Blues for beginners

Wow, where to start?

You could go back to some original acoustic blues with Robert Johnson, the recordings hold up well for their age and circumstances. They provide a facinating glimpse of blues history.

Modern acoustic blues like Eric Bibb and Keb' Mo' provide good music in great sound.

If you like BB King, try the early stuff there are so many compilations but the early tracks like "3 O'Clock in the Morning", "Sweet Sixteen" & "You Upset Me" dating from the 50's & early 60's are special.

Try Albert King's "Blues Power". Then there is the 60's - 70's white blues of Clapton, John Mayall with various guitarists inc EC. Personally I like "Blues from Laurel Canyon" with Mick Taylor and Mayall's solo "Blues Alone". Then there is the classic Bluesbreakers "Beano" album with Clapton that some purists are a bit sniffy about - but it's a classic.

These are good places to investigate and get a feel of what you like.

Regards,

Steve

Here's a few that I really enjoy:

Buddy Guy - Damn Right I Got the Blues
Muddy Waters - Hard Again
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer
ZZ Hill - In Memorium

There are any number of good compilations out there. Buy a couple, anything with the likes of Muddy Waters, Hooker, Elmore James, Otis Rush etc is safe territory. Have a listen to these guys then decide which particular style, era etc grabs you. Then you can have great fun exploring the more esoteric stuff.
There was monthly blues magazine a few years ago that gave away a CD every month. I still see these in second-hand shops for a couple of quid. I used to use www.redlick.com quite a bit. It's a superb service.

God where the hell do you start with this one.
Here are some of the artists I recommend. Start anywhere you like and if you email on m.leemacpherson@tesco.net I will recommend their best albums for you.

R.L. Burnside- most of his albums
Butterfield Blues Band- East West
BB King- any of the Ace Remaster series as well as "The Original" Also Live in Japan, Live at Cook County Jail, Do The Boogie
Elmore James- The Sky is Crying
Albert King- Born Under a Bad Sign and Live Wire/Blues Power
Freddie King- Gettin Ready
Muddy Waters- Hard Again and any of the Epic series produced by Johnny Winter. Also his Plantation recordings as well as Folk Singer. I like his Live at Ma Kellys disc.
Magic Sam- West Side Soul(generally reckoned to be one of the best blues albums of all time)
Louisana Red- Millenium Blues
Otis Rush- Cobra Recordings
Hound Dog Taylor- First Alligator album.
Sonny Boy Williamson- One Way Out
Howlin Wolf- Real Folk Blues
John Lee Hooker- anything on Vee Jay
T. Bone Walker- T. Bone Blues
Albert Collins- Ice Pickin
Little Walter- The Essential
Junior Wells- Hoodoo Man
Buddy Guy- Buddys Blues
John Hammond- I Can Tell and So Many Roads
Doug Macleod- most of recordings but especially You Can't Take Blues
Albert Cummings- From The heart
Lightnin Hopkins
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Robert Johnson
Jimmy Reed- anything on Vee Jay

The list is endless but try these and then have a look at these artists

Byther Smith
Johnny Shines
Eddie Taylor
Melvin Taylor
Otis Taylor- (I love his style of blues)
Tamapa Red
Otis Blackwell
Big Mama Thornton
Koko Taylor
Etta James
Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials
Willie Dixon- (great song writer but not a great singer).
Willie King
Robert Cray
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Brother Yusef
Junior Kimborough
Joe Louis Walker
Joe Beard
Sherman Robertson
Robert Nighthawk

Apologies to anyone I have forgotten and I want to thank my family, god, my producer, the people that made my record sleeve, everyone who loves me oops!!! Forgot I wasn't writing thank you credits on a cd inlay booklet.

Should think the above list will keep you busy

all,

Thanks for a great response. Looks like there is a great deal to look forward to. Different styles and different decades. Will hopefully send a reply to this in a month or so to let you know which way i go. Thanks again.

Rory Gallagher - late, great Irish bluesman. You will find a combination of blues and rnb sometimes influenced by trad Irish music. Great stuff. Rory was alwaysa live experience first and foremost. So to begin with, I suggest:

Live in Europe
Irish Tour '74.

Enjoy, James

Great list ewemon.

I would have to 2nd the list posted by eweman. I have many of the ones listed, and most, if not all are definitely desert island discs. The few I don't have I will certainly add to my collection.

My top 5 from "the list":

Muddy Waters Hard Again (probably one of the best quality recordings of Muddy, as well)

Sonny Bow Williamson One Way Out (Great post war harmonica)

Magic Sam West Side Soul (really, really love this album)

Junior Wells Hoodoo Man Blues (I'm on my 2nd copy of this one)

Freddy King born Under A Bad Sign


Max

Ewen

I think you missed Harry Manx which you recommended to me. By the way I have just received 2 of his cds today, 1 more to come.
I am slowly going through your recommended list and wow another great list and some fantastic music, you sure know your blues!! I can see this taking me a few weeks but it's fun.

jim............

There are also certain labels which specialise and are usually good spotters of talent - Alligator, Blind Pig, Evidence and the Telarc Blues series spring to mind. Plus of course a lot of the Chess catalogue.

Thanks for the compliments Jim and Max. Re Harry Manx not sure if I would call him blues Jim more of a fusion of East and West.

Course there was one guy I missed off the list and that was Guy Davis.

By the way Jim you can just email me re anything you are looking for.

