues    14. New Orleans Blues    15. Piano Blues    16. Pop    17. R&B    18. Slide Guitar Blues    19. Soul-Blues    20. Swamp Blues   

Reviews (12)

The quintessential Christmas recording
This recording seems to elicit universal and heartfelt praise.Who am I to dispute that?The performance is terrific, just as described by the other Amazon reviewers, no doubt about it.
A Top List Christmas CD
I bought this cd long ago, and have enjoyed it immensely each year.It is the perfect blend of celebration and meditation. Orchestra and choir combine in four distinct groupings, and a capella arrangements complete the masterful collection.The orchestral arrangements will make the hairs on your neck stand up, and your stomach quiver with all the excitement you ever felt as a child at Christmas. Adeste Fidelis is performed as few other ensembles have ever come close. The a capella arrangements will all, without exception, be on your yearly list of must-hear holiday arrangements.Truly a top list Christmas CD, essential for every family who celebrates this feast.

The best
I own approximately 35 Christmas choral CDs - including choirs and groups such as the Cambridge Singers and the King Singers.I also own two Christmas albums with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic symphony.This performance with the Robert Shaw Chorale is old but it is still my favorite.The arrangements are magnificent, the sound is brilliant, and the choir and orchestra are precise with wonderful volume control.Buy and enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Christmas Music    5. Classical    6. Easy Pop    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Piano Blues    10. Sacred Choral Music    11. Texas Blues    12. Xmas Classical Vocal   

Features

• Live

Reviews (3)

Production Bogs Down the Master
If you're a die-hard SRV fan of course you have to have this and all existing SRV music, because let's face it, the hunger for more SRV recordings never goes away, but personally I don't find this to be one of his best. To me, the production is very bass-bottom-heavy. The guitar has too much whammy in it. And that Hammond organ in the foreground drives me crazy. These elements combine to make the sound of the tracks too much the same, despite his stellar performance. But live performances are like fine wines, each has its own character and some you like more, some less.

Stevie was the best, and this is a great early show.
Where did this come from, and how did I miss that they were releasing this?Anyway, I've seen this show (a VHS copy of the Japanese comercal Laser Disc), and it's good stuff, so when I found this at the record store I picked it up right away.
stevie ray vaughan is the master of the stratocaster
stevie is to me, the greatest ive yet to hear... its talent alright, but its got lots and lots of soul with it... his music is the best of the best, all i can say.... i would love to have this album...srv will never die ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Texas Blues    10. United States of America   

Editorial Review

This impressive--and frankly, fun--musical document is still sending out shock waves almost 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release. The Smithsonian's six-CD reissue is painstakingly researched, annotated, and packaged (even boasting an enhanced disc for the techno-capable). Unlike field recorders, eccentric filmmaker/collector/musicologist Harry Smith assembled the Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (25)

The grandfather of the reissue records
This collection led to the "re-discovery" of many artistswho had dissapeared after when the depression crippled the recording industry. Mississippi John Hurt is probably the most famous as of now, but others, like Clarence Ashley were major finds at the time - and when Folkways sent a field crew to do a new record by Ashley he requested some assist from a young friend named Doc Watson. Watson was unknown outside his home town at the time but went on to become a major star in a field which has very few stars.
Necessary.
I dont think there is a need to go into to much detail about this *6 CD* set.If you can fork over the cash, just buy it. If you have any interest in roots music, just buy it. If you thought ol' Bobby Dylan and the Band made some great weird music in the basement of big pink in '67 .. for the love of god, BUY THIS!strange, unadorned, raw music , just buy it.

Essential
Much ink & many electrons have been devoted to explaining both Harry Smith (and a lot of explanation is necessary -- very interesting man) and this wonderful collection of recordings from the 1920's and 30's, so I won't go into too much detail here.If you'd like a good treatise on the work itself as a cultural object, and how it relates to other thematically similar items, I would reccomend Griel Marcus' book Invisible Republic.Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Acoustic Memphis Blues    3. Acoustic Texas Blues    4. Appalachian Folk    5. Blues Revival    6. Country Blues    7. Cowboy    8. Field Recordings    9. Folk    10. Folk & Traditional    11. Folk Collections    12. Folk-Rock    13. Folksongs    14. Gospel Choir    15. Jug Band    16. Old-Timey    17. Piedmont Blues    18. Pop    19. Prewar Country Blues    20. Prewar Gospel Blues   

Editorial Review

In the history of recorded blues and spirituals, there is no greater singer and songwriter than Blind Willie Johnson. With a vocal delivery ranging from raw rage to tenderness wedded to his talking guitar, Blind Willie's recordings are as powerful today as when he made them, from 1927 to 1930. Listen to monuments "Motherless Children Have a Hard Time," "I Just Can't Keep from Crying," "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine," and the otherworldly "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground," and try to find equally visceral conviction any other place or time. His "If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down" which got him arrested when Blind Willie unknowingly sang it in front of a U.S. government building in Dallas, became a '60s icon. Years later, he caught pneumonia, but when treatment was sought, he was told the hospital did not treat blind people, so he returned home and died. Read more

Reviews (29)

