Buddy's Blues (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) [Original recording remastered]

Buddy Guy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 1997)
• Original Release Date: April 8, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Chess
• ASIN: B000005KQL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,436 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Single Disc Compilation, But..., January 27, 2005

By 

"The Woj" (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy's Blues (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) (Audio CD)

For someone on a budget who is interested in the music of this legendary artist, look no further than this single disc album. The sound and track selection here are excellent. Anyone interested in the blues needs to have at least one Buddy Guy album in their collection and you can't go wrong here. Another option is Rhino's "Very Best Of Buddy Guy" which features 18 tracks compared to the 15 presented here (personally I give a very slight nod to the Rhino cd based on track slection & overall sound). This release however may be a better choice for those with only a few bucks to spend. But, for those of you who do have a few extra dollars around, I strongly suggest passing on both single disc releases and opt for the 2 disc set "The Complete Chess Studio Sessions" on the MCA/Chess label. "The Complete" boasts 47 tracks an is more comprehensive than this release. It may be out-of-print, but can be found for sale in zShops or eBay at a very reasonable price.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buddy's blues. Buddy's best, November 14, 2004

By 

Docendo Discimus (Vita scholae) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy's Blues (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) (Audio CD)

If you're only going to buy one Buddy Guy-album, I'd probably go with Rhino's career-spanning "The Very Best Of Buddy Guy".
But it's hard, because this one is pretty much a must-have as well. Rhino's disc does include a handful of Guy's Chess sides, but his years at Chess were certainly his best period, and this wonderful 15-track compilation brings together the cream of that crop.

These classic 60s recordings burn with unbridled passion - just listen to the smouldering slow blues "Leave My Girl Alone" and "I Cry And Sing The Blues". George "Buddy" Guy is one of the very few bluesmen whose vocals (occationally) match the intensity of the great Elmore James, and his guitar playing is superb - an obvious source of inspiration to men like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Also, the sound on this anniversary compilation is magnificent. Excellent transfers and spacious stereo mixes make these forty-year old recordings sound as sharp as razor blades coming off the laser beam. Well, I don't know if razor blades sound sharp, maybe they just are sharp...eh, never mind.
But if you are into 60s electric blues, this is a must-have purchase. Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Magic Sam are the finest representatives of the "West Side" sound, and there is not a single weak track here. This is the very best of Buddy Guy's Chess years.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding !, November 18, 2005

By 

Mad Dog "maddog6969" (TimbuckThree, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy's Blues (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) (Audio CD)

Every track on this compilation is strong, no doubt about it. I like much of Buddy's later work but I keep returning to the sides he recorded for Chess in the 60s. Fortunately, the sound quality is excellent for that era and doesn't get in the way at all. There is great variety in this set and I have difficulty picking favorites but these tunes do make it easy to see why so many musicians have been influenced by Buddy. It's obvious to see that young Buddy was more than capable of leading a band. Typical of Chess Records, the CD booklet has a great historical perspective and complete song info. what a band Buddy had together back in the 60's! Lafayette Leake, Little Brother Montgomery, Leonard Caston and Otis Spann alternated on piano, Jack Meyers and Phil Upchurch on bass, Fred Below, Al Duncan, Phil Thomas and Clifton James on drums plus a host of other talented players. Enjoy the newer mucis Buddy has made but don't forget his first golden era. Great stuff.