Customer Reviews

All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The other reviews focus on the flaws in this book, and there certainly are some. (My biggest problem is that the number of stars given to rate a certain album sometimes don't match with the written reviews.) But overall there is so much wonderful and helpful information in this book that I can't recommend it highly enough.

One of the questions you have to ask in a review like this is "compared to what"? By comparison, the Music Hound Guide to the Blues costs a dollar more, reviews thousands (literally) fewer albums, and makes assessments that are just plain silly at time. And don't get me started on the latest version of the Rolling Stone Album Guide (which claims to be all you need for all genres). Actually, I panned that one pretty well elsewhere on Amazon.

I've used two editions of this book over the last six or seven years to build my blues library, and I've seldom been steered wrong. For one thing, they have a sophisticated rating system that not only tells you how good they think an album is, but how essential it is for a collector. For instance, they point out which are the best albums to start with if you are just coming to appreciate an artist.

Also, the extra writing is well worth the price. There are hundreds of worthwhile overviews of artists' lives and musical careers. They seem honest and insightful. And there are many essays about the history of the blues and the different genres of the blues that are extremely educational.

The bottom line: this is a great book for the home bookshelf and for packing into your favorite used CD shop. As for the stuff that shouldn't be there in some people's opinions: I've never complained about having too much information. Omissions are a much more serious issue, but those are easily overcome by consulting the excellent website run by this company which is obviously much more comprehensive than any book could ever be. (But there are some places you just can't pack a computer . . . ) This book is definitely number one in its field, and a bargain at the price. I doubt that any blues enthusiast will regret the money spent on this jewel.

When I first bought this book about 5 months ago, I was inclined to review it and give it 5 stars, based upon first impressions. But as I delved more deeply into the book I found glaring omissions both in the artists reviewed as well as missing titles. Also, several artists were included that are either rock or soul artists and have little to do with the blues. And, many of the reviews are badly written and inconsistent. For instance, a rave narrative will be written but then given only 2 stars, or a mediocre write-up will get 5 stars. And, one of my favorite inconsistencies is Bill Dahl's review of the album "Showdown!", co-authored by Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray. Dahl gives this album (and, keep in mind that it is the album, not the artist being reviewed), 5 stars under Copeland and Cray, but 4 stars under Collins. Now, for some details:

Chuck Berry has been vary influential in blues-oriented rock music but his recordings are not reviewed. Chuck is mentioned about 30 times throughout the Guide but his autobiography nor discography is not related--a glaring omission.

Tom Principato whose origins are in the Washington, D.C. area, is a very well-known blues singer and guitarist who has been around for over 20 years and has a discography of over a dozen albums. Every modern bluesman knows Tom Principato and most have heard his scorching guitar solos. He's not even in The Guide's index!

Gary Smith hails from the San Francisco Bay area and began playing harmonica with Charlie Musselwhite in the late 1960's. Gary has recordings going back to the 1970's (his recordings on the album An Anthology of San Francisco Bay Blues, 1976), is exceptional.

Misleading reviews, e.g., Angola Prisoner's Blues has only 3 Robert Pete Williams songs out of 20 on the CD, yet the review implies that all 20 songs are by him!

missing artists
* Chuck Berry
* Tom Principato
* Gary Smith Blues Band
* James Montgomery Blues Band
* Alex Seward and partner Jellybelly
* Johnny "Big Moose" Walker
* Joe Bonamassa
* Charlie McCoy (the Music Guide covers Charlie McCoy, guitar player but not McCoy the harmonica player; Charlie has over 20 solo albums).
* Smoke Blues Band - Bald Eagle Moan

Missing titles
* Alligator 30th anniversary collection (released 2001)
* Blind Pig 30th anniversary collection (released 2002)
* "Malaguena" by Roy Buchanan
* 20th Century Blues -- Robin Trower
* Family Style -- Jimmie & Stevie Vaughan --mentioned but not reviewed
* Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
* Bloomfield Blues
* Red, Hot & Blues - Bloomfield
* The Essential Lonnie Johnson (Classic Blues 2001)
* Lightnin' Hopkins on Rykodisc: 2 CD set combines first 2 Hopkins albums on the Tradition label
* Autobiography of the Blues (Lightnin' Hopkins, 1960 - second album on the Tradition label)
* other excellent Lightnin' Hopkins compilations, e.g.,
* Hopkins: reviews Golden Classics Part 1 & 4 but not Parts 2 &3 !!! (Prison Blues & Mama & Papa Hopkins)
* Doesn't review Copeland's "Texas Twister".

