30-11-2018 BLUES:MiX # 33 blues(y) songs from the BLUES circle 1969-1980

Albert King

30-11-2018 BLUES:MiX # 33 blues(y) songs from the BLUES circle 1969-1980 # Albert King, Little Milton, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Savoy Brown, Alvin Lee, Hound Dog Taylor, Rory Gallagher, Luther Allison, Foghat, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Clapton

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1969-1980

One of the most important post-war blues guitarists, renowned for his massive tone and unique way of squeezing bends out of a guitar string. Albert King is truly a "King of the Blues," although he doesn't hold that title (B.B. does). Along with B.B. and Freddie King, Albert King is one of the major influences on blues and rock guitar players. Without him, modern guitar music would not sound as it does -- his style has influenced both black and white blues players from Otis Rush and Robert Cray to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Albert King
Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller) 4:03
Heartbreak Hotel (Mae Boren Axton / Tommy Durden / Elvis Presley) 6:06
Love Me Tender (Vera Matson / Elvis Presley) 5:20
from Blues For Elvis: King Does The King's Things 1969
Blues for Elvis - King Does the King's Things is the fifth studio album by Albert King. The songs in this album are versions of songs previously recorded by Elvis Presley. On the album sleeve there is a review by Albert Goldman, Music Critic of LIFE Magazine, who says, among other things "For the first time on record, the King of Blues is meeting the King of Rock." and "...you're gonna love every minute of this musical feast fit for kings.".

Soul/blues singer whose style is characterized by a gritty, impassioned vocal style and precise, textured guitar playing. He may not be a household name, but die-hard blues fans know Little Milton as a superb all-around electric bluesman -- a soulful singer, an evocative guitarist, an accomplished songwriter, and a skillful bandleader. He's often compared to the legendary B.B. King -- as well as Bobby "Blue" Bland -- for the way his signature style combines soul, blues, and R&B, a mixture that helped make him one of the biggest-selling bluesmen of the '60s (even if he's not as well-remembered as King).
Little Milton
If Walls Could Talk (Bobby Miller) 3:09
Blues Get off My Shoulder (Bobby Parker / Robert Parker) 3:12
I Play Dirty (Pearl Woods) 2:27
from If Walls Could Talk 1970
On If Walls Could Talk, Little Milton continues to fuse blues with soul -- if anything, the album leans toward soul more than blues. Supported by a band with a thick, wailing horn section, Little Milton sings and plays with power. Though there a couple of wonderful solos, the focus of the record is on the songs, which all sound terrific, thanks to Milton's compassionate vocals.

With a style honed in the gritty blues bars of Chicago's south side, the Butterfield Blues Band was instrumental in bringing the sound of authentic Chicago blues to a young white audience in the mid-'60s, and although the band wasn't a particularly huge commercial success, its influence has been enduring and pervasive.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Play On (Paul Butterfield / John Elefante / Kerry Livgren) 3:34
Night Child (Paul Butterfield / Brother Gene Dinwiddie / Ted Harris / Rod Hicks / Oscar Peterson) 4:26
Drowned in My Own Tears (Henry Glover) 5:18
from Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' 1971
Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' is the last of the Butterfield Blues Band's studio recordings with Elektra. Again we see a change in the group's lineup, most notably with guitarist Buzzy Feiten out and Ralph Walsh in. The post-Bloomfield Butterfield Blues Band studio efforts saw a high turnover in the musicians surrounding Butterfield and the releases reflect this fact. The direction on Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' is a distinct departure from their radio-friendly predecessor, Keep On Moving. With longer soloing and instrumental tracks, this Elektra recording brings back blues currents that were lacking in their previous album and better combines vocals and instrumentation.

The most elemental of the electric blues giants, one of few to both inspire and draw from rock & roll idols. He was beloved worldwide as the king of the endless boogie, a genuine blues superstar whose droning, hypnotic one-chord grooves were at once both ultra-primitive and timeless. But John Lee Hooker recorded in a great many more styles than that over a career that stretched across more than half a century.

