CD-Charts Position 91
Average Rating:

The Concert for Bangladesh

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: George Harrison

Release Date October 25, 2005
This 1971 album was the first of the all-star benefit albums. And arguably the best. In a nut shell, George Harrison, fresh off his success with "All Things Must Pass" raised his profile even further when he joined with Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar for 2 benefit shows at Madison Square Garden. At the time, Bangladesh was ½ a world away and largely unknown and forgotten by Americans and the rest of the world for that matter. Plus it had been born out of a war between religions and torn apart even further by devastating floods. George's idea was simple; gather as many musician friends as he could for a concert and maybe raise some money to aid the citizens of the emerging nation of Bangladesh. But even with his high profile, George was uncertain ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 92
Average Rating:

Breakin' It Up & Breakin' It Down

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Muddy Waters

Release Date June 05, 2007
Why was this stuff hidden away for so long--I love this CD--a great addition to my collection

CD-Charts Position 93
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We'll Never Turn Back

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Mavis Staples

Release Date April 24, 2007
Mud gave me this to listen to as he knew I really liked Ry Cooder.
From the first track I was gob-smacked.
This was the Ry I had come to know and love on his early albums: very sparse arrangements, deep bass, Jim Keltner on drums and of course the slide master, Ry himself.

What about Mavis you ask???
Sure, I'd heard of the Staples Singers and knew a couple of their hits from the 70's ("Respect Yourself" , "I'll Take You There" ) but that was about it. I was in for a surprise.
Mavis "owns" the old gospel numbers as if they were her own personal themes. She also injects new indignation at the issues of today as she did in the 60s civil rights movements. The voice and conviction are strong and the message is clear: "Have a ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 94
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The Definitive Collection

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Howlin' Wolf

Release Date April 17, 2007
Even before college I was grooving to the Wolf. When I got to the University of Rochester, my dreams came true. I got to produce a show with Wolf and his band in 1969. A dance/concert. It was extra special because before the show, we had a picnic thing...ribs, chicken etc., with the band and a surprise guest...Eddie 'Son' House!
Thirty years later, I saw Hubert Sumlin at a festival in Maryland, and asked him to re-sign the poster from that '69 show. He told me the band, and Wolf, in particular, were blown away by the gig. 'Best show they ever did'!
Muddy could do many things, but Wolf was the most visceral guy out there.
I'll never forget the ladies' reactions to 300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy and Built for Comfort.

CD-Charts Position 95
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Live at the Regal

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: B.B. King

Release Date July 29, 1997
B.B. King-Live At The Regal *****

Recorded live at the Regal in Chicago in 1964 this went on to become what is now widely considered the all time greatest live blues album. This is rightly deserved as this is in fact the greatest live blues album of all time.

King's single note guitar lines are crisp as ever, and his vocals are beyond comparison. Aside from being obviously his best live recording, Live At The Regal is the best recording of King period. This is with out a doubt the best version of 'Sweet Little Angel' ever released. The essential version is more correct. 'Every Day I Have The Blues' and 'Its My Own Fault' are among some of the most inspired performances ever caught on tape. The albums closer 'Help The Poor' is just gut-wrenching. Pure bliss! ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 96
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25 Years : 1968-1993

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Climax Chicago Blues Band

Release Date November 15, 1994
This is a pretty dandy overview set if you're new to Climax Blues Band, one of the finer bands of the '70s that vanished into the mist of time. For a grizzled old fan like me who already has everything from Rich Man to Lucky For Some on vinyl, this is a grand way to listen to the highpoints again without having to fish out the musty old 12-inchers and run my dirty fingernail through the grooves. Plus I was introduced to their much-better-than-expected work from their first four albums, which I never got around to checking out. Acoustic, electric, bluesy, jazzy, funky, or just rockin' out, there's no denying the chops and chemistry of the classic Colin Cooper-Pete Haycock-Derek Holt-John Cuffley lineup. Their two big radio hits are here -- a blessing and a curse. "Couldn't Get It Right" ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 97
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Fathers and Sons

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Muddy Waters

Release Date October 30, 2001
There are seminal moments in the arts when circumstances bring giants together in perfect alignment, and this album is one of them. The cast could never be better than the one contained herein, with the huge blues voice of Muddy Waters leading the way, half-brother Otis Spann pounding out some of his most brilliant piano ever, Paul Butterfield blowing his harp as if nations rise or fall by his effort, Mike Bloomfield (not long for this world after this 1969 recording) spinning out black blues guitar licks in a faithful but trailblazing fashion, plus a killer rhythm section of Stax/Volt's Donald "Duck" Dunn and Muddy's own Sam Lay on drums.

The songs are Muddy classics, from the thundering "40 Days And 40 Nights" to the braggadocio of "I'm Ready" to the oddly zen "Can't Lose What You ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 98
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The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Release Date October 25, 1990
Along with Earl Hooker's "The Moon Is Rising", this album is a Chicago Blues masterpiece. Though the lead singer and harmonica player is white, his singing is more than credible and his harmonica playing is excellent. Guitarist Michael Bloomfield plays some incendiary lead guitar, and was taken from us much too early. His death is a tragedy in the truest sense of the world. I recently viewed a video of him at one of the many folk festivals during the 1960s, perhaps Newport, talking about how his father is rich, his family is Jewish, he had a Bar Mitzvah, and how he'll never be able to play or sing like Son House. His admiration for the great Son House was more than obvious. Recently, rock guitar magazines have started to talk more about Bloomfield and his wonderful talents, which is a great thing. He deserves to ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 99
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Dona Got a Ramblin Mind

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Carolina Chocolate Drops

Release Date June 26, 2007
One day not long ago, the Carolina Chocolate Drops formed out of the ether. Well ... not really. But the ether is where two of the three hung out, so to speak, chatting on a listserv with other Black Banjo enthusiasts. Over the course of the next few months, Dom Flemons and Rhiannon Giddens of the string band Sankofa Strings met up with Justin Robinson, then Joe Thompson, followed quickly by Etta Baker and Algia Mae Hinton. Flemons, Giddens and Robinson eventually became the Carolina Chocolate Drops, while Thompson, Baker and Hinton influenced and furthered the already-substantial musical education of the three. There's a distinct difference between learning the music formally, or by "transmission," growing up with it. Transmission is more of an osmotic process than an educational process, and that's what the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 100
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Strong Persuader

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Robert Cray

Release Date October 25, 1990
STRONG PERSUADER, Oregon bluesman Robert Cray's classic 1986 breakthrough album, is a unique mix of blues and Stax/Volt soul which proves that great blues can come from anywhere, not just the Midwest, the South, or even England. Cray's sound and style take the blues to the next level, proving that you don't have to have slept in boxcars or picked cotton in order to be a great blues musician; you just have to be human. This is a great album about love gone wrong in contemporary settings, with Cray playing both victim and perpetrator, sometimes both on the same song. This is a wonderful CD that's a must-own for any blues/roots-rock fan.