Here's a few of my favorites:
1. Luther Allison: "Luther's Blues", and "Reckless"
2. Albert Collins: "Sold Snap"
3. Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray: "Showdown"
4. Buddy Guy: "Damn Right I've Got The Blues"
5. Etta James: "Seven Year Itch"
6. Koko Taylor: "Force of Nature"
7. Katie Webster: "Swamp Boogie Queen" |
Two from the top of my head...
Etta James - Lifes Been Rough on Me
Robert Cray - Sweet Potato Pie (or any other one of his)
And any by the "Mighty" Sam McClain.
Regards, |
One of my favorites is Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, In Session. |
Maybe the powers that be will post this:
From the top of my head:
Zuzu Bollin, "Texas Bluesman"
Muddy Waters, "Hard Again"
Robert Nighthawk, "Live on Maxwell Street"
Howlin Wolf, "His Best", on Chess
Sonny Boy Williamson" His Best", on Chess
The list goes on...
If you can only pack one, you can't go wrong with Junior Wells, "Hoodoo Man Blues". |
Must have's would be Muddy Waters "Folk Singer"[get the CD for the extra cuts], and anything by "Howlin' Wolf". |
Here are some of my favorites, and you'll note I'm partial to acoustic blues:
Lightnin' Hopkins: Goin' Away (Bluesville 1073, Analogue Prod reissue)
JB Lenoir: Alabama Blues (L&R Record 42.001)
Sonny Boy Williamson: Keep It To Ourselves (Alligator AL 4787)
Sonny Boy Williamson: The Real Folk Blues (Chess 1503 Speakers Corner reissue)
Robert Lucas: Usin' Man Blues (Audioquest 1001)
John Lee Hooker: Sings the Blues/ThatÂ’s my story (Riverside OBC-538 Analogue Prod reissue)
Willie Dixon: The Blues Every Which Way (Verve V6-3007 Speakers Corner reissue)
Muddy Waters: Sings Big Bill Broonzy
Muddy Waters: Folk Singer
. |
BB King "Live IN Cook County Jail"
Earl Hooker "Hooker and Steve"
The London Howlin Wolf Sessions
Fleetwood Mac In Chicago
4 or my favorites |
Damn Right DaveÂ’s Got The Blues
In addition to the other great blues artists from above.
Etta James
Buddy Guy – The real deal “live” the master of the telecaster
Little Milton
BB King
Howlin Wolf
Muddy Waters
John Mayall & Eric Clapton
John Lee Hooker
Lightnin' Hopkins Mojo Hand
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Albert Collins
Robert Cray
Johnny Copland
Luther Allison
Lucky Peterson
Luke and the Locomotives
The Rolling Stones Singles Collection: The London Years
Eric Johnson
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Keb Mo
James Cotton
Big Walter Horton
Katie Webster
Sonny Terry
Lonnie Brooks
Son Seals
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
A.C. Reed
Alligator records anniversary collection: 20th,25th,30th
dave ‘po folk’ blues. |
Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions!
Rushton, I could not find Willie Dixon: The Blues Every Which Way. Your other picks look great. I also like acoustic blues.
Pbb, no luck with Zuzu Bollin, "Texas Bluesman"
Thanks again,
Ed |
James Armstrong - Sleeping with a Stranger
Carey and Lurrie Bell - Son of A Gun
Mel Brown - Neck Bones and Cavier
Eddie C. Campbell - King of the Jungle
Jimmy Dawkins - Fast Fingers
Buddy Guy - Stone Crazy
The Holmes Brothers - In The Spirit
John Lee Hooker - Modern Recordings 1948 - 1954
Big Walter Horton - Can't Keep Loving You
Howlin' Wolf - Memphis Days
Junior Kimbrough - All Night Long
Albert King - Let's Have A Natural Ball
Magic Sam - Live
Otis Rush - Right Place Wrong Time
Son Seals - Bad Axe
Byther Smith - Housefire
Melvin Taylor - Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band
Troy Turner - Blues on my Back
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man blues
Sonny Boy Williamson - any Chess recordings
Smokey Wilson - Smoke 'n' Fire
Johnny Winter - The Progressive Blues Experiment
I think that these are some strong contenders but I've left out a lot more than I've included
Craig |
Mississippi Fred Mcdowell - I don't play no rock and roll |
if you like acoustic blues you need to listen to buddy guy & junior wells 'alone & acoustic' |
Just a few:
•Elmore James - The Sky is Cryin'
•Magic Sam - West Side Soul, and Black Magic
•Fleetwood Mac - Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
•Big Bill Broonzy - Big Bill Broonzy Plays Folk Songs
•Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Paul Butterfield Blues Band |
So Far I agree with all the posts before mine. But, Don't overlook the British Blues band's, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac (the early stuff), Savoy Brown, Long John Baldry, Chicken Shack, Yardbirds, Ten Years After, Peter Green, Hendrix, Cream, and so on... Go to the web look up "British Blues" for more information. Cheers ;^) |
Agree with Mang53: don't forget the Brits.