John Lee Hooker 

Bumble Bee Blues (John Lee Hooker) 4:13

Country Boy (John Lee Hooker) 6:59

Never Get Out of These Blues Alive feat. Van Morrison (John Lee Hooker) 10:16

from Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive 1972

Following the legendary bluesman's popular collaboration with Canned Heat, this album continues his work with mostly younger musicians and predates similar projects The Healer and Mr. Lucky by about 20 years. Van Morrison spans the gap by appearing on this 1972 release and Mr. Lucky. Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, and even Steve Miller contribute here. Jazz violinist Michael White helps "Boogie With the Hook" take off and adds a mournful touch to the harrowing "T.B. Sheets," which is much more restrained here than on the earlier debut release by Morrison.

Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker

A blues rock institution since the mid 1960s, led by the immensely talented guitarist Kim Simmonds. Part of the late-'60s blues-rock movement, Britain's Savoy Brown never achieved as much success in their homeland as they did in America, where they promoted their albums with nonstop touring. The band was formed and led by guitarist Kim Simmonds, whose dominating personality led to myriad personnel changes; the original lineup included singer Bryce Portius, keyboardist Bob Hall, guitarist Martin Stone, bassist Ray Chappell, and drummer Leo Manning. This lineup appeared on the band's 1967 debut, Shake Down, a collection of blues covers...
Savoy Brown
Coming Down Your Way (Jack Lynton / Jackie Lynton) 4:51
Hold Your Fire (Paul Raymond) 4:16
Jack the Toad (Jackie Lynton) 6:40
from Jack The Toad 1973
Savoy Brown made the best of Dave Walker's departure for Fleetwood Mac by hiring Jack Lynton as their lead singer. While Lynton's voice can't match the warmth instilled by Walker's, he does do a competent job at melding with Kim Simmonds' guitar playing. His voice is sharp but not overly exciting, yet it still presents "Coming Down Your Way" with enough emotion to make it the album's standout track. The addition of Ron Berg on percussion and Stan Saltzman's saxophone are worthy instrumental extensions, helping to boost the album's energy level another notch...

As with many of the other English beat groups of the '60s, Alvin Lee cut his musical teeth in Hamburg, Germany in a band called the Jaybirds. By 1966, back in England, he had changed the name of his band to Ten Years After and was rapidly becoming a major attraction because of the virtuosity of his solo work.
Alvin Lee
Got to Keep Moving (Alvin Lee) 4:57
Going Through The Door (Alvin Lee) 4:28
Every Blues You've Ever Heard (Alvin Lee) 5:24
from In Flight 1974
feat: Dyan Birch / Frank Collins / Mel Collins / Tim Hinkley / Neil Hubbard / Paddy McHugh / Alan Spenner / Ian Wallace

Alligator Records, Chicago's leading contemporary blues label, might never have been launched at all if not for the crashing, slashing slide guitar antics of Hound Dog Taylor. Bruce Iglauer, then an employee of Delmark Records, couldn't convince his boss, Bob Koester, of Taylor's potential, so Iglauer took matters into his own hands. In 1971, Alligator was born for the express purpose of releasing Hound Dog's debut album. We all know what transpired after that...
Hound Dog Taylor
Wild About You, Baby 3:54
Sen-Sa-Shun (Freddie King / Sonny Thompson) 3:19
What'd I Say? (Ray Charles) 4:08
from Release the Hound / Rec. May 25, 1971 - March, 1975 (2004)
As the debut act on the fledgling Alligator label, Hound Dog Taylor obviously holds a hallowed place in owner Bruce Iglauer's heart. That has resulted in more posthumous albums (three) from the raw boogie-blues man than "official" ones (two) released in his lifetime. And that's not including the Alligator tribute disc. Iglauer has returned to raid what must be some pretty threadbare vaults by now, to cobble together this 70-minute collection of live tracks, outtakes, and general leftovers. Fortunately, this barrel-scraping has turned up some real gems, although they are far rougher than what is already in Taylor's gritty, gutbucket rocking catalog...

