Customer Reviews

Butterfield / Bloomfield Concert

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

 

 

Putting together a tribute Cd is a bit risky since they'll have to reach a pretty high bar to please MB & PBBB fans. With three excellent guitarists (Robben Ford, Chris Cain, and Volker Strifler), they get pretty close. The sound quality is excellent, especially considering it's a live performance. Not much harp, but good when you do get it. The Cd starts off with a hot version of the classic 'Killing Floor.' Although much shorter than the original, you have to give them credit for pulling off a solid version of 'East/West' as I can't recall anyone else ever having the guts to attempt it - well-played and they succeed in achieving a similar abstract feel. The best track is probably the slow blues instrumental 'Blues for MB.' My only wish is that the Cd had more blues tracks. After all, what concert is this short? There must have been other MB & PBBB tunes played that night. What happened to those? In the mean time, this is worth checking out if you appreciate blues icons Michael and Paul.

This cd smokes. But as the other reviewer says in here, if you dont know this band and are new, you will think it is great. Well yea this is my first listen of them. They played this on our local blues show. What the other reveiwer doesnt do is tell us which ones ARE good. how about it, eh? smile.

It may be tacky or arrogant to second guess disciples who've gone to all the trouble of learning their masters' songs and invested everything that goes into a record into paying them tribute and praising them in their own songs. It may be. Go ahead, then, cuss this reviewer, but I could swear blues harmonica was a major part of the front line in Paul Butterfield's band, and its near-absence from this release is disappointing. "Where," readers might ask, "are the Fords going to find a harpman like Paul Butterfield?" That's a good question, but they didn't hesitate to let another guitarist try to fill Bloomfield's shoes.

It's a very good record, and it earns high marks for The Ford Blues Band, but a record of the same length and quality focusing on them instead of on Butterfield and Bloomfield would hit a more realistic target closer to the center. In all probability, the less one knows about The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the better this record sounds. I look forward to The Ford Blues Band's next release.

Owning the Robben Ford/Ford Blues Band "Tribute to Paul Butterfield," I was ecstatic when I saw this live version tribute. Well, while the previous might even be on a "desert island" list, this newer one pales in comparision. Don't get me wrong, playing is almost all first rate, but Ford's use of pedals or effects takes away from his playing. Add to that, there are only two songs with harp on this recording. "Killing Floor" starts out really first rate, but eventually ends like a good bar-band that didn't quite get the arrangement right. "Groovin' Is Easy" is better, but similar. Would I buy tickets to their show, probably without question. But I am not sure I will listen to this whole CD again in a long time. I hope the "Tribute to Mike Bloomfield" is better...

Yes there are only two songs with harp (played wonderfully by John Mayall) but overall this is a solid blues CD on its own merits - great playing - i thoroughly enjoyed this CD!