Search - Memphis Slim :: At the Gates of Horn

An overlooked classic

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 04/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Judged solely on merit, this magnificent blues record should be the best-known (and best-selling) Memphis Slim album.

So why isn't it?



He he...here's the catch, I have no idea. It makes no sense.

"Memphis Slim At The Gate Of Horn" has everything - rocking arrangements, great sound, great songs, and the deep, burnished voice and masterful playing of the 6'6" John L. "Memphis Slim" Chatman.

This is a better and more immediately accessible introduction to Slim than just about every available compilation. It features almost all of his very best songs: "The Come Back", "Blue And Lonesome" "Sassy Mae", "Mother Earth", "Messin' Around With The Blues" and a powerful "Rockin' The House". The only one missing is the endlessly covered "Nobody Loves Me" (which everybody besides Slim calls "Every Day I Have The Blues").



"Memphis Slim At The Gate Of Horn" is not a live album, despite the title. It's a 1959 studio recording, featuring Slim and a tough R&B unit with Matt "Guitar" Murphy and a couple of saxophones playing well-measured, punchy riffs.

It is also one of the best blues LPs of the 50s, and Slim rocks harder than on any other release."