Search - Bobby "Blue"Bland & B.B. King :: I Like To Live The Love

BOBBY BLAND AND BB KING -- TOGETHER AND IN TOP FORM

William J. Deangelis | Cambridge, MA USA | 12/21/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD, "I Like to Live the Love", is a compendium of cuts from two previous collaborations between the venerable B.B. King and masterful blues vocalist, Bobby Bland. Those earlier efforts, "Together for the First Time" and "Together Again" have become blues classics. The music is live. Most of it is terrifically good. King's guitar mastery and operatic blues shouting blends well, often wonderfully well, with Bland's subtler vocals. The side men do a solid job and the audience response, often distracting on concert CD's, usually enhances the music. It is apparent that the performers are enjoying themselves. Bland is in top form on these cuts -- and that's saying a lot.Those who have never heard Bobby Bland have missed out on one of the best reasons for living of which I am aware. His voice is impossible to describe without lapsing into seeming contradictions. For example, it's both smooth as silk and rough as sandpaper. It must be heard. Equally impressive, Bland always seem to have a deeply intuitive understanding of the songs he sings. He employs his remarkable voice with an all-too-rare intelligence. (In a sane world, everyone would know Bobby Bland and his work.) This CD is a good vehicle for hearing him.I have a quibble about the selections made for this CD. Certainly, "3-O'clock Blues" and "Driftin' Blues" are about as good as it gets. I like both of these live versions better than any others I know. All of the cuts on this collection are worthy. Yet two cuts from the original source collections, Bland's best-ever rendition of "I'll Take Care of You" (which drives his audience crazy!)and an incomparably high-spirited rendition of King's blues anthem, "The Thrill Is Gone", are not included. As good as this CD is, it would have been better if they had been. For someone who has never heard the original Bland/King "Together" collections, this CD should prove to be be a good purchase. It has most of the best material from those efforts and leaves out the few cuts which don't quite work. Serious blues enthusiasts might do better to purchase the earlier works. Still, "I Like to Live the Love" should enhance the collection of occasional blues fans, or those with more eclectic tastes, with a low-cost, high-quality CD that will bring much in the way of enjoyment."