Swap a CD: 15 Recently Posted CDs

20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection The Best of John Lee Hooker - John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker — 2009-11-22T14:19:53-05:00

Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around -- well, the 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection wasn't too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it's hard to feel that way when it's used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptuous title, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it's impossible for any of these brief collections to be definitive, but they're nevertheless solid samplers that don't feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take John Lee Hooker's 20th Century volume -- it's an irresistible 12-song summary of his MCA and Chess years. There may be a couple of noteworthy songs missing, but many of his best-known songs for the label are here, including "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," "I'm in the Mood," "I'm Bad Like Jesse James," "Sugar Mama," "Ground Hog Blues," "It's My Own Fault," and "It Serves You Right to Suffer." Serious fans will want something more extensive, but this is an excellent introduction for neophytes and a great sampler for casual fans, considering its length and price. That doesn't erase the ridiculousness of the series title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Phantom Blues - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal — 2009-11-22T12:14:06-05:00

An eclectic bluesman would seem to be a contradiction in terms, but Taj Mahal, who has moved through the worlds of folk, rock, and pop to reach his present categorization, fits the description, and here he takes several pop and R&B oldies that came from blues roots -- "Ooh Poo Pah Doo," "Lonely Avenue," "What Am I Living For?," "Let the Four Winds Blow" -- and returns them to those roots. He also calls in such guest stars as Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt, who have more than a nodding acquaintance with the blues, to assist him. The result is progressive blues hybrid that treats the music not as a source, but as a destination. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Blues to the Bone - Etta James

Etta James — 2009-11-22T11:54:19-05:00

Etta James has worked in countless styles throughout her long career, and she is equally at home singing gospel, r&b, soul, jazz, and even rock & roll, but her roots have always been solidly planted in the blues, and she is arguably the finest living singer active in the genre. Perhaps because she doesn't sing only the blues, however, when she does, it sticks out as something special, and with Blues to the Bone she goes down to the river and dives in completely, turning out a solid album of no-frills, gutbucket performances. Her voice has deepened and coarsened over the years, making it the perfect vehicle of authenticity and authority as she tackles classics of the genre like John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake," Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom," and Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning," backed by a garage blues combo led by her sons, Donito and Sametto James. James' versions bring new dimensions to each of these hoary old chestnuts, which have generally been sung by men, and her smoke-tinged alto makes each her own, instilling them all with a wise, desperate, and confident intimacy. She gives Jimmy Reed's "Hush Hush" a solid reading, while her take on Willie Dixon's "Lil' Red Rooster" is a tension-filled, atmospheric gem. The most striking track here, however, is James' version of the Elmore James tune "The Sky Is Crying," which emerges as epic and poignant. Much of contemporary blues spins on its own excesses and on a hundred years of accumulative clichÉs, but when an artist like Etta James comes home to sing the blues, the world has to rejoice and take notice, because in her hands the old clichÉd phrases become vital and new again. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Mo Roots - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal — 2009-11-22T10:19:58-05:00

Mo' Roots finds Mahal stepping away from the blues, choosing instead to focus on reggae. While he can often be faulted for his all-too-academic approach, with Mo' Roots he turns in an album that truly expresses his appreciation and connection with the music. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide

How Blue Can You Get Retro - B.B. King

B.B. King — 2009-11-22T02:58:40-05:00

How Blue Can You Get is a real hodgepodge of very early B.B. 78s, live air shots, and later studio tracks with a big band. It's interesting to hear King's style evolve from the cruder RPM sides cut in Memphis and Los Angeles to his later sides after success had come his way. Loads of great guitar and great singing, and although some of the transfers are more than a little scratchy, the music's just fine. As budget sets go, this one's a keeper. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

Blues on Fire - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-22T01:58:25-05:00

Houndog - Houndog

Houndog — 2009-11-21T18:29:29-05:00

With Houndog, Mike Halby and David Hidalgo have managed a feat that's rare in the dying days of the 20th century: an album that convincingly captures the spontaneous and earthy feel of vintage downhome blues, without sounding forced or cliched. It can be hard to decipher Halby's deep, mumbly vocals -- sometimes it sounds like he's not just singing swamp blues, but literally singing from the bottom of a swamp -- but, fortunately, lyrics are printed on the sleeve. Although the backbone of the arrangements are sparse lo-fi drums and sleepy, smoky guitar and bass licks, Hidalgo adds touches of violin, accordion, and lap steel to make the already interesting textures deeper. All songs are original, save "I'll Change My Style" (taken from Junior Parker). A quality and quirky afterhours blues album. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Christmas Blues Shout Box - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-21T18:15:51-05:00

