Customer Reviews

Buddy's Blues (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

An excellent overview of Buddy's 60's material, some of his best. You really can't go wrong with this CD. Great stuff!

I have spent a fair amount of time in this space running through the legends of the Chicago blues explosion that hit its high point in the period just after World War II and continued to the advent of serious rock `n' roll in the mid-1950s, a period that saw the mass migration off the southern farms and plantations of blacks (and poor whites) to the north in search of better paying, and mainly, unionized industrial jobs. Thus, such names as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and so on have gotten plenty of ink here. Strangely although the name Buddy Guy has been mentioned here many times this is the first CD by him that is being reviewed in this space. Strange, indeed.

That said, the name Buddy Guy also is usually uttered, reverently, around the same time that one speaks the name of master harmonica player, Junior Wells, Buddy's long time Chicago playing companion). And, of course when you say Junior Wells you, of necessity, have to speak about Muddy Waters, the 'Father' of all the Chicago blues. Here, however, Buddy stands alone in this 50th Anniversary of Chess Records series. I have reviewed other parts of this series elsewhere and find the material that is presented in each tends, very much so, to be "greatest hits"-type material. That is the case here as well, and I would add that the quality of the sound tends to a a bit better here than on some of the other efforts in this series. Still anyway you can hear that old 1950s blues sound when it was fresh and down grab the opportunity, with both hands.

Buddy Guy almost never has a bad track so one has to go the other way and try to cull out the best. Here the classic "Pretty Baby is smokin', "My Love Is Real", and "Stone Crazy" round out my picks as the top numbers.

Wow!!! For just under eight bucks this CD is a steal! These are all tracks taken from his classic Chess Records period and they all smoke! When listening to a song like "Leave My Girl Alone" you can hear how he must have influenced the likes of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin with the high notes he hits with such conviction and intensity. And that's talking vocals. Most people talk about his influence on the Guitar greats and that's all very true, but I'm sure he had an influence on singers too given what a great singer he was/is. What a performer! "My Time After Awhile" is another highlight with more strong vocals and smooth guitar work. "Worried Mind" was a surprise because I hadn't heard it before. Great song with Buddy's usual great guitar playing. At this point in time I'd have to say he's not only one of my all time favorite Blues guys but one of my all time favorite performers period. You gotta love Buddy!!!

This is a great collection of Buddy Guy's Chicago recordings, & they really hit the spot. The guitar playing is wonderful, but not as wild as it should have been due to views of taste from the time!

This is still a superb CD and well worth getting.

Sherlock Holmes and the Flying Zombie Death Monkeys

Buddy Guy is one of my all-time favorite bluesmen....and this is the album which started it all for me.

Listen to these songs and be changed. The album starts out with "Worried Mind", a relaxing blues tune, which shows the mellow side of Buddy Guy. Relax while you can, for some fiery vocals are not too far off! When Buddy sings "She Suits Me To A Tee" I honestly wonder at what point his vocal chords will snap. And when Buddy sings "I Cry And Sing The Blues" you are convinced that in fact he is crying and singing the blues. Listen to this album just once to hear one of the greatest bluesmen in history and no doubt you will be won over just as I was to Buddy Guy's music.

5 stars....a fantastic single disc compilation at a very inexpensive price. A must own for any blues fan.
I believe there is a 2-CD set out there of his Chess recordings, but do not think it is still available, except to buy it used.

Great compilations of the performances from Guy's best time in his career.

Buddy Guy is One of the Baddest Blues Playing Guitar Players Ever to me.His tone is pure&He doesn't overkill on the heavyHanded Riffing&Soloing like some cats do. this Collection is a Great showcase of His Talent&Rawness. His Vocals are on point as well.