1. John Mayall - Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton
2. Bluesbreakers - Hard Road (with Peter Green)
3. Hendrix: Blues compilation (OK, not a Brit but very much part of the London scene)
4. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac |
I have the followingvinyl to recommend. Worth seeking out [I don't know if they are all available on cd. Philadelphia Jerry Ricks"Empty Bottle Blues" recorded April 1986 at Hungarian radio recording studio, Budapest and released as Roxan RLP016....probably rare and highly reommended. Ck and see if Jerry Ricks is on cd. Try also Terry Evans, anything but I recommend "Puttin' It Down", good fun. Also the late Ted Hawkins..especially "The Next Hundred Years". This one was released also on cd....lots of stuff to try as the selections above are excellent. Have fun. A feast of great music awaits you. |
Add Snooks Eaglin to the list. He plays guitar like noone else I've ever heard. |
I would suggest the Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival on DVD.You can watch and listen to many of the Blues greats for slightly more than the cost of a cd.Used on Half.com or Ebay,around $15 plus shipping. |
Bobby Bland - Two Steps From the Blues
BB King - Live At The Regal
Fenton Robison - Somebody Loan Me A Dime
Otis Spann - Walking The Blues
Otis Rush - Right Place, Wrong Time
Champion Jack Dupree - Blues From The Gutter
Big Joe Turner - Boss Of The Blues
T-Bone Wlaker - T-Bone Blues
Ted Hawkins - Watch Your Step
JUNIOR WELLS - HOODOO MAN BLUES
MAGIC SAM - WEST SIDE SOUL
And about anything from Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) and John Lee Hooker |
Buddy Guy and Junior Wells album with just face pictures of the two on the front. I saw them in concert and it was the best concert I've ever seen. And this is coming from a Deadhead. They opened for Dave Mason and about a quarter way through D.M. pretty much everyone had left. |
About a year ago, Living Blues magazine listed the top 50 blues albums of all time. You might google Living Blues magazine to get some more information. |
Professor Longhair, Richard Johnson--Foot Hill Stomp, Rick Holmstrom--Hydrolic Groove, Sonny Terry and Brownee McGee, Buddy Guy, R.L. Burnside, Bukka White. |
Chicago Blues/Rock Blues-House of Blues 2 disc set w/flaming heart on cover
Delmark 40th aniversary
Robert Cray's first album
Fat Posum Records- Not the Same Old Blues Crap Vol 1,2,3 |
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Here are some described as Mali and Senegal Blues. Very earthy. Supposedly the basis for all modern blues.
Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck "Djam Leeli: The Adventurers"
Corey Harris "Mississippi To Mali"
Ry Cooder & Ali Farka Toure "Talking Timbuktu"
Tinariwen "The Radio Tisdas Sessions"
Ali Farka Toure "The Source"
Anyone know blues history? |
It's hard to believe Lonnie Johnson has'nt been mentioned yet. He's my all time favorite but always seems to fly under the radar in terms of recognition and its not easy to find his recordings but he a legend and should be remembered as one of our national treasures; even played with Louis Armstrong back in the 20's. He performs on the American Blues Festival Vol. I DVD.
