Here are Steve Sharp's top blues albums of the millennium, in no particular order.
1. “Hoodoo Man Blues” — Junior Wells
This was a groundbreaker in concept. It
was one of the first blues "albums" ever made. Prior to this one, blues
songs were only available on 45 rpm. singles. In addition to that, it
documents the hypnotic chemistry between Buddy Guy and Jr. Wells at its
genesis.
2. “Live At the Regal” — B.B. King
"Live At the Regal" is one of the first
live blues recordings ever made and, along with King's "Live At Cook County
Jail," one of the best. It turned many a would-be aficionado on to blues
music — including myself, via a scratched up old copy from the public
library.
3. “The Complete Recordings” — Robert Johnson
I could just as easily have
placed the early recordings of Tommy Johnson, or the Paramount recordings
of Charley Patton in this slot. But the Johnson tracks certainly had more
of a direct impact on blues and rock musicians in later years and
therefore, won a spot on this list.
4. “The Chess Box” — Muddy Waters
I felt like I cheated a bit with the
inclusion of this one, but no list like this could exist without some
Muddy, and this is one of the best and largest collections to date. It
spans all of the eras of Muddy's recording career, with the exception, of
course, of his Blue Sky years. The Stovall Plantation recordings were
tempting for inclusion, but I opted for the broader view offered by this
box set.
5. “Big City Blues” — Howlin' Wolf
I picked this one up on the crusty old United label for $3.99 on vinyl years ago and it still blows my mind. It is purported to capture Wolf just after he arrived in Chicago, but there are rumors that it was recorded in the Memphis YMCA just before he left for the North. Either way, it features Wolf at his aggressive best, with Willie Johnson, Hubert Sumlin's predecessor, on guitar.
6. “Big Boss Blues” — Jimmy Reed
After his discovery by John and Grace Brim, Jimmy Reed went on to record some of the best-known and oft-interpreted songs in blues history. Most of them are here.
7. “Live on Maxwell Street” — Robert Nighthawk
Maxwell Street was the place
where the blues made its transition from the country to a hard-edged urban
sound. No album, with the possible exception of Dick Shurman's recording of
John Wrencher's "Maxwell Street Alley Blues," captures the spirit of
Maxwell Street as well as this Nighthawk disc. In addition to being a
beautiful piece of Americana, it's a classic blues album. Nighthawk was
Muddy Waters' favorite and here, it's easy to see why. Nighthawk's playing
is by turns, joyful and bright, then downright terrifying in its
malevolence.
8. “Trailblazer” — Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm
A more aptly titled album you won't find. Ike Turner was a great blues guitarist, pianist,
composer and band-leader; and he was one of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll.
This features the pre-Tina records that Turner waxed in 1956 and 1957 with
his best vocalists, Jackie Brenston and Billy Gayles.
9. “West Side Soul” — Magic Sam
Ask almost any living practitioner of the
famed and influential West Side Chicago blues guitar tradition - from Jimmy
Dawkins to Otis Rush - and they are likely to say the king of that scene in
the late 1950's until his death in the 1960's was Magic Sam Maghett. This
disc captures Sam's formidable singing and playing at their best.
10. “Right Place, Wrong Time” — Otis Rush
I almost put Jimmy Rogers' great
Chess album "Chicago Bound," or "Whose Muddy Shoes" — which contains the
classic Chess recordings of John Brim, in this slot. But then I realized,
you could take a stack of Chess albums, close your eyes, grab any of them,
and make your "millennium" disc list. So, I made room for this off-beat
Otis Rush tear-jerker. And there will be the folks who say I should have
included Rush's famed Cobra recordings here instead. Rush, himself, would
probably feel the same way. He's said he doesn't even like this record.
But, all that aside, it is one of the most deeply emotional blues records
I've heard.
Go to Jeff Stevens' list.
These recordings and others can be found at CDNow.
