Blues at Sunset (Live at Wattstax & Montreux) [Live]

Albert King | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000000ZLW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,567 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Albert King's Only Stadium Rock Concert, July 11, 2004

By 

Perry Celestino (Tahmoor, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues at Sunset (Live at Wattstax & Montreux) (Audio CD)

Well Albert Nelson King stands as one of the most innovative Blues players ever. He was great at Talking Blues (hear him at the beginning of this CD!) and took the Blues Bend to new levels. This set recorded at the famous Wattstax Concert features extended sets from two of his previously released concerts: Wattstax (a 2-CD set only sporadically available) and at Montreaux, at which "Stormy Monday" had been previously released on a now out of print Stax LP with Little Milton and Chico Hamilton.

This CD is a great introduction to King's live style and the differences in his tone and dynamics. I personally love his Wattstax set the best. He never sounded like this before. He has an unknown backing band which I curiously think includes Micheal Toles and Willie "Too Tall" Hall (who played in the Blue Brothers Band) from his last period at Stax Records. He has no horns but still has a fat sound.

The set is great with "Matchbox" showcasing his great Talking Blues abilities "I'm here to hold up the Blues end!". The highlight of this for me is the old King Reords tune "Got to Be Some Changes Made". This is worth the price of the whole CD. It is perhaps the best live track Albert ever did! This blows away even Hendrix on "Red House". The other great track here is "Angel Of Mercy" which features the whole tune (it was editied in the original Wattstax release!). Most people wouldn't realize that this is the only time a Blues artist played at a stadium (L.A. Col.), well, B.B. played in Zaire at the Ali-Foreman fight!! This was in the US. King also once played with the Memphis Symphony too!

The second part of this CD contains the REST of the Montreaux set released as "Blues At Sunrise". It also has the whole version of Stormy Monday which was partly perviously released. A highlight of this set is his version of "Breaking Up Somebody's Home". Great playing! This was a great band with a horn section and Don Kinsey on the second guitar "that's my grandson!!!" He said that also of Little Jimmy King when I saw him in Australia in 1990.

This is a must have live blues CD. Get it with "Live Wire, Blues Power", "Blues At Sunrise" and "Albert Live". All of these performances have different tone, dynamics, phrasing and soul. A great overview of the adaptability and range of wonderful Blues Music.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Now I Get it, April 24, 2006

By 

Doug (sheffield, ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues at Sunset (Live at Wattstax & Montreux) (Audio CD)

A long time ago a friend whose music taste I trust told me he had just seen an incredible performance at the Fillmore in NY by " a blues guy named Albert King." I bought all the available albums and didn't get it. This live recording captures what I have been hoping for. There is no more powerful performance than Albert's " I'LL Play the Blues For You". "Killing FLoor" does it too.

I would give it five stars but it is too short.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blues at Sunset, February 25, 2006

By 

Thomas Holley (Cedar Park, TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blues at Sunset (Live at Wattstax & Montreux) (Audio CD)

One of the best live recordings of Albert King. Even without the usual horn section on the Wattatax set, it lacks nothing. The rest of the Montreaux set not included on the "Blues At Sunrise" CD are found here and are, again, some of Albert Kings best.