The contemporary Chicago blues scene remains a prosperous one, anchored by several highly successful clubs (including the two Blue Chicagos) and a number of prolific record labels. But the golden age of Chicago blues occurred when hallowed giants forged an entirely new brand of tough urban blues, with an exciting jolt of amplification that changed the sound of blues forever. Here are some of the greatest blues performances ever recorded!
Tracklist:
01 - Muddy Waters - I'm Ready 03:05
02 - Magic Sam - I Need You So Bad 04:56
03 - Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man 02:53
04 - Elmore James - The Sky Is Crying 02:50
05 - Eddie Taylor - Bad Boy 03:07
06 - Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin' 03:07
07 - Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid 02:17
08 - Otis Span - It Must Have Been The Devil 03:47
09 - J. B. Lenior - Mama Talk To Your Daughter 02:27
10 - Little Walter - My Babe 02:42
11 - Otis Rush - All Your Love (I Miss Loving You) 02:39
12 - Earl Hooker - Blue Guitar 02:42
13 - Sunnyland Slim - I'm A Lonesome Man 02:37
14 - Sonny Boy Williamson - Help Me 03:10
15 - Robert Jr. Lockwood - Ramblin' On My Mind 02:43
16 - Billy Boy Arnold - I Wish You Would 02:43
17 - Luther Allison - Five Long Years 04:18
18 - Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers - It's Alright 03:12
California Jam II, also known as Cal Jam II, was a music festival held in Ontario, California, at the Ontario Motor Speedway on March 18, 1978. More than 350,000 people attended. The festival was a sequel to the original California Jam held in 1974. (http://en.wikipedia.org)
Even for the tax scam Tiger Lily label "Reading Festival Featuring Rod Stewart" was a unique release ... it's certainly obscure. I've only seen two copies in 30 years of collecting so good luck locating another copy. To the best of my knowledge it's also the only live set that Tiger Lily released.
As you probably guessed, the album title wasn't particularly accurate. Yeah, the performances were taped at the Reading Festival (officially The 13th National Jazz, Blues & Rock Festival, Reading, England held over three days in June 1973), but in spite of the title, Rod Stewart (and the Faces) were hardly the dominant act on this nine selection compilation. In fact they were only featured on one lackluster track - turns out Stewart and the Faces who were in the midst of going their separate ways also got pretty shitty reviews at the concert itself. So what's actually on the album?
- The late Rory Gallagher started the set off with a blazing 'Hands Off'. Fantastic live version that kicked the crap out of the original studio version (found on 1972's "Blueprint").
- I'm guessing that the Bo Diddley 'Road Runner' cover was the band Strider (whom I know nothing about). Not a half bad heavy metal cover version.
- Greenslade's not exactly a known quantity in the States, but 'Feathered Friends' was a surprisingly enjoyable piece of progressive puff. I'll have to check out some of their material.
- Pulled form their "Piledriver" set, 'Don't Waste My Tim' was a standard Status Quo rocker. Mindless fun ...
- The Faces were probably the band most folks came to see, but based on their pro-forma cover of 'Losing You' you had to wonder what the excitement was about. A lackluster Stewart vocal and seemingly endless Kenny Jones drum solo didn't exactly help.
- Perhaps the biggest surprise to me was Alan Bown's 'Long Legged Linda'. Yeah, he didn't have the most impressive voice you've ever heard, but the song was a great slice of pub rock energy. One of the standout performances ...
- Easily the weirdest artist and song in the lineup was Leslie Duncan's 'Earth Mother' ... Mind you I have nothing against Duncan, but her pop moves sure sounded out of place here. Mind you her performance was actually quite good. Nice guitar work ...
- That left Tim Hardin as the other big surprise. Hardin wasn't in particularly good health at the time (he looked like death warmed over on the back cover photo), but still managed to turn in a pair of stunning performances on 'Hang On To a Dream' and 'Person To Person'. (He sure didn't rock out like this on the studio albums I've heard.)
The album also sported some great sound quality courtesy of Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio and producers Chris Beckwith and Jimmy Horowitz. IN fact some if the performances were so good you had to wonder whether they were spiffed up with some post-production work (check out the strings on Duncan and Hardin's performances).
Shame the set didn't capture some of the other festival performances since the 1973 line up was pretty eclectic including opening act Embryo, Finland's Tasavallan Presidentii, French jazz-rockers Ange, Magma, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Genesis, Spencer Davis, John Martyn, Status Quo, etc. (Scott Blackerby)
Tracklist:
01 - Rory Gallagher - Hands Off 08:38
02 - Strider - Road Runner 04:22
03 - Greenslade - Feathered Friends 04:54
04 - Status Quo - Dont Waste My Time 04:14
05 - The Faces With Rod Stewart - Losing You 06:48
06 - Andy Bown - Long Legged Linda 03:45
07 - Lesley Duncan - Earth Mother 05:39
08 - Tim Hardin - Hang On To A Dream Personto Perso 07:24
This is in essence blues songs played as rock songs by blues rock musicians. It is much better than the horrible "Blues Authority" stuff (which is blues songs played by METAL musicians). Although not a "pure blues" album, the playing reflects the richness achieved by using traditional guitar, amp and other sound techniques. What it is is an anthology of new recordings within the "British blues tradition".