Johnny Shines also deserves a mention and is very underrated. |
I always put Junior Wells and John Lee Hooker at the top of my list of blues favorites, Buddy Guy is great as well, Keb Mo if you don't mind your blues 'modernized'...
I trained in St Louis and remeber routinely seeing, and drinking with JLH and JW (only met BG... never shared a drink with him!) and can say they are amazing live as well as on album! I can remember one time John Lee Hooker played the Oyster bar in St Louis and was so trashed they had to carry him to the stage and he still sounded great! |
Many fine suggestions above. At your news stand at this moment is the most recent Mojo "Classic Blues Heroes" issue (volume 1, issue 3) with Eric Clapton on the cover. Inside you'll see aricles on many of those mentioned above and more. Mojo is a British music mag that is well researched and written. Just in time for your post!
I'm a Lightnin Hopkins fan all the way. Did anyone mention Elizabeth Cotten?
Happy hunting! |
I agree with just about every selection recommended so far (especially Muddy Waters Folksinger), and would add the beautifully mastered and packaged set on John Fahey's Revenant label: "Screamin' and Hollerin' The Blues--The Worlds of Charley Patton." Not only is Patton represented in this 7-CD set, but so are such Delta greats as Son House, Bukka White, Willie Brown and Tommy Johnson. Essential listening. |
I will be much poorer after working through all the suggestions.
Thanks to all for the great posts. |
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Ooop's. Forgot Freddie King. I'm goin' down!! |
"King of the Delta Blues" by Robert Johnson is generally considered the most influential blues music ever. |
Heres the truth.
Listen to live 365.com. select your own top 100 since the Blues is so diverse. If you don't want to do that, select by label, yes label. 1) Excello, Lightin slim, Lazy Lester, Slim harpo etc. 2) Flyright all of the Jay Miller legends in blues series. Best sound quality around. 3) Blue Horizon, all of Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Otis Spann, Eddie Boyd etc.4) Alligator, cheap & good. Rooster Blues, Red Lightin, Charley, all labels that will produce winners, Delmark, Get a turntable if you don't have one |
Great suggestions here good to see so many Blues fans. Go buy a the All Music Guide To The Blues this is a Blue's fan's best friend. There really is no way to narrow the Blues down to a must have 100 for me but here's some suggestions.
Luther Allison- Live In Montreux
Buddy Guy- Stone Crazy, Blues Singer, Live The Real Deal
Bloomfield, Cooper, Stills- Super Session
Gary Moore- Blues For Greeny
Ronnie Earl- Blues Virtuoso Live In Europe, Ronnie Earl And Friends
Eric Clapton-From The Cradle, Blues
Robben Ford-Discovering The Blues
Albert King- I'll Play The Blues For You, Born Under A Bad Sign, In Session with SRV
Freddie King- Everything it's all great!
Jimi Hendrix- Blues
Fleetwood Mac- Blues Jam In Chicago,Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac
Howlin Wolf & Clapton- The London Howlin Wolf Sessions
Mike Bloomfield- Live At The Old Waldorf
Koko Taylor- Earth Shaker
T-Bone Walker- Stormy Monday
ZZ Top- One Foot In The Blues
Allman Brothers- The Fillmore Concerts
Roy Buchanan- Sweet Dreams The Anthology
Albert Collins- Truckin
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band S/T
A Tribute To SRV
Must have Box Sets- Muddy Watters Chess, Robert Johnson- The Complete Recordings, Howlin Wolf- Chess, Eric Clapton- Live In The 70's, Elmore James-King Of The Slide Guitar, BB King- King Of The Blues, SRV And Double Trouble
I could go on and on all these artists have many great CD's!
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Just picked up Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall on 180g vinyl. A must have in your blues collection. |
Peter Green with Nigel Watson 'HotFoot Powder' |
Some of my favorite blues are swamp blues. Originally on the excello label, their reissues are easy to find and are perhaps some of the best mono recordings around. This is due to recording genius Jay miller. Also, look at the flyright label. The artists include, Lightin Slim, Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Silas Hogan. Go to the Arhoolie website and pick up a CD Lousiana Blues. British Blues, Old Fleetwood Mac, and many others on the Blue Horizon label. Pick up the Blue Horizon Box set with the early Fleetwood Mac albums.
