Best Blues CD Ever

[IronWing]

Mississippi Masters - a Yazoo compilation CD

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

I think I prefer Jazz to Blues anyway.

Jazz makes me want to orchestrate musicide.

 

[davestar]

White boy blues:

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Clapton's first recording and possibly his best)
Roy Buchanan - Live Stock
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness

the "real" stuff was mentioned by pulse8

 

[ScottMac]

Blind Willie McTell (Atlanta 12 String)
Lightnin' Hopkins (Live at Newport is good)
Buddy Guy (anything)
Santana & Buddy Miles
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Elizabeth Cotton
Mississippi John Hurt
Muddy Waters & Howlin' Wolf


The Allman Brothers may have had a chart pop tune or two, but they were primarily a Blues band (as in "The Allman Brothers Blues Band") The Filmore Live stuff has to be the best they've ever done and some of the best-ever live stage music. Originally they were on two album sets ("Live at the Filmore East" and "Eat a Peach" ... they were combined in one set called "The Filmore Concerts" ... something like that).

SRV was OK, excellent guitar stuff ... but usually too noisy for my taste.

 

[five40]

Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters. By a mile my favorite blues artist.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I consider Steely Dan more bluesy then anything else, so Aja gets my vote.

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: davestar
White boy blues:

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Clapton's first recording and possibly his best)
Roy Buchanan - Live Stock
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness

the "real" stuff was mentioned by pulse8

The Black Keys are fantastic. The best album I bought last year was Magic Potion.

Anyway, for those who like this stuff, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6hqA4t4-eM

 

[Greenman]

The Allman brothers Band at Filmore East is a great choice, a lot of blues tunes, and also notable as being probably the greatest live album ever recorded.

 

[Hannover]

Howlin Wolf
Muddy Waters
Buddy Guy

They're all classics

I also like Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside and you've gotta check out Richard Johnston if you haven't seen or heard him yet.

http://www.richardjohnston.com - One man blues band

The youtube is Richard playing drums & a 2 string cigarbox (homemade) guitar. We spent most of our time Bealle St. just hanging out with this guy. He put on a better show and more people up & dancing than any other place that we had to pay a cover to get into.
youtube video

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Album? Robert Johnson, Complete collection. One of my fav blues songs however is "In My Time of Dying" Ironically (or not) LZ made a song from Terraplane Blues, Trampled Underfoot.

 

[polm]

Anything from the following :

Muddy Waters
Willie Dixon
B.B. King

 

[Squisher]

Wow, no Johnny Winter lovin' going round here.

 

[Electric Amish]

Dave Hole
Jeff Healey
Kenny Wayne Sheppherd
Poppa Chubby
Hamilton Loomis
Gravy

Clapton and Vaughn, obviously.

All favorites of mine...

 

[Alistar7]

http://www.amazon.com/Complete...-Johnson/dp/B000002757

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Gotta agree with those who mentioned Robert Johnson - "The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson" are the primer for everything else.

Muddy is another great, no doubt, check out his "Folksinger" album, recorded live on a 'Delta plantation (for effect) and featuring a young buck guitarist named Buddy Guy.

On the topic of Buddy, check his "Stone Crazy" album. More recently (early 90's), check his "Damn Right I've Got the Blues".

And definitely the "John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton" aka "Beano" album rates way up there too. Hideaway and Steppin Out are classic. Also check out the DVD of the 1983 JM & Bluesbreakers with the Blues Greats show - Mick Taylor on guitar, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Albert King, etc. Also his 70th birthday show DVD with EC, Mick Taylor, and others is quite worthwhile.

The Stones are most definitely a blues-based band, and when they want to they can measure up with the finest ... their "Stripped" album is excellent in this regard, as well as their class live recording "Get Yer Ya Yas Out".

SRV deserves a mention, of course. When he and Jeff Beck toured together in '89 ... OMG !

Johnny Winter ... oh yeah, check out his album with Muddy called "It's Hard".

All the "Kings" - B.B., Freddie, and Albert.

As for LZ, they suck.

 

[chuckywang]

Holy thread revival Batman!!

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Sorry, got carried away ...

 

[WildHorse]

``

 

[Midnight Rambler]

That's the exact box set I was referring to re: RJ. I own it on LP and CD. Freaked me out the first time I listened to it, but with each listen you appreciate the genius more and more. "Love in Vain" is probably my all-time fave, but I also like "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" a lot.

John Hammond's video "In Search of Robert Johnson" is also worth a watch. Among other things, he interviews a woman who claims to have been one of his many lovers.

FInally, you might find it fascinating to study up a bit on the origins (after chants & spirituals from Africa) of "modern" Blues

VERY good point, it started with the field "hollas" and work chants, not just here but also in Caribbean islands where many slaves escaped to. Keith Richards & Wingless Angels CD gives a bit of insight to this.

You imply that EC, the Stones, etc., ripped these originators off, which I think is a bit harsh (I totally agree with you about LZ and that POS Page.) However, the Stones should get some credit for putting a lot of great bluesmen on the "bill" with them ... B.B. and Buddy, among others, always give them props. Indeed, were it not for the huge popularity & influence of the blues among British musicians of the late 50's/early 60's, a lot of the old blues greats may never have been exposed to mainstream people.

Also of interest are some of the American Folk/Blues DVDs, esp. the one covering the 1963-1966 "package" tours ... link.

For reading, you might check out this and this.

Of course you could also take a trip to the 'Delta and down Highway 61 ...

 

[Safeway]

Stevie Ray Vaughn!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Thelonious Monk?

 

[Rudee]

Gary Moore - Still got the blues

 

[WildHorse]

On Robert Johnson:

''His voice is so eerie, so compelling... and the guitar playing -- it's like Bach.'' Keith Richards


''I think he's the greatest folk blues guitar player, writer, and singer that ever lived.'' Eric Clapton

''He is a perfect example of what anybody should listen to if they want to get an understanding of the blues... and American history.'' Robert Cray

(but you've gotta make allowances because he recorded acoustic, singing & playing solo, in 1936, so it's not what you're used to!

Trivia question re Robert Johnson: Where Are ''The Crossroads'' he sang about?

(For me personally, "The Crossroads" are at every decision point in life)

 

[Midnight Rambler]

I basically already answered your trivia re: the crossroads ...

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Wow, no Johnny Winter lovin' going round here.

:thumbsup: for Johnny Winter but I wouldn't call any of his albums the greatest.