Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection [Enhanced]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B00005NBXE
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,913 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > General
  • #42 in Music > Blues > Chicago Blues
  • #52 in Music > Blues > Modern Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Three decades ago Bruce Iglauer founded Alligator Records, selling his hero Hound Dog Taylor's records out of his car trunk. Since then, Alligator has become America's best-known and most prolific blues label, and many of the reasons for its success appear on this budget-priced, two-disc 30th anniversary collection. Much of the material, including Marcia Ball's "Louella" and Shemekia Copeland's "Turn the Heat Up," comes from relatively recent recordings, since the label also released anthologies honoring its 20th and 25th anniversaries. Those two collections are unreservedly recommended, with the 20th providing the best historical overview of the label's evolution.

But the 30th holds its own, presenting guitar greats like Lonnie Mack ("Stop"), Johnny Winter ("My Time After Awhile"), and Lonnie Brooks ("Two-Headed Man"), as well as harmonica heroes James Cotton ("When It Rains It Pours"), Junior Wells ("Keep Your Hands Out of My Pockets"), and William Clarke ("Broke and Hungry"). Several outstanding duets, including a fine and funky tune by Henry Butler and Corey Harris and a classic from a Robert Cray and Albert Collins collaboration, provide variety.

The second disc contains 13 live cuts, featuring some of the most exciting live blues acts ever, such as Albert Collins, backed by the Icebreakers; Luther Allison, who rips through his signature "Soul Fixin' Man"; and Son Seals, who gets help from Elvin Bishop. Dynastic zydeco great C.J. Chenier serves up "Jambalaya," and Delbert McClinton dishes out blue-eyed soul with "Maybe Someday Baby" to further flavor the live action. And to top it off, there's a bonus video track featuring Hound Dog Taylor to make the celebration complete. --Michael Point

Product Description

The great contemporary blues label celebrates its 30th anniversary. One disc is studio, the other live, and the live disc not only includes five unreleased tracks but also a special CD-ROM track with the only known video of Alligator's first artist, Hound Dog Taylor, performing live at the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. 31 songs, over 145 minutes of music!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smokin' Blues From the Alligator Vaults, October 13, 2001

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

The first thing I did when I got this CD was play the bonus CDROM video track of Hound Dog Tayor & The Houserockers' "Taylor's Rock" on my computer and cranked up the volume. My computer will never be the same! Taylor's slide playing is raw, powerful stuff on this nearly four-minute instrumental captured in black and white from the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Taylor also tears the roof off the house with a raucus version of "It's Alright." It's no surprise that Taylor closes out the live disc. Taylor's eponymously titled debut on Alligator was the first of his career and the first for the then fledgling blues label.

The blues thrives in a live setting and even though I live in Nebraska, I've had the chance to see several of these artists perform at Lincoln's famed Zoo Bar, including Son Seals, Luther Allison and Coco Montoya.

Among the five previously unreleased tracks (all on the live disc) are a ten-minute version of Albert Collins' slow blues "Dyin' Flu" and a nearly eight-minute version of Little Charlie & The Nightcats' smoldering "I'll Take You Back."

While the live disc crackles with raw energy, the studio disc includes stellar performances as well, including Koko Taylor's white hot "Bring Me Some Water" and the Holmes Brothers' haunting "Homeless Child."

In addition to Chicago style blues, you also get the New Orleans-influenced blues of Marcia Ball and Henry Butler, the zydeco stylings of C.J. Chenier, Texas guitarists Johnny Winter and Albert Collins, and Alligator's first-ever overseas artist--British-born Australian Dave Hole.

If you're looking for a inexpensive introduction to Blues 101, you won't find a better textbook than this. And if you need additional incentive, 20 lucky customers will find a coupon good for the entire Alligator catalog on CD. [But this 2-CD set is a terrific consolation prize!] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 16, 2001

By 

Emmett Chadwick Bearden (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

Alligator does it again! Incredible compilation. If you are contemplating starting a blues collection get the Anniversary Collections by Alligator first. These CD sets introduce you to many talented artists without shelling out 100's of bucks.

As an extra there is a video of Hounddog Taylor that you can play on your computer. Very nice!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The five stars here,is just a few of the constelation !, September 4, 2001

By 

Ricardo Neves Gonzalez (Petrópolis-R.J. [e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

Yes,this five stars are just a few,just a few of many others,infinity others from the constelation of this truly great Blues Record!
And i'm proud to be the first to review this album.I'm proud because i'm a really bluesfan...I'm proud because i'm really a Gator fan...proud to have in my own home a collection of almost 700 cds,95% blues cds...proud to take part in this special moment of Alligator Records.The history of the Gator Records is really fantastic,and specially in the person of this visionary man,Bruce Iglauer.Bruce worked with the great Bob Koester from Delmark Records,visited many universitary shows to choose some new talents to record.Then,he left Delmark to improve his own Record,where he could get new talents.The first album recorded,
was with great simplicity,at 1971,when he discovered Hound Dog Taylor,and it must be considered a legendary album.Many others
appeared with rare competency since that early days.And what we can say is that Alligator is a Record, constantly growing,surprising us with rare moments,masterpieces,new talents...Shemekia Copeland is,for me the confirmation of all this competency,to believe in new talents,promotes this talents giving all of the support and took them to the stelar!
So,i can say that i'm proud and happy to participate of this rich moment.And this album that comemorates this healthy 30th.Years,is absolutely a "Must Have",destinated to become a "Classic"blues album,not only by the quality of the bluesmen there,so still by this new concept to creates,inovates,supports all of the good news we have to the modern blues scenery!
And what we must desire is to be alive when the 40th.Anniversary Record album, will be recorder at 2006!
Until that,i'm happy with my collection of 130 Gator's albums....What you're waiting for?????Let's improve your own Gator's Collection...Sure you'll not be desappointed...
You'll really be happier than ever......JUST AS I AM!