Not for beginners
Jobie M. Gerken | Pittsburgh, PA | 07/03/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"If you're already a big Magic Sam Maghett fan and you're looking to expand your library, then this is an excellent selection - especially given the limited selection. It gives a feel for the early development of the Magic Sam sound that helped define the Chicago west side blues, along with Otis Rush and Buddy Guy, in the '50s and '60s. If you are only a casual fan of Magic Sam, then this album is probably not for you - it gets a little repetitive and the slight nuances are probably lost on you. Personally I have enjoyed this album, but it does get a little tedious at times and the fast forward button is required.
As a side note, notice the similarity between the melody on Magic Sam's 'Do the Camel Walk' and Freddie King's 'Hideaway'. I don't know the history of this (I wish I could've lived it), it is apparently confirmed in 'Voice of the Blues' by Jim O'Neil that Freddie stole the licks from Hound Dog Taylor. I don't know how 'Do the Camel Walk' gets into the mix, as they were laid down on wax at about the same time."
***1/2. Some great stuff, but a lot of recycling as well
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/12/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Recycling?! Yes, well, there is some really great, energetic blues and R&B here, and some sizzling guitar playing, but you also get the feeling that Magic Sam only knew two or three songs at this point in his career, and he keeps doing them over and over with slightly different lyrics.
"The Essential Magic Sam" is not a career-spanning compilation; it chronicles Sam Maghett's earliest recordings for the Cobra, Crash and Chief labels. This material has been repackaged several times, and it's hard to pick one over the other...the sound is quite good, annotation is, too.
Sam was only in his early twenties when these singles were recorded, and some of the songs show up many years later on the excellent LPs "West Side Soul" and "Black Magic". And while the gritty "Mr Charlie", the classic "All Your Love", the passionate "Every Night About This Time", and the swinging "Look Watcha Done" are certainly great songs, the Cobra, Chief and Crash singles lack some of the variation of Sam's later recordings. "Everything Gonna Be Alright", "My Love Is Your Love", "Love Me This Way", "All Night Long", and "Easy Baby" are simply carbon copies of the 1957 single "All Your Love", and this compilation would actually benefit from being cut down to perhaps fifteen songs.
Still, fans of Magic Sam will certainly want this one in their collection. Casual listeners should start with "West Side Soul", though."
Not ready for prime time
Joel Fritz | N Ca | 06/08/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"A lot of this material is markedly inferior to his later recordings. Some of it sounds tentative. Many of the songs are in a key that doesn't work for the vocals. Strictly for completists.
If you're looking for a first Magic Sam album get "West Side Soul.""
Track Listings (28) - Disc #1