Big City Blues [Extra tracks, Import]

John Hammond | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: Universe Italy
• ASIN: B0000695N8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,825 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'm Ready

2. My Starter Won't Start

3. Barbecue Blues

4. I'm a Man

5. Barrelhouse Woman Blues

6. Midnight Hour Blues

7. Backdoor Man

8. I Live the Life I Love

9. No Money Down

10. My Babe

11. When You Got a Good Friend

12. Baby, Won't You Tell Me

13. The Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) [*]

14. Statesboro Blues [*]

15. Keys to the Highway [*]

16. I Just Got Here [*]

17. I'm a Man [*]

18. Backdoor Man [*]

19. Baby, Won't You Tell Me [*]

Editorial Reviews

Beautiful second album released in 1964 by Vanguard. One of the first electric white blues recordings and one of the very first that could be said to be blues-rock. John Hammond (backed by Billy Butler and James Spruill on guitars, Jimmy Lewis on bass and Bobby Donaldson on drums) is covering a variety of Chess Records' classics and electrifying some older tunes. Contains 7 bonus tracks 'They Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)', 'Statesboro Blues', 'Keys To The Highway', 'I Just Got Here', 'I'm A Man', 'Backdoor Man' & 'Baby, Won't You Tell Me'. Miniature LP sleeve with original artwork.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Hammond Tour De Force!, December 31, 1999

By 

John Compton (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big City Blues (Audio CD)

John Hammond delivers a Tour De Force! With such blues classics as "Back Door Man", "I'm A Man" and "No Money Down" - John Hammond delivers the powerfully sensual and poetic lyrics in an incredible Mick Jagger-ish style fusing with this HOT BAND and in doing so, setting a High Water Mark for all of us to look at and marvel upon. 35 YEARS LATER, this recording soars with POWER, GRACE and DETERMINATION - inducting it for this writer into 'The Greatest Gospel/Soul Recordings of All-Time' along side with Aretha Franklin's historic Muscle Shoals Sessions and Laura Nyro's 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the white blues men, June 15, 2000

By 

Chris Ringwood - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big City Blues (Audio CD)

This and the other early Vanguard blues albums by Hammmond backed by a superb band including Charlie Musselwhaite & Levon Helm are simply the best renditions of the classic Chigago/Urban blues sound by a white practitioner. So authentic is Hammond's voice that I'd wager even an Afro-American would have trouble with ethnic ID! Some might say that his phrasing is a little exaggerated, but Hammond is so good that often his covers transcend the original, say this "Prejoodiced Whahte Bouy"! The backing band and the recordings are both absolutely top notch and all these albums REALLY COOK. Even if you're not a blues fan, Hammond could convert you! It's a wonder these albums did not catch on when first released - this was way back in '64 or so. After all, J.Lee Hooker's Dimples made the top 10 in UK(Where I hail from).The CD is Almost as good as the Vinyl as well, so my old LP's can take a break!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Seminal White Boy Blues Album, June 16, 2006

By 

scoop25 "scoop25" (Ridgefield, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big City Blues (Audio CD)

For the record, the band backing Hammond on "Big City Blues" is King Curtis's group; NOT the Hawks aka The Band, who didn't record with him until "So Many Roads." The latter's another great white electric blues album, unfortunately marred by the unspeakably lame harp playing of Charlie Musselwhite. Since Hammond could play circles around Musselwhite on the harp on his worst day, it's a mystery why he let the guy play on the album and bugger it. But then Hammmond's always been remarkably generous to struggling new musicians; and Charlie recorded on Vanguard at the time, which may have had something to do with the studio line-up decision.
SEPARATELY, when is Vanguard/Elektra/Atlantic going to WISE UP and issue a REMASTERED version of this great album so hard-core fans who don't have turntables anymore can enjoy the original, distinctive, exquisite recording?
Get with the program, hip record execs.