Customer Reviews

Damn Right, I've Got the Blues

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Buddy Guy played the Hard Rock Café in Bangkok in 1992, he was asked which present day `Blues' guitarists he liked. Buddy just laughed and said that he was the only real blues guitarist left, as everybody else was just in it for the money. He told the story of when he had followed Muddy Waters up to Chicago from Mississippi in the 50's. Muddy Waters was broke and Buddy wanted to be just like him, in fact on his first meeting with his idol, he claimed that Muddy had saved his life, as if he hadn't shared his dried salami & cheese with him the young Buddy Guy would have starved to death. For these of you wanting to hear some genuine `Blues' music, recorded in a modern studio with all the sound quality that this gives, this is the album for you. It was, unanimously, voted Blues album of the year by the Grammies in 1992. This album just reeks of class. Buddy used his basic road band of long time bassist Greg Rzab on bass, Mick Weaver on keyboards and Richie Hayward on drums (temporarily borrowed from Little Feat). The group went to Battery studios with producer John Porter, who does a superb job keeping the sound clear and precise. Several musicians stopped round during this period to pay their respects and add a lick here and a solo there. These people included the guitarists, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, plus the Memphis Horns. Strangely, one of the weaker moments on the album is "Early In The Morning" which has the Memphis Horns, Clapton & Beck on it. It leaves the feeling that perhaps it was left on the album just to add to the star rating, not for it's actual quality. The other low point on the album is a run through of Sir Mack Rice's "Mustang Sally", a fine song but Buddy does little to distinguish his version from the 500 other cover versions. The rest of the album though is pure golden Blues. The two long, slow Blues workouts are outstanding and allow Buddy to do what he does best, play his guitar. You get eight and a half minutes of the Eddie Boyd Classic "Five Long Years" and seven & a half minutes of "Black Night" by Jesse Robinson. John Porter's production leaves both of these songs stripped to the bone, and let the emotions drip from the guitar & vocals. Spiritually these songs leave you exhausted, but nothing can prepare you for the albums final cut which is Buddy Guy's tribute to his friend, Stevie Ray Vaughn. "Remembering Stevie" is an outstanding instrumental Blues song that literally sends shivers up and down your spine. Close your eyes and you can see Buddy playing with his eyes shut and the band giving sympathetic support, with Stevie looking down from high above. On this album, Buddy Guy makes mere pale imitators of all those that try to follow him. If you want the Blues, go for the real thing, go for Buddy. Mott the Dog.

This lasts about 54 minutes. 4 tracks feature horns. There are three original Guy tracks. All are great. One- title track, 2- a slow moody instrumental dedicated to Stevie Ray Vaughan, 3-one of Guy's best songs and captures some ferocious guitar playing for 5 minutes and is called Too Broke Too Spend the Night. If you wanted to, you could fit all of these songs into contemporary blues music for either lyrics or music, but only six of the ten tracks fit in a traditional sense. There's 3 slow blues, including the instrumental track called Rememberin' Stevie, the classic Black Night{done by Willie Nelson and Dr. John later}and also Five Long Years another classic covered in Eric Clapton's all blues album From the Cradle. I don't want insult the great musicians on this album, but you could say the only truly remarkable thing about it is Buddy himself. At his top level of playing on this record he is definetely one of the best guitar players in blues. Ups: Alot of powerful vocals. The keyboards are used perfectly, not over or underdone. Let me love you baby is a song that was written by Willie Dixon and one of the last songs Steve Vaughan covered on record and one of Buddy's best recordings. There may be possible downs here for you,though it is all great music. In my opinion the extra guitar players were almost completely unhelpful, and were uneeded at any rate. Of course Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton didn't take anything away but your ears would have to put mine to shame to be able to distinguish them. Jeff Beck was clear but he didn't do anything Guy couldn't do. Bottom line is that these great guitarists were just for promotion and they probably knew it. As for John Porter and Neil Hubbard who are probably in Guy's live band or studio musicians- One or both played on all tracks including the ones with the other guitarists. They were probably only there for the occasional rythm or tiny sound effect or mimicry and really weren't much help even if they did more. They maybe even taking away from Buddy at times. I can't even understand Guy using them. There were back up vocalists in 3 songs which is an uncommon thing in straight blues. Lastly -highly produced and slightly cluttered with people who may not have belonged. The production may bother some blues fans but did however cause some great sound through the record and didn't take away from the character which Guy and the blues is known for. If you are looking for Guy at a more raw hard blues stage then get Stone Crazy which is a standard- Buddy on lead guitar and his brother Phil doing back-up work-then Bass and drums. It's simple and also one of the classic harcore blues albums.

This is the CD that got me hooked on Buddy Guy. I have over 2000 CDs in my collection and I find myself pulling this one out over and over again! As the much younger sibling of and older brother and sister I started listening to all sorts of music in the early sixtys (I was born in '56). My older sister was a music fan and attended the last US Beatles show in SF when I was about 8 years old. I cut my teeth on Rock, Jazz, Blues, etc. and was seriously hooked by the time I was 14 or so. Back to Buddy...

Buddy Guy's guitar playing is always right on and this album is no exception. I not only look to the performance but I need to have a good mix and great sound quality as well. This CD has it all. I'm a Bass player and I love the bass line on Mustang Sally. In fact, this is my favorite cover of this song anyplace I have heard, bar none.

There might be better Buddy Guy CDs than this, but I would bet that if you don't like this one, you don't like the blues!

to a casual blues fan, buddy was living in relative obscurity till he released this cd in 1991. hardcore blues fans like myself already knew how great a singer/guitarist he was since he came on the scene back in the late 50's. then he came crashing thru with this cd! no longer would buddy guy be the best kept secret in the blues genre. his famous wild string bends are on display at the start of the cd on the title track, and throughout. his guitar playing on "too broke to spend the night" is incredible, showcasing blazing speed. his string bending technique is in full effect on "rememberin stevie", his tribute to the late stevie ray vaughan. the song starts slow and winds up gradually. just a beautiful instrumental track. other highlights include eddie boyd's often covered "five long years" and willie dixon's popular "let me love you baby". stevie ray also covered this song on his last cd before he died. i also enjoyed jeff beck's guitar work on "mustang sally". buddy's singing and playing are top-notch on