Buddy Guy "Sweet Tea"

lightning hopkins
catfish keith
big bill broonzy
mance lipscomb
reverend gary davis
all acoustic , many more but these are good for starters

Cheers Johnny, I compiling quite an extensive list here, so thanks to you all. Should be a few treats on there way. Had a treat yesterday when I received Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac from Acoustic sounds. Highly excited I placed it my TT with care to see it go round like a 'fare ground ride' - I think some big mama has been sitting on it for quite some time. Then to top that off I get an invoice for Duty /Tax charges off good old FEDEX. Even better than that - the return policy for Acoustic sounds is just wonderful... Don't think I will be rushing back there!

And the TC award fot best female blues guitar players goes to:

1. Susan Tedeschi
2. Ana Popovic
3. Sue Foley

If you like electric blues, it´s worth a try.

brgds..TC

hi all,

Just wanted to post an update and thank you for all the great suggestions. Well so far i have bought and enjoyed the following:

Elmo James - the sky is crying - this one is growing on me - this is a late night disc.
Peter Greens - fleetwood Mac - like the sound of this too.
Junior Wells - Hoo Doo man blues.........Absolutely fantastic - really like this one - funky all the way and fantastic harmionica playing.
Muddy Waters - hard again - another special mention for this. Great voice and great music.
Eric Bibb - diamond Days. I don't think this is the sound i'm looking for. It's kinda cool but i think i like the old Chicago sound!
ZZ Top - Deguello - was pleasantly surprised by this one - but it's not the first disc i go for. too close to rock for me.
Buddy Guy - damm right i got the blue - another special mention for the this dude!!
John Mayall - blues breakers - Really like this one as well.

I think it's clear which sound i prefer - it's got to be the old chicago blues and the Junior Wells album is just my favourite. I also like the John Mayall album so with this in mind i have just ordered the following

Blues from Laurel Canyon - Mayall, John
West Side Soul - Magic Sam
Come on in This House - Wells, Junior
Folk Singer - Waters, Muddy
Irish Tour 1974 [Live] - Gallagher, Rory
The Blues Alone - Mayall, John
One Way Out - Sonny Boy Williamson

Will let you know about these. Again thanks for all the great suggestions.

Junior Wells' output was really uneven. I saw him twice, and both times he was too drunk and stoned to produce. "Hoodoo Man Blues" is his best. Also check out "On Tap". His stuff with Buddy Guy is less than the sum of its parts, but still enjoyable.

I haven't dug as deeply as I'd like to, but "Damn Right I've Got the Blues" is the best album I've heard from Buddy Guy.

Also worth a look are the first Son Seals album and "Somebody Loan Me a Dime" by Fenton Robinson.

If you like Junior Wells, "Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell" and Carey Bell's "Deep Down" are good fun.

HI JRHardee,

thanks for the recommendations - will certainly have a look next month when funds permit.
The great thing i've found with the blues is there's such a great variety and depending on what mood i'm in there is always someone that's just hits the spot.

ATB

I find Magic Sam a bit dull, as I do John Mayall without Clapton or Green. Be sure to check out some Lightnin' Hopkins.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

quote:

I find Magic Sam a bit dull, as I do John Mayall without Clapton or Green.

Malky, no Mick Taylor?

I think the "Canyon" album is one of JM's best.

Steve

Nah, just doesn't do it for me. Sometimes I think I even prefer Green Bluesbreakers to Clapton Bluesbreakers. The emotional power of Green's playing on that album is frighteningly intense.

Like you I have recently been trying to expand my blues collection. I have found the Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings really useful (you can normally pick it up new from an Amazon reseller for about £15).

I have been trying to build out from a love of pretty much everything that Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded.

Initially, that led me to Albert King and Buddy Guy whose styles SRV’s playing owes a lot to. In terms of these artists:

Albert King – ‘King of the blues guitar’ is a fantastic album and if you like SRV ‘In session’ is also worth getting.

Buddy Guy – I have the ‘Buddy’s Blues’ recording that I really like but for something to really knock the wind out of your sails try ‘Sweet tea’. Turn it up really loud and I can only really describe it like being run over by a train.

Looking a bit earlier I have tried some Muddy Waters and like so many above would recommend him unreservedly. I have got the two Chess ‘His best 1956-64’ and ‘The best of Muddy Waters 1947-55’. Considering the age both of these recordings sound great.

Freddie King should also get a mention, ‘Stayin’ Home with the blues’ is a good budget price CD and again a great quality recording. Got a Howlin’ Wolf compilation which is great as well.

Other things the Penguin Guide has led me to include a great recording by a guy called Frank Hovington called ‘Gone with the wind’ – what it lacks in sound quality it makes up for in performance.

I am now looking to get some more stuff by artists like R.L. Burnside / Junior Kimbrough / Lightning Hopkins / Corey Harris / Albert Collins / Johnny Shines / Johnny Guitar Watson.

cheers

worm

quote:

Nah, just doesn't do it for me. Sometimes I think I even prefer Green Bluesbreakers to Clapton Bluesbreakers.

Ha! Different strokes.

I like Green and Clapton very much. But to me, Taylor's less showy but fresh style suits JM's fun factor superbly. I think he (Taylor) is due more credit than he gets.

I'm also a big fan of Paul Kossoff, - soulful simplicity, nothing wasted it all seems to fit.

Regards,

Steve

Steve
I agree with you. I think Mick T's contribution to the Stones was substantial too.
The OP started with BB King's "Live at the Regal", which is pretty high in the pantheon of all time great blues albums anyhow!
For such an apparently simple musical form, blues has tremendous variety to offer, and I think some of the modern practitioners are doing a great job both to preserve and move it forward. When push comes to shove I just love the Bo Diddley/JLH boogie rhythms, which have been popularised by others like George Thorogood, ZZ Top and Canned Heat.