Customer Reviews

Atlantic Blues: Vocals

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Here's a stellar collection of blues vocalists tapping into Atlantic Records' strength; the distinctive Southern R&B voices who gave the label its first 20 years of hits, here on lesser known and even previously unreleased tracks and singles.

Starting off with Sippie Wallace's ragtime "You Got to Know How" (featuring Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar), this album walks through remakes of some early blues' hits ("Big Joe" Turner sings all over "St. Louis Blues," LaVerne Baker does likewise to Bessie Smith's "Gimme A Pigfoot.") It also salutes the label's two greatest female vocalists, Ruth Brown (the previously unreleased "Ruth Is A Bringdown") and Aretha Franklin ("Takin' Another Man's Place.")

It marches on through the genre songwriters like Percy Mayfield (w/Johnny Guitar Watson on "Nothin' Stays The Same Forever") Titus Turner (the overlong, faux-live "Baby Girl") and Rufus Thomas ("Did You Ever Love A Woman," later covered by Derek & The Dominoes). It also includes genre giants Bobby Bland, Johnny Copeland (on the remarkable "It's My Own Tears Being Wasted") and ZZ Hill. Outstanding collection, especially for the price, and recommended.

It's a shame that Atlantic cut several tracks from the vinyl LP to make a one disc CD - ZZ Hill's (Home Just Ain't Home At) Suppertime is NOT on this CD. Check the track list carefully before you buy it as a replacement for your cassette or vinyl.