List Your 5 Essential Blues Albums

[Seneca]

Yes, YOUR 5 essential albums. And by listing 5, I am making this difficult on purpose. :P

1. Robert Johnson - "The Complete Recordings"

2. Howlin' Wolf - "The Chess Box" (boxed sets count as one, which will make this easier)

3. Muddy Waters - "The Chess Box"

4. Blind Willie McTell - "1927-1933 - The Early Years"

5. John Lee Hooker - "The Ultimate Collection: 1948-1990"

[Wickerman]

1. I'd add Muddy's Hard Again

other than that, great list!

[Seneca]

3. I love that album!

Johnny Winter does some mean production and back-up guitar! I think it has the definitive version of "Mannish Boy", and James Cotton WAILS on his harp on "Bus Driver", and hell, ALL OVER THE PLACE. :D

[Wickerman]

5. Was the best Muddy was ever recorded

imo. And some of the performances were the best to boot. That harp is what blues harp was meant to be, huh?

[Seneca]

9. It has amazing energy and strength

If he had thrown in a new version of "The Same Thing", I might have very well had it on my list.

Some of his best Chicago bandmates give it their all, including Pinetop Perkins. Love it.

[Zuni]

19. no, the best Muddy years were '48-'55

not including Mojo working, with hubert Sumlin on guitar

[Wickerman]

23. No, the best recording in my opinion was Hard Again

can't beat his performance in the early Chess years and prior but for sonic capabilities of recording nothing like Hard Again.

[maxsolomon]

2. that sounds about right

i might put the Bessie Smith box(es) in the 4 slot, but ain't no way to beat 1 - 3. especially #1.

[Seneca]

6. Bessie Smith is wonderful

Such sweet pain. And the subject of a great tune by The Band. :-)

[newscott]

4. I'd throw in an honorable mention

for

Mississippi John Hurt
Charlie Patton


Hard to argue with your choices, though.

[Seneca]

7. Those are two exemplary choices

:thumbsup:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. Here ya go.

1). Freddie King: Gettin' Ready (for "Goin' Down")

2). BB King: Live at Cook County Jail (for the definitive "The Thrill Is Gone")

3). Live From Antone's Tenth Anniversary Anthology (For Buddy Guy's "Look On Yonders Wall"...his most aggressive, terrifying performance EVER. REALLY).

4). John Lee Hooker: Mr. Lucky (His performance of "This Is Hip" with Ry Cooder is sublime. When he yells "Ry!" and Cooder tears into a fluid slide solo, it's transcendent.

5). Muddy Waters: Fathers And Sons (for the live "Long Distance Call" and the moment when Muddy bellows "MUDDY WATERS...another mule's....been KICKIN' IN YOUR STALL..." I love the Blue Sky stuff, but it can't touch this one.)

:toast:

[Seneca]

10. BB King

I agree about "The Thrill Is Gone", and you know, much as I love "Live At The Regal", I prefer "Cook County Jail". Guess it's the same prison-vibe that Johnny Cash worked out so well on "Live At Folsom Prison".

"Mr. Lucky" is fantastic. Must add another favorite from that album - his duet with Van Morrison on "I Cover The Waterfront." :-)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

11. "Live At The Regal" and "Cook County Jail" are a REAL coin toss.

I already had the CD of "Live At The Regal," and a few weeks ago popped for the remastered version.

It's actually worth it, with much-improved sound and an expanded CD booklet. But you've got to LOVE something to buy it 3 times (I have the vinyl version, too)...:-)

I thought that out of the late-period string of albums that began with "The Healer" and ended with "The Best Of Friends," John Lee wore the "guest artists gimmick" most comfortably on "Mr. Lucky." It really is a STRONG album, and while the Cooder track is my favorite, there's not a bad track on the album. The John Lee "attitude" roars like a lion on "Father Was A Jockey" ("He taught me how to RIDE....RIDE...")...he's not talkin' about a horse, folks.

:evilgrin:

[Seneca]

12. Yeah, that is his best collaborative album

Although "The Healer" album, with him and Bonnie Raitt getting downright dirty on "I'm In The Mood", is another favorite.

Worth tracking down, is a copy of Van Morrison's 1993 effort "Too Long In Exile". John Lee duets on a remake of Van's own "Gloria" (the call and response between him and Van is solid), and a mournful tune called "Wasted Years". Shows that the guest gimmick works for him in reverse too.

Yeah, RIDE...RIDE. :D

[ET Awful]

13. There's a surprising lack of Lightning Hopkins on your list

:)

And Big Mama Thorton is suspiciously absent as well.

[Seneca]

14. lol

Damn. Might as well add my lack of Ma Rainey and T-Bone Walker too. :D

[Zuni]

18. same with lowell Fulson

[madrchsod]

15. luther allison-"live in chicago"

best recording of a live blues performance of anyone i have ever heard.
2- "the paul butterfield blues band" first recording.vinyl only
3- "chicago-the blues today,three volume set,vinyl only
4- "hoodo man blues" jr wells- vinyl only
5- "1973 ann arbor blues and jazz festival"-vinyl
6- "bluesbreakers with eric clapton"- vinyl only

[Zuni]

16. ok

I am a HUGE blues fan, so it is hard to narrow it down

1. Muddy ---Chess 50th Anniversary Collection

2. Howlin Wolf--- 20 greatest, Chess 50th Anniversary

3. Robert johnson-- complete recordings

4. Butterfield Blues band---Anthology

5. Buddy Guy --- the very best of

6. Otis rush--- the essential otis Rush

7. Fleetwood Mac---Madison Blues Live, Live at the BBC (Peter green fleetwood mac, not stevie nicks)

8. Charlie Patton--- Yazoo records collection (best of and primeval blues, rags and gospel)

9. Living the Blues Collection---excellent collection of classics

10. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers---A Hard road (extended version with 2 cds and unreleased stuff, plus singles with peter green)

[Kat45]

17. One of my faves is Buddy Guy's "Stone Crazy"

Any list of essential blues albums has to include Buddy Guy, whether that album or another one.

[Zuni]

20. agreed

"First time I met the Blues" is one of the greatest blues tracks ever recorded

[Enraged_Ape]

21. "To Our Children's Children's Children"

"In Search of the Lost Chord"
"Days of Future Passed"
"Seventh Sojourn"
"On the Threshold of a Dream"

Oh, BLUES!!! I thought you meant Moody Blues.

[yardwork]

22. I have this Smithsonian Blues compilation that was done in the 60s

and I couldn't live without it. It has field recordings from the 1920s forward. Oh it is so wonderful.

[Initech]

24. I only have one blues album

And that's BB King's greatest hits.

What would be some good ones for me to get?