5. "Generally speaking, I most prefer" In response to Reply # 0
pre-war blues of the variety that blurs the lines between blues, folk, gospel and old-time with occasional jazz and pop touches.
Despite the stated 'pre-war' preference, one of my favorite albums as such was actually recorded in the mid-'50s and is basically Big Bill Broonzy sitting and talking and playing and singing over three discs. The Bill Broonzy Story (Verve). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJBhfwP6VSQ
Most of my other favorite blues records are field recordings or compilations of sides recorded independently of each other since 'albums' weren't a thing during the time frame in question.
Two Poor Boys/Evans & McClain 'complete chronological recordings; presents this guitar/mandolin duo doing everything from hokum to straight-up old-time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbAT23py5Dw
A delightful recording that's not really blues but usually gets classified as such because there's nowhere else to put it is Sid Hemphill's Complete Library of Congress recordings. Distinctly Black string band tunes/presentationo mixed with MS hill country fife and drum pieces. Crazy in the awesomest way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjA1a1CjQs doe the entire session
For more modern blues: JB Lenoir 'Viet Nam Blues' - recordings made during the 1965 (? I think) American Folk Blues Festival. JB's in fabulous form, songs range from good time boogies to deeply political laments. Occasional contributions from the great Willie Dixon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34evyrWA0xc
Albert Collins 'Frizen Alive' god I haven't listened to that in 25 years but he used to be my favorite of the big TX bluesmen... that capo, the scowl, the weird pointy fingerpicking style on an electric... idiosyncratically awesome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuTV9MIAdsw
Of course none of those are past the early '80s... for a few later ones you can add something like John lee Hooker 'Feelin' Lucky' and... well, can't really think of much else although I recall enjoying the last album from Champion Jack Dupree and Gatemouth Brown kept putting out good stuff until he died.
OUt of the current crop of musicians I'm a big fan (for obvious reasons) of Blind Boy Paxton and Dom Flemings.
blind willie Johnson (metal as fuck-not JUST due to voice but also due to lyrics and vibe as well; my favourite act in tis style):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_o4omd8T5c
As for blooze/blues-rock, my favourite is ZZ top and billy Gibbons and people who think limp-dicked, semi-awful hippie losers in the Allmans (or rednecks in Lynyrd Skynyrd even if I dig 'em too; MUCh better than Allmans...) played better "southern rock"/"boogie-blooze" strike me as utterly deranged/retarded...
Oh yeah, I'd also argue that Angus Young (AC/DC) is a better "blues guitarist" than both Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff healy and infinitely superior to Joe bonamssa (YUCK!!! YIKES!!! PUKE!!!)...
>As for blooze/blues-rock, my favourite is ZZ top and billy >Gibbons and people
minus credibility points
>who think limp-dicked, semi-awful hippie >losers in the Allmans
minus more credibility points
> (or rednecks in Lynyrd Skynyrd even if I >dig 'em too; MUCh better than Allmans...) played better >"southern rock"/"boogie-blooze" strike me as utterly >deranged/retarded...
Skynyrd was alright, weird that they've never had a resurgence with music geeks the way some of the other bands you mention (along with the Band) have done.
>Oh yeah, I'd also argue that Angus Young (AC/DC) is a better >"blues guitarist"
credibility shot!
> than both Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff healy >and infinitely superior to Joe bonamssa (YUCK!!! YIKES!!! >PUKE!!!)...
I don't think I've heard the name Jeff Healy since the late 1980s. Not real big on SRV at this point either. Don't mind him at all, but I used to be a fan and now I'm more like 'he's okay.'
Joe Bonamassa seems to be everywhere the past few years though. Bland as heck imho.
listening to title track now; another classic-rock also-ran band that I've never really bothered checking out. Reminds me a little of the Guess Who with a little more soul influence?
As far as blues-rock records though it still doesn't get much better for me than The Butterfield Blues Band's East-West record. Great blend of blues with contemporary pop and the emerging psychedelic sound. Ventures out of blues but (unlike a lot of blues-rock) does so tastefully and with great results.
16. "you know Blind Roosevelt Graves? + somme other gospel blues" In response to Reply # 9
I know back in the day I used to posit Barbecue Bust as a potential first Rock n Roll Record, but his gospel blues stuff is right up your alley with the percussion, the guitar and his brother on backing vocal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BKk9WDYF2o
Bozie Sturdivant: Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt-af4wp_nU considered by some to be one of the finest American field recordings of the 20th century
15. "Not a big fan of Buddy Guy acoustic" In response to Reply # 10
his strength (and what made him revolutionary) was, at least as I see it, always the fluidity of his single-string soloing on electric. When he plays acoustic, it sounds like an electric lead guitarist playing acoustic, without the rest of the band.
Still very good, of course, just feels... a bit out of his element compared to his electric playing.
17. "RE: Not a big fan of Buddy Guy acoustic" In response to Reply # 15
>his strength (and what made him revolutionary) was, at least >as I see it, always the fluidity of his single-string soloing >on electric. When he plays acoustic, it sounds like an >electric lead guitarist playing acoustic, without the rest of >the band. > >Still very good, of course, just feels... a bit out of his >element compared to his electric playing. >
Yes he was phenomenal on the electric, but this acoustic effort was great. It has that down home feel. Sitting on the porch on a hot summer day, having a few drinks with friends and family while playing this record.
19. "hmm don't know this one" In response to Reply # 18 Wed May-02-18 04:33 PM by lonesome_d
>the Vanguard Chicago Blues Today trilogy are among my >favorites too.
but probably not dissimilar to some other compilations I have.
Most impressive are the sets from the American Folk Blues Festivals from 1961-1965 that Evidence put out in the 1990s. Really good breadth of styles, mostly with solid Chicago and Memphis players as the core... lots of guys that you don't hear too much about too, like Sunnyland Slim, Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes Victoria Spivey in addition to the bigger names. I wouldn't even know most of those guys without this set.
24. "some more gems that generally fly under the radar of casual fans" In response to Reply # 0
Jimmy & Walter 'Easy' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1D1ljsko8 Whilte it gets a bit too shakey starting about halfway through, man, that harmonica tone at the beginning is just so fat. Plus, while Chess is well know for their blues sides, Sun is undeservedly less so.
Tommy McLennan, one of the last of the pre-war country blues guys to record, with my (far & away) favorite version of what he calls Deep Blue Sea Blues but has been done as Catfish Blues and Two Trains Runnin': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc61tRO2PXM
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