Skilled Irish blues-rock guitarist whose stripped-down brand of blues rock touched everyone who heard it. For a good introduction to his unparalleled prowess as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, pick up Irish Tour 1974, Calling Card, or Fresh Evidence.
Rory Gallagher
Do You Read Me (Rory Gallagher) 5:20
Calling Card (Rory Gallagher) 5:24
Jacknife Beat (Rory Gallagher) 7:04
from Calling Card 1976
Gallagher's second album for Chrysalis -- and last with his longstanding trio of Lou Martin (keyboards), Rod De'Ath (drums) and Gerry McAvoy (bass) -- was a milestone in his career. Although Calling Card was produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover... Arguably Rory Gallagher's finest studio effort, it was among his best and most varied batch of songs, and it is a perfect place for the curious to start their collection as well as an essential disc showing Gallagher at the peak of his powers.

Distinctive Chicago blues guitar stylist who expatriated to France in the '70s and returned to great acclaim in the '90s. An American-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter who lived in France since 1980, Luther Allison was the man to book at blues festivals in the mid-'90s. Allison's comeback into the mainstream was ushered in by a recording contract with an American record company, Chicago-based Alligator Records. After he signed with Alligator in 1994, Allison's popularity grew exponentially and he worked steadily until his death in 1997.
Luther Allison
Love Me Papa (Luther Allison) 5:58
Standing at the Crossroad (Robert Johnson) 3:15
Feelin' So Good [Take 2] (Herman Parker) 8:08
from Standing At The Crossroad / Rec. 1977 Barclay Studio, Paris, France (2003)
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica – Luther Allison, Bass – Jim Campbell, Drums – Donald Robertson, Guitar – Dan Hoeflinger, Piano, Organ – Sid Wingfield

Boogie-blues band originating from England, based in America, built a strong following in the '70s. Foghat specialized in a simple, hard-rocking blues-rock, releasing a series of best-selling albums in the mid-'70s. While never deviating from their basic boogie, they retained a large audience until 1978, selling out concerts across America and earning several gold or platinum albums.
Foghat
Stone Blue (Lonesome Dave Peverett) 5:37
Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson) 4:00
from Stone Blue 1978
After racking up huge sales with Live, Foghat found themselves forced to choose between staying a hard rock cult group or trying to expand their success and become a full-on commercial phenomenon. They decided to experiment with adding a commercial edge to their sound and hired producing wiz Eddie Kramer (knob-twiddler for Jimi Hendrix and Kiss) to help them find the right balance between guitar power and studio gloss...

A Mississippi transplant whose rangy, subtle harp playing made a splash in Chicago blues circles beginning in the 1960s. Harmonica wizard Norton Buffalo can recollect a leaner time when his record collection had been whittled down to only the bare essentials: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band...
Charlie Musselwhite
Harpin' on a Riff (Charlie Musselwhite) 3:34
Blues All Night 3:27
Chicago Sunset (Charlie Musselwhite) 3:27
from Harmonica According to Charlie 1979
Ostensibly an instructional blues harp album (with an exhaustive accompanying book penned by Charlie), this is emotional and listenable rather than academic. Charlie covers a wide range of blues styles (and harp positions), and ventures to the outer fringes of the genre for the instrumentals... The English studio band is sympathetic, especially pianist Bob Hall.

A rock guitar legend who, in addition to a distinguished solo career, collaborated with countless artists and played in many classic bands. By the time Eric Clapton launched his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world's major rock stars due to his group affiliations -- the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith -- which had demonstrated his claim to being the best rock guitarist of his generation.
Eric Clapton
Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself) (Bo Diddley / Ellas McDaniel) 4:39
The Sky Is Crying (Elmore James) 3:58
Blow Wind Blow (Muddy Waters) 2:59
from Eric Clapton Blues / Rec. 1970-1980 (1999)
Eric Clapton earned a reputation as a blues guitarist early in his career, and while he frequently returned to the blues -- usually recording at least one blues tune per album -- he never recorded a full-fledged blues album until 1994's From the Cradle. It became one of the most popular records of his career. Not long afterward, MCA assembled a collection of Jimi Hendrix's blues recordings, and that compilation also proved quite successful. Those two releases provided the blueprint for Blues, Polygram's double-disc collection of blues highlights from Clapton's RSO recordings of the '70s...