The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection

Various Artists - Blues - Modern/Electric | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B0000009WU
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,346 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Blues > Regional Blues > New Orleans Blues
  • #14 in Music > Blues > Harmonica Blues
  • #17 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ain't No Blues Like Alligator Blues, May 26, 2007

By 

El Lagarto (Sandown, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

Let's face it folks, with a name like Alligator Records, they've got to be good. Two CDs exploding at the seams with blues in all of its incarnations. Real country folk blues, Cephas & Wiggins, rip-it-up bayou blues, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, wailing harp Chicago South Side blues, James Cotton, misbehavin' mama blues, Koko Taylor, guitar god blues, Roy Buchanan, thinly veiled sexual reference blues, David Hole, and whole lot more besides. 38 tracks in all, and you probably won't care for one or two of them - but whatever your 10 favorites end up being, they will surely justify the low cost of this anthology.

I've been listening to blues for quite some time, since the days of the Taft administration actually. Even so, a couple of these names were new to me. More to the point, it's a treat having so many outstanding real blues artists (not to be confused with three-chord cheezers who just wandered back from the mall) playing unadulterated blues.

For neophytes this anthology is really a blessing because it serves as an inexpensive, convenient introduction to the blues. Follow any of the artists here down the rabbit hole and you'll enter a whole world of blues. Johnny Winter would be a good place to start, especially because he bridged blues and rock. But purists may be intrigued by Professor Longhair, who would then lead you to Dr. John, etc. Koko Taylor is a world unto herself, man; you better nail down everything in the house before you turn her on because she can blow the spots off a leopard.

The folks at Alligator Records can be relied upon to treat America's indigenous music with respect and love. It's an uphill battle, and nobody's getting rich in the process. They've labored to make this music accessible to the public, and frankly, simply documenting it is an important service. Blues musicians don't have "hits," so there's never much grease to spread around, even when times are good. The music survives because it's raw, it's real, and it satisfies in a way that processed music from the factory can't. I'm not saying you should buy this as a public service, that would be too grandiose. However, I think that when you do buy it, the rich authenticity will hook you immediately. Trust your gator.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great general blues collection, January 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

I received this double CD as a gift from someone who knew I liked the blues, but didn't have specific knowledge of many artists. This a a great collection to have for other people like me. Even after many repeat listenings, I can't name even half the artists - all I know is this collection really cooks. Even housecleaning doesn't seem so bad when you're listening to this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice!!, February 10, 2010

By 

Geoffrey Verde "beanyogreeny" (Port Orchard, WA. USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

Excellent Condition, Good Packaging and Speedy Delivery. Oh Yeah and some of the best music available for a big fan of Alligator Records.