There are some fine acoustic recordings within the 4 CDs in the series (Big Joe Williams/Maggie Bell and Peter Green and Nigel Watson, for instance and a fantastic solo acoustic rendition of "Don't let me be misunderstood" - see the "British" blues connection?). There is also a previously released version of Red House by J. L. Hooker which is good - the fact that "Red House" is included should tell you all you need to know about the "rock" orientation of the set. Having criticized the set, I must say I really do like it. Any set which includes the likes of Jack Bruce, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Mick Taylor and Mick Abrahams is worth purchasing. Just keep in mind that it is a collection of blues by mostly British blues rockers. As for the "Americans", Harvey Mandel and Harvey Brooks are featured (the latter made my ears stand up for a listen). (Samuel B. King)
Tracklist:
01 - Hobo Blues 05:54
02 - Black Magic Woman 03:58
03 - Rattlesnake Shake 05:29
04 - Going Down To Mobile 03:54
05 - You Shook Me 10:23
06 - I Want To Hug You 04:05
07 - I Loved Another Woman 04:58
08 - Long Grey Mare 04:52
09 - Evil Woman Blues 02:06
10 - I'm In The Mood 06:21
11 - Cryin' Won't Bring You Back 05:16
12 - Drop Down Mama 03:04
13 - Play On Little Girl - T-Bone Shuffle 06:05
14 - Ground Hog Blues 05:45
15 - Racketeer Blues 03:51
Earl Green (lead vocals - #1)
Jeff Beck (lead guitar - #1)
David Hadley (bass - #1)
Richard Bailey (drums - #1)
Larry McCray (guitars, vocals - #2)
Noel Neal (bass - #2)
Tony Z (keyboards - #2)
Steve McCray (drums - #2)
Steve Robinson (lead vocals - #3)
Vince Converse (guitar, second lead vocals - #3)
Innes Sibun (guitar - #3)
John Baggott (keyboards - #3)
Gerry Joffe (bass - #3)
'Little Joe' Frenchwood (drums - #3)
Kim Simmons (guitar - #4)
Nathaniel Peterson (bass, vocals - #4)
Tom Compton (drums - #4)
Mick Taylor (slide guitar, vocals - #5)
Max Middleton (keyboards - #5)
Robert 'Crackle' Ahwai (rhythm guitar - #5)
Kuma Harada (bass - #5)
Jeff Allen (drums - #5)
Zakiya Hooker (lead vocals - #6)
Bobby Murray (lead guitar - #6)
Tony Cook (synthesizer guitar - #6)
Johnnie Johnson (piano - #6)
David Daniel (bass - #6)
Marlon Green (drums - #6)
Victor Puebla (percussion - #6)
Jay Aston (vocals - #7)
Larry Mitchell (guitars - #7)
Wilbur Bascomb (bass - #7)
Jonathan Mover (drums - #7)
Harvey Mandel (guitars - #8)
Jon Paris (harmonica, rhythm guitar, vocals, backing vocals - #8)
Wilbur Boscomb (bass - #8)
Damon Duewhite (drums - #8)
Pete Brown (backing vocals - #8)
Pete McMohan (vocals - #9)
Ray Gomez (guitar - #9)
'Even' Steven Levee (bass - #9)
Bobby Chouinard (drums - #9)
Jack Bruce (lead vocals, bass - #10)
Gary Moore (lead guitar - #10)
Gary Husband (drums - #10)
Jess Roden (lead vocals, backing vocals - #11)
Luther Grosvenor (guitars, backing vocals - #11)
Ariel Bender (rhythm guitar - #11)
Dave Moore (Hammond, organ - #11)
Pete Brown (harmonica, backing vocals - #11)
Steve Dolan (bass - #11)
Mike Kellie (drums, backing vocals - #11)
Tony (T.S.) McPhee (guitar, vocals - #12)
Paul Jones (vocals, harmonica - #13)
Otis Grand (guitar - #13)
Steve Wren (piano, organ - #13)
Mike Hobart (tenor & baritone saxophone - #13)
Chico Lopez (bass - #13)
Pascal 'Junior' Delmas (drums - #13)
Tony (T.S.) McPhee (guitar, vocals - #14)
Dick Heckstall-Smith (tenor & soprano saxophone - #14)
Chris Jagger (vocals, guitar - #15)
Ed Beane (guitar - #15)
Mick Jagger (harmonica - #15)
Charlie Hart (bass - #15)
Malcolm Mortimore (drums - #15)