Customer Reviews

Blues 6

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Chess' 1960s "The Blues" series, which spanned five volumes, originally focused on hits, not rarities, but this 1991 addition to the series goes the other way by collecting a number of rarities, all of which make their CD debut here.

It opens with a great version of Howlin' Wolf's magnificent, thumping blues-rhumba "Cause Of It All", re-titled "Goin' Back Home" and featuring completely different lyrics. Tremendous syncopated drum part by Earl Phillips.
And there are plenty of other highlights, including the somber "Funeral Hearse At My Door", a gritty acoustic country blues by obscure Chess artist Rocky Fuller, the up-tempo boogie "Date Bait" by Blue Smitty & His String Men (great piano playing by Malron Jett), a latter-day Memphis Minnie-tune called "Lake Michigan", the nasal Percy Mayfield's catchy, horn-driven jump blues "Would You Call Me A Fool", and Jody Williams' energetic, R&B-flavoured "What Kind Of Gal Is That" (credited to Williams' alter ego, Little Joe Lee).

Other rarities include Eddie Boyd's "Got Lonesome Here", John Brim's jumping instrumental "Gary Stomp", which features a surprisingly energetic and complicated harmonica solo by the usually very minimalistic Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters' "All Night Long", just him and his guitar and Little Walter playing the harmonica, and a mournful "Alarm Clock Blues" by the always morose Floyd Dixon.

A couple of the best songs are available elsewhere (MCA/Chess' "Chess Blues Guitar: Two Decades Of Killer Fretwork"), and not everything is equally great, but it's all worth a listen, and there is more than enough here to keep any 50s blues fan occupied.
4 1/4 stars - definitely recommended.