Search - Elmore James :: King of the Slide Guitar

King of the Slide Guitar
Elmore James
King of the Slide Guitar
Genres: Blues, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (22) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (21) - Disc #2
  •  Track Listings (21) - Disc #3

The complete Trumpet, Chief & Fire Sessions, 64 remastered tracks. Includes a 24-page illustrated booklet. 3 papersleeves packaged in a cardboard flip-top box. 'Elmore James was a major, maybe even the main reason, why...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Elmore James
Title: King of the Slide Guitar
Members Wishing: 4
Total Copies: 0
Label: Snapper UK
Release Date: 11/11/2004
Album Type: Box set, Import
Genres: Blues, Pop
Styles: Chicago Blues, Traditional Blues, Electric Blues, Slide Guitar
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaCD Credits: 3
UPC: 803415572229

Synopsis

Album Description
The complete Trumpet, Chief & Fire Sessions, 64 remastered tracks. Includes a 24-page illustrated booklet. 3 papersleeves packaged in a cardboard flip-top box. 'Elmore James was a major, maybe even the main reason, why the Stones came about.' - Bill Wyman
 

CD Reviews

A fantastic box set
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 06/07/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This reissue of the original 50-track "King Of The Slide Guitar" box set, with an additional 14 tracks, is magnificent. It presents every song Elmore James recorded for the Fire, Fury and Enjoy labels in the early 60s, with great sound and a few interesting rarities and alternate takes.



You'll need to hear Elmore's earlier recordings as well, of course (available on the fine "The Classic Early Recordings" box set, ASIN: B000000W62), but the fact that a few of his best early songs weren't re-recorded for Bobby Robinson's labels, and thus are missing from this collection, doesn't really detract anything from its greatness.

There are still so many blues classics here it's unbelievable - "Dust My Broom", "It Hurts Me Too", "The Sky Is Crying", "Shake Your Moneymaker" and "The Twelve Year Old Boy" are the best-known, obviously, but the rest of this material is not sub-par in any way...every song is good, most are great, and a lot of them are just magnificent, some of the most powerful electric blues you'll ever hear.



The brand of fiery electric blues that Elmore James played more than forty years ago packed an incredible punch. It is supremely gritty (in spite of the urbane arrangements featuring piano and saxophone), and Elmore had one of the greatest, most intense and expressive voices you'll ever hear. His slashing slide guitar playing has made him more influential than any other single guitarist.



"King Of The Slide Guitar" also includes several terrific instrumentals, like the smouldering "Up Jumped Elmore" and the dance-friendly boogie "Bobby's Rock". And even though most of the approximately fifty different songs aren't well known outside the circle of fanatical Elmore James-fan, there is an incredible number of high-quality cuts here.

The tough raver "Rollin' & Tumblin'" easily matches anything Cream or the Yardbirds ever did, "Done Somebody Wrong" is virtually hard rock, and the slide leads and saxophone fills on the funky "Can't Stop Loving My Baby" all blend together to create the kind of blues song you normally only dream about.



This wonderful collection of music can easily match any of the great Chess box sets, and that is saying something! Elmore James and the Broomdusters rock incredibly hard on their definitive reading of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom", and they smoulder on the ultimate slow blues, James' own "The Sky Is Crying".

There are so many excellent songs here that rarely or never show up on various Elmore James-compilations: "Got To Move", "Person To Person", "Strange Angels", "You Know You're Wrong", "Hand In Hand", "I've Got A Right To Love My Baby", "She's Got To Go"...well, just get it, allright?"
Incendiary!
Adam Fuller | Rochester, NY | 06/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say but WOW! "King of the Slide Guitar" is an apt title for James who was taken from us before his time.



The man could flat out play and belt out a tune from the bottom of his heart.



If you love the blues, heck if you love music I highly recommend picking up this set!"
The King of the Blues!
Michael D Shelfer | Gold Coast, Queensland Australia | 06/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Look, this guy was magic and this 3 CD set is just great! You must add this to your collection!!"