Other artists in the Chicago Blues class, Magic Slim, Earl & his cousin John Hooker, Tinsley Ellis, Walter Trout, etc. If you really want a good selection to choose from, listen to online radio 'live365.com Select the blues and the many categories the stations play. You are your best judge. |
Howlin Wolf's the Real Folk Blues is by far my favorite. A close second is Muddy Waters sings Bill Broonzy but save your money and find an original as the Speakers Corner isn't very good (I have both). Son House on Columbia 360 label is a must. I second Gelmhirsts' recommendation of the Jimmy Reed lp. A sort of recommendation is a compilation album called Reconsider Me by Elvis. If he had sang like that more often I would have stayed a fan forever! |
The Aces, "Chicago Beat" on Black and Blue |
Good list going so far except that Eric Johnson,while being one of the best pickers living who can do some mean blues, isn't a blues player based on what you get on his discs. Robert Johnson on the other hand...
Everyone owes it to themselves to check out Tinsley Ellis. One of the most soulful players/singers/writers i've heard. He just put out a live disc and since his live shows kill that would be a good place to start.
Gatemouth Brown. A living ledgend from Lake Charles La. Blues, swing, and canjun all mixed up like a perfect gumbo.
Duke Robillard is the current carrier of the T-Bone torche as well as the founder of Room Full of Blues, which is the place to go for killer horn driven blues. |
one of my favorites;Freddie King "Woman across the River" |
Elizabeth Cotten,if you like good fingerpickin ,check her out! |
Has anyone made a compilation of their favorite blues songs that they would be interested in trading for some jazz compilations that I have made. If so please contact me downtowncyrus@aol.com |
"The Sky is Crying" Stevie Ray Vaughn |
Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Sundazed 180gram vinyl)
John Mayall(buy the Re Mastered CD's with extra material)
Muddy Waters( Fathers and Sons,Muddy Mississippi Waters Live)
Buddy Guy: Stone Crazy, Buddy Guy Live with the SNL Band
Johnny Winter: the Legacy remasters of his first two albums.
Albert King: Live Wire Blues Power and The SRV/Albert King sessions.
Early Fleetwood Mac.
Early Free
Howling Wolf: London Sessions (remasterd deluxe edition.)
John Lee Hooker: Never get out of these blues alive,Endless Boogie.
Early Canned Heat,Hooker and Heat
Junior Wells; The stuff on DelMark is good
Lonnie Brooks
Albert Collins
Taj Mahal
Robert Cray
Mike Bloomfield
I hope that helps. |
Qdrone,Nice list!I didnt know that J.Winters first 2 albums have been remastered!Hooker and heat is a great album too,i had it untill a few years ago,,,wish i could figure out where it got off to! |
Second Mississippi Fred McDowell 'I do not play no rock & roll.' Beautiful Brit import recording -hafta check my label.
Lightnin Hopkins 'Lightnin' on the Poppy label.
A great album, and a great view of an influential artist;
Bukka White 'Parchman Farm Blues' Checkout the track 'Bukka's Special Streamline'; you can see that fast train comin'. |
They sound really good,although the vocals on Second Winter are still a little hot on the opening number. Both of these CD's have extra tracks but Second Winter has a whole Disc of Johnny Live at the Royal Albert Hall with his brother and it just gets going.They performed Frankenstien for the first time on this concert and it sounds different.
Also look for the Legacy Edition of Muddy Mississippi Waters Live with Johnny on lead guitar on some cuts. Muddy gets in some solid licks AND it to comes with a bonus disc of Muddy and his band live at a club two days later when he was going through new material for his King Bee album(I picked up a copy of King Bee still sealed on Vinyl Saturday for 6.99!). Also Muddy Waters Fathers and Sons was remastered on Cd and all the bonus tracks are great and The Paul Butterfield blues band are the ones backing him on this. |
Thanks Qdrone!I will have to pick them up! |