Shouldn't include:
* James Brown
* Steve Miller Band (if Miller then why not Van Halen, Bad Co., Deep Purple and a zillion other blues-based rock groups?)
* Santana (playing an occasional blues song does not make you a blues artist)
* Hendrix (playing an occasional blues song does not make you a blues artist)

Probably three times more errors and omissions that I didn't find.

As another reviewer pointed out, the omission of Chuck Berry is unbelievable, he is mentioned throughout repeatedly but does not have his own section (bio or discography). A few pretty well known recordings by artists included were omitted as well; the most glaring of these omissions would have to be Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live, an album that many consider to be a blues classic. It is a very thorough book and I recommend it to any blues fan as its strong points far outweigh its weaker points, such as the aforementioned omissions.

I'm not going to address the other reviewers' issues with this guide other than to acknowledge some of them. Those that concern outright errors, I agree. Those regarding omissions, emphasis, and other things - well, you can make up your own mind about those and the reviewers' biases.

The coverage of this guide is sweeping and the write-ups on individual artists are excellent. Each entry is tailored in length to the individual's relative importance to Blues history. There is also an excellent introduction covering the history of the Blues and each Blues genre, and for the uninitiated, there are quite a few. Artist entries include album and singles lists, including compilations, with ratings for each and recommendations as to which a collector might focus on and why.

It is actually the last bit I find most valuable. If you don't already own a single recording for a given artist, how can you make a selection when you're faced with your choices at the store? Granted, in some places you can preview the music, but that still doesn't get you what you need: the BEST choices. I don't know about you, but with very, very few exceptions, I'm not interested in collecting 100% of a given artist's albums, and I'm dead certain I don't want to collect randomly. The fact that what's available in the store bin is highly likely to be the least desirable choice only ups the ante.

So in the end, it's the collecting recommendations that stand out for me - to the point where I went through the book and put together a list of specific albums to look for. Priceless. My agreement with the guide's recommendations is pretty high - probably close to 80% or so. And that alone makes the cost of the book worthwhile.

I just received my copy and I must say the volume and detail are impressive right out of the gate. I am disappointed that the album titles by each artist are not in alphabetical order, especially in a reference work of this scale. I read the "how to use this book" section and it offered no information on how the titles are arranged. This could be inconvenient when trying to locate your favorite title by an artist such as John Lee Hooker, one with numerous numerous releases listed. Other users: am I right or am I missing something?

This Book has compiled some of the greatest Blues players from the past and present. Facts that I would probably not have known otherwise and it also lists their work so you can buy the music for your collection as well. I would recommend this book for anyone who is new to the Blues or not. If you want to know, this is the book to have.

My husband LOVES this book ~ I bought it for him for his birthday. He's a big, big Howlin-Wolf sized blues fan!

Not for the idle coffee table book devoteee, this volume is a comprehensive encyclopedia of American Blues music and artists from the 1920s+. Packed with factual info on artists, their songs and recordings, backup musicians, publications, and various cross referenced data, this volume is THE source of information on the history of the American Blues music scene. ****

Now in an expanded and updated third edition, the All Music Guide To The Blues: The Definitive Guide To The Blues is the collaborative effort of Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine. A dictionary-style compendium of biographies of great blues masters, reviews and ratings for top-notch performances and collections, the Music Guide To The Blues offers a wealth of essays, music map chronologies of the evolution of the blues, and so much more. The entries are concise yet fact-filled in this definitive resource which is a core addition to any personal, professional, or academic reference collection.

Great book as I picked it up for .25c at the thrift shop.But their concept of what constitutes the blues is all over the map.

What ??? No Geof Muldaur ?? No Arlen Roth ??

Editors need to spend more time exploring independant label blues as there are many more that I can think of that are not included in this book..and I think it's OBSCENE to have all those pages for those great blues artists, the Rolling Stones, for god sakes ?? If you can stretch the definition of blues that far you might as well incorporate the frickin' Moody Blues(NOT).