Most Excellent, But . . .
First of all, I now know who Bob Dylan's been trying to sound like for the past 10 years!Now back to Blind Willie: This double CD set is excellent and I give 5 stars to Willie and his songs and the way he pulls them off.His phrasing and his guitar playing is outstanding, but the overall recorded sound quality is horrible.Yes I know, these songs were recorded around the 20's so I wasn't expecting a surround sound experience by any means.I own a number of CD's by early blues players, all recorded around the same era and I must admit that nearly all of those were cleaned up to a great degree with an enhanced sound quality before being released.I wish they would have done the same with this.The hissing and scratching and static becomes nerve racking after awhile.It sounds like they took an old "78", played it and recorded it by holding a hand-held mic in front of the speakers.What a shame to have such great songs by such a great artist take a back seat to the static and hissing of an unrefined sound.However, after saying that, I'd still purchase the CD again if got damaged.The Blind Willie experience is priceless.

makes me want to go to church
well, not really, but if blind willie johnson was preaching, i'd be there. this man had such unbelievable depth in his music, the first time i heard "soul of a man" i listening to it 15 times in a row! i just couldn't believe what i was hearing, such conviction and emotion. if everyone listened to his complete recordings the world would be a better, more beautiful place. i can't fail to mention the unknown female vocalist who adds extra depth to some of his most profound pieces.

Unbelievably beautiful
Every fan of slide guitar, or the blues, or old-time gospel, should own this. At times I wonder why people think of Robert Johnson as the greatest of his generation; Blind Willie wouldn't have considered himself a blues singer but he was a greater composer, guitarist, and singer. He was simply amazing. The world is poorer for his tragic loss. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Texas Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Gospel    4. Blues Music    5. Blues Traditional    6. Pop    7. Prewar Gospel Blues    8. Slide Guitar Blues    9. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

This career-spanning box of three CDs and a DVD celebrates a legacy that looms larger than that of any blues-rocking guitarist since Jimi Hendrix.Despite fears that a series of posthumous releases had depleted the Stevie Ray Vaughan vaults, previously unreleased gems dominate the selection. Highlights extend from Vaughan's swaggering apprenticeship with Paul Ray and the Cobras to slash-and-burn concert performances from the final month of his life. There are obligatory dips into the songbooks of Hendrix and Buddy Guy, appearances on Read more

Features

• Box set
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (62)

SOLO SEIS CUERDAS PARA ATRAPAR EL HURACAN!
TALENTO, ARROGANCIA, BELLEZA, FUERZA..LA DESCOMUNAL GUITARRA DE STEVIE SE PUEDE PALPAR EN CADA TEMA..EXCELENTE BOX QUE RECORRE TODO EL CAMINO DE ESTE VENERADO MUSICO, QUE EN MUY POCOS AÑOS DERRAMO SOBRE EL BLUES UN HALITO DE JUVENTUD Y ESPERANZA.

I guess there is profit to be had!
I'd like to be clear that the lower score has nothing to do with Stevie and the guy's five star quality playing.The lower score is the product it's self. Another essential SRV set for collectors
I own most of the SRV catalog including this set and I must say that this is a marvelous compilation but it may not be the best set to buy if you are a novice or just beginning to "get into" his work. "The Essential SRV" (2 disc set) or "Greatest Hits V-I & II" (separately packaged single discs) may be the best way to go, IMO. The 3 CD, 1 DVD boxed set is beautifully packaged and presents a lot of live cuts and previously unreleased material to fill gaps in his catalog collection but by no means represents all of his well known titles. The DVD consists of a shortened version of his "One Night In Texas" DVD and gives a fine overview of the raw talent he presented on stage. Like Hendrix, SRV belonged on stage where his work excelled. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Box Sets (Audio Only)    4. Electric Blues    5. Electric Texas Blues    6. Guitar Virtuoso    7. Modern Electric Blues    8. Modern Electric Texas Blues    9. Pop    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop    12. Texas Blues   

Features

• Live

Reviews (9)

Marcia goes live
I was hoping this live album would bring out all the energy Marcia brings to live performances and to a great extent it did. I find her studio albums burdened with ballads and just not the same as watching her pound the keyboard and sing.This is a generally consistent album of her best material, except for the puppy dog song but I may be in a small minority on that.GR

A little piece of home
The first time I heard Marcia Ball was in downtown Dallas at the Farmers Market eating breakfast with my husband.A gentleman was playing music for those eating on the outside court.The music was so great that after we finished eating we went up to him to find out who that artist was and needless to say it was Marcia Ball...we enjoyed it them and still enjoy it. I love to listen to it after a hard day at work...it sooths my soul and brings a back a little piece of home life.

She puts the live in live albums.
I hate live albums so why did I buy this one? Partly because I'm a huge Marcia Ball fan and partly because I own every other album she's put out.I saw her perform at a small venue in Vancouver this summer. Halfway through the show, a friend nudges me and says I feel guilty for only paying $22 to see this.
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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Louisiana Blues    3. Modern Electric Blues    4. Piano Blues    5. Pop    6. Pop-Soul    7. Swamp Blues    8. Swamp Pop    9. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

A founding father of electric blues in general and Texas blues in particular, guitarist T-Bone Walker influenced countless blues players and, by extension, countless rock & rollers as well.