Scots Taffer on 10/2/2006 at 01:00

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Okay, so I guess I should've come to this realisation sooner but I love the blues. I've always had a soft spot for the movie the Blues Brothers and just put it down to the comic genius of Belushi and Ackroyd, anyhow, in my recent move to Brisbane I happen to live around the corner from a Jazz/Blues club called 'Satchmos' that has live acts all the time.

I've sat through a few sets now and have come to the realisation that aside from latin jazz, easy-listening jazz and big-band sounds, I'm probably not that much of a jazz fan... I'm probably more into blues than I realised. It makes sense all of a sudden because I realise that it is this element of the White Stripes and other bands that I really appreciate.

I dug out a cheap bargain bin 25 BLUES CLASSICS cd and popped it in the drive the other day, listening to a bunch of names I'd never heard before as well as some big ones like Johnny Lee Hooker. I really like that sound and although I'm not crazy about all of it - I'm willing to experiment.

Anyone got some solid reccs?

Para?noid on 10/2/2006 at 01:06

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There's a Robert Johnson collection called "King Of The Delta Blues" that contains two CD's of every single song he recorded (not many, he was a mysterious dude). However, it's really good, old school guitar + slide blues with a bit of a dark side that has comforted me on many a drunken hour, and I reccomend it.

For rock-blues, Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughn are both exceptional.

Aja on 10/2/2006 at 01:10

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Johnny and Edgar Winter are both great blues musicians... though after about a half-hour of the stuff I get bored.

Also, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band are very blues-based, only dirtier and more dissonant.


fuck I'm not qualified to recommend blues. I'll be taking most of these suggestions myself.

BlackErtai on 10/2/2006 at 02:42

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I completely forgot about Robert Johnson. I think I was trying to avoid mentioning anything Eric Clapton's worked with (not that I don't like Clapton, but most people are aware of his blues work), and he did release two discs of Robert Johnson covers.

Rug Burn Junky on 10/2/2006 at 03:14

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First of all, my friend, you have come to the right place. I believe Stitch once asked me for some good blues recommendations (about a year ago). and after promising to think about it, I never really got back to him. So consider this list for both of you.

My uncle, who passed away about ten years ago, was a huge blues fan, and had an amazing collection. Unfortunately, his ex girlfriend inherited all of the vinyl and CDs, but I ended up with the tapes at least. On top of which, during the few years I was old enough before he passed away, we used to go to shows all the fucking time (there were/are some fantastic blues acts in and around woodstock, and, obviously there were plenty of national acts that we'd catch, either when they came through, or down in the city). He left me with quite an education. So this is more or less from him.

Now, as great as the Blues Brothers may have been, and while they're certainly blues based, they aren't really "Blues" per se. They're really more of an R&B/Soul band.

OK, now as for artists, you have your standard old school Howlin' Wolfs & John Lee Hookers & Robert Johnsons & Muddy Waters who everyone knows, and well, there's a reason for it. They slay. Hard. Stevie Ray is rightfully mentioned as well.

My favorites?
[INDENT]BB "the king of the blues, worldwide. He's the king, ladies and gentleman, the one, the only, king of the blues. You heard me, he's the king, the king of the blues, world... wide..." King (I'm not kidding, that's how his announcer/horn player introduces him during his encore at live shows. One time, I swear it took fifteen fucking minutes.) he still puts on an awesome show. I've seen him at least a half a dozen times over the past fifteen years, and while I thought he was a little weak five years ago, the two times I caught him in 04/05 were as good as any. And hell, I could listen to him read the phone book over a blues bed and it would entertain me. He's got that fat, lazy soulful sound that just doesn't get old. There's really no-one better. Do whatever you can to see him live, you won't regret it.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Among the ol' school guys, you also have Clarence Brown, T-Bone Walker and Lightnin' Hopkins, none of whom will steer you wrong.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Albert King - especially Born under a Bad Sign, the first album he did with Booker T & the MG's. Doesn't get much better than that. I think I'd put it as a desert island disc (if I actually had the disc :( - though it is one of the few tape dubs that I've saved and even break out my walkman for occassionally)[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Albert Collins - One of Jimi's major influences, need I say more?[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Buddy Guy - another one I've seen live a few times. You can go back and grab the old stuff without reservation (If you can find any of his stuff on the Chess Label), but even some of his later stuff holds up (Slippin' In is a great disc). Still shreds live.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Robert Cray doesn't always get the respect that he deserves, but he can easily hang with the big boys from the 60's. Get Strong Persuader (with Smoking Gun, and I Wonder) to start.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]In the same vein of 80's guitarists as Cray and Vaughn, there's Eric Johnson, who, well, is pretty good, but a little too technical - his playing lacks a certain something, and is somewhat masturbatory, but listenable.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]They are technically a "southern rock" band, but in the early days , and especially when Duane was still alive, the Allman Bros really were one of the best blues acts going. Idlewild South, Fillmore East or Eat a Peach will more than whet your appetite.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]And of course, on the classic rock tip, few were better than Hendrix. Obviously, he's all over the map, from the spacey stuff of his debut, to the funk on Band of Gypsies, but when he just played the blues (Red House, Hear My Train a Comin, Voodoo Chile, Voodoo Child - Slight Return), he was all world. Any live set containing those songs is worth it, and the compilation "Blues" showcases his work in that sound.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Oh, and one new band I can't pimp hard enough is the Black Keys. I bought their debut years ago, promptly forgot about it, and jizzed myself when I rediscovered it a few weeks ago. Imagine if the White Stripes stripped away the eccentricities, and had a real whisky voiced blues singer fronting them. Probably suffer from being seen as bandwagonesque from being lumped in with the Stripes, but they're legit.[/INDENT]

Now, since you're coming at this from the Blues Brothers, you may be more interested in some of the Stax R&B sound, which is what they really sprang from (Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn were in Booker T & the MGs, the house band for Stax). There you have Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, the Bar Kays, and especially, Sam & Dave. All of them worth checking out (and there's an awesome 9 disc Stax box set that I think is out of print but worth buying if you see. Has all of them on it.)

Speaking of which, another good thing to just keep a look out for is the "Chess" label, which put out most of the early bluesmen. If you see a collection entitled "The Chess Collection" by an artist, it's probably worth checking out.

That enough to get you started?