Christmas Blues & Shout is a multiple-disc set that features some of the best artists of the '40s and '50s contributing their versions of classic christmas songs. jazz masters like Duke Ellington and Louis Prima sit side-by-side on the compilation with early rockers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. Unlike many christmas collections, most of the songs included here are quite famous, as are the musicians who play them. Someone looking for a jazzy, up-tempo album for the holidays would probably enjoy this very much. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

Strong Persuader - Robert Cray

Robert Cray — 2009-11-21T17:54:08-05:00

The set that made Cray a pop star, despite its enduring blues base. Cray's smoldering stance on "Smoking Gun" and "Right Next Door" rendered him the first sex symbol to emerge from the blues field in decades, but it was his innovative expansion of the genre itself that makes this album a genuine 1980s classic. "Nothing but a Woman" boasts an irresistible groove pushed by the Memphis Horns and some metaphorically inspired lyrics, while "I Wonder" and "Guess I Showed Her" sizzle with sensuality. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

Just Like You - Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' — 2009-11-21T17:16:52-05:00

On his second album, Keb' Mo' begins to expand the borders of his delta blues by recording with a full band on a couple of tracks and attempting more expansive, rock-based song structures. The attempts aren't entirely successful and it's ironic that he decided to try rock-oriented material after he received such praise for his traditionalist debut. Still, there are a few songs on the album that rank with the best on his first album, which suggests that Just Like You is merely a sophomore slump. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide

Phantom Blues - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal — 2009-11-21T17:16:01-05:00

The Real Blues Brothers - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-21T13:51:17-05:00

This is a nice Vee-Jay collection with representative cuts from Pee Wee Crayton, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Lightnin' Hopkins, Billy Boy Arnold, Memphis Slim and a stray track from Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. The big ticket for collectors on this one, however, is the inexplicable bonus of a previously unissued Eddie Taylor number, "Leave This Neighborhood," reason enough for hardcore fans to want to add this one to the collection. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

Prepare Me Well - Jeff Lang

Jeff Lang — 2009-11-21T12:43:38-05:00

Subtitled "An introduction to Jeff Lang," Prepare Me Well compiles tracks from five of the Australian roots guitarist's discs released over a ten year time span starting in 1994, many of which have not been available in the States. It is meant as a way of bringing Lang's name into visibility, and as such is a useful collection. But, since the press notes explain that Lang produced ten live and studio albums during this period, one wonders what happened to material from the other five. Additionally, selections from Native Creek Dog, which was named Best Australian Blues Album in 1996, are strangely M.I.A. Regardless, what is here is impressive. Lang takes aspects of Richard Thompson, Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke, and especially the underappreciated Tony Furtado, and blends them together in a bluesy, swampy concoction that has been described as "disturbed folk." It's an intriguing sound, and along with Lang's fragile, gentle voice (somewhat similar to Paul Simon's), the music is consistently stimulating, even in its quietest moments. Perhaps not surprisingly, the collection is a little schizophrenic, shifting between soft, gentle ethereal music such as the closing "Rain on Troy," the complex finger picking and dark stylings of "Ravenswood," and extended, moody pieces such as the title track to Cedar Grove, the album's most riveting track. The collection is dedicated to the late Chris Whitley, and there are overtones of his edgy style here. Lang never rushes his songs, and even though his instrumental proficiency is obvious, he doesn't overextend solos. A few more upbeat tunes on the order of the surging "Too Easy to Kill" would make this more driving and provide a change from the rather downbeat approach, but there is no doubt that Lang has tapped into a unique style, often influenced by East Indian tunings as on "London." He's already been featured on A Prairie Home Companion, which provides a perfect outlet for his offbeat, occasionally bleak folk. He's a talent who deserves wider recognition. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide

Mystery Lady Songs of Billie Holiday - Etta James

Etta James — 2009-11-21T12:30:53-05:00

The popular Etta James usually performs raunchy single-entendre blues so this surprisingly subtle outing is a real change of pace. She sounds quite laidback on a set of ballads associated with Billie Holiday and utilizes a jazz rhythm section led by pianist Cedar Walton plus three horn players including the great Red Holloway on tenor and alto. James makes no attempts at exploring uptempo material or scatting, sticking to soulful interpretations of the classic ballads. Despite the lack of variety in tempoes, the music is quite satisfying. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

The Heart of a Woman - Etta James

Etta James — 2009-11-21T12:30:11-05:00

Heart of a Woman is a great idea for an album. Etta James chose 11 love songs from her favorite female singers -- Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, and Carmen McRae -- augmenting the album with a new version of her signature song, "At Last." She has recorded several of these songs before (including Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," which inexplicably became a standard for both her and McRae), but the difference with Heart of a Woman is the context. Here, they're put in a smooth jazz setting, masterminded by James, who has producer credit. There's no denying that Etta James is a powerhouse, one of the finest blues singers of the 20th century, and she still possesses an exceptionally strong voice, robust and filled with passion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide