Customer Reviews

The Best Of Taj Mahal

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I had heard the name, Taj Mahal over the years but never took the time to investigate his music. Then one day while listening to the radio, the song "Fishing Blues" came on and it sparked my interest. When I saw that he had this "Best Of..." collection I figured it would be a good place to start. Well,I haven't stopped playing it since I recieved it. What a find, this is great music! Every track on this cd touched me in some way. Songs like "Statesboro Blues", "Leaving Trunk", and "She Caught The Katy" are gritty, bluesy, and soulful. Taj sings with a voice that was made for the blues, and plays a mean harmonica to boot.

Aside from the songs on this collection that really cook, there are others that seem to transcend the blues and create a different feeling. "Corinna", "Take A Giant Step" and "Johnny Too Bad" are more thoughtful and laid back, making for a good mix of tempos'. Then, just when I thought it couldn't get much better, I listened to the jazzed up, instrumental "Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie (No Mo')". Awesome! Then there's "Oh Susanna", a song that you might think you've heard before as a child, but not like this! I could go on, but just know that all in all this is a collection of incredible, inspired music from a great artist,and track for track, it's one of the best albums I have ever purchased.

Taj has become the torchbearer of the blues and, over the years, has developed a very large following and a comprehensive catalog of releases. In order to put this recording into prospective it's necessary to look at what is here. What you find on this disc is a collection of some very fine material dating from 1967 to 1974. So, while the material may be the best of Taj for that period, and that is debatable, it would be unfair to Taj and to his fans to call this a collection of his best works. Anything short of a box set could not possibly cover the broad array of excellent releases put out by this individual. That being said, the reproduction of "Leaving Trunk" and "Corinna" are not of the best quality. However, the rest of the CD is a good representative sample of Taj's early releases. While I would encourage individuals to buy this disc, I feel a certain obligation to the man that has produced so many quality songs over the past 30 plus years to also suggest the box set "In Progress & In Motion".

I absolutely agree that one should own the box set, but this disc is worth owning alone for "Chevrolet." That song really gets me going, and I play it for my wife all the time to let her know how I feel. This disc will only fuel your longing for more taj mahal, so get it and save up for the box set!! If you get the chance check out the grammy-winning "Shouting in Key." That is the best disc of all.

This collection focuses on the very early Taj Mahal and contains most of his early classics. For anyone not familiar with this artist this is a great place to start. You get a full taste of "Taj Mahal", "The Natch'l Blues" and "The Real Thing"(with the tuba band), his first 3 excellent albums, and it is obvious from these how eclectic a blues performer he is. Taj Mahal has always been one of my favorites, and he presented one of the best live shows I have ever seen. He is touring this summer so check him out if you get a chance, and delve deeply into the rest of his recorded material, particularly "Senor Blues".

This is a great collection for fans old and new. Taj has such an amazing way of approaching blues and roots music, and this is a great demonstration.

My wife isn't much of a blues fan, but she loves this album.

On this early recording, Taj Mahal demonstrates his ability to take well-know blues songs like "Statesboro Blues", "Dust My Broom," and "Walking Blues" and make them uniquely his. Taj avoids the well-worn practice of taking a standard peice of music and re-producing the original sound and arrangement. He puts his own stamp on the songs and re-works them into his interpretation and style.

The sound, while clean, is a bit sparse and thin---it lacks the texture of "The Real Thing" or his work with Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder. There's a good deal of energy, but its not quite full-throttle.

To me, this recording is a step on the way to better things for Taj Mahal. I recommend it to fans and musicians (aspiring and otherwise) who cover other artists work. It has some great examples of how to find yet-unheard potential in other people's songs.

this album was a refreshing taste of blues history for me. It was my first Taj Mahal album and I love it. The songs, Leaving Trunk, Corrina, Further On Down The Road, and Take a Giant Step are all beautifully written and performed. If you are a blues fan you will not be disappointed with this album.

The capacity of Taj Mahal to go from rock'n roll to New Orleans blues in this cd is clearly evidence of his great versatile style to play.The interpretation of Statesboro Blues is a psychodelic way to play,sometimes remembering The Doors.The 4th.and 5th.tracks remembers New Orleans nights and...the 6th.some Dylan's tunes!!Great cd for those blues and early rock'n roll fans.The 7th.track,is something from Stones...ohhh!!!!....Is he a versatile bluesman or no???
What must be said is that all the tracks are from that early years of fertile sinergy between blues and rock'n roll..67;68;71;72;What more we can say???Nothing more...Just sit down and play this fantastic cd with the begining of Mahal's
career!!!

Great cd although the added tracks interrupted the flow of the original cd. My biggest beef is that it says "original Recordings Remastered", which holds true for all of the original tracks except for "Farther On Down The Road" which is NOT the same as the original on "The Best Of". The backup vocals..."spidoo-spidee" are not on this version and it's not as funky either. Honestly, that track is the whole reason I bought the cd and was very disappointed in the false advertising. Who is to blame for this? If anyone knows where to get the original version please let me know......

... a collection to complement this?

this album covers TJ's late 60s and early 70s - this is as musical as blues can get. imo taj mahal is first a musician then a bluesman - there's a difference, you know?

now how about another collection (maybe double disk) to complement this collection - which covers his later 70s and 80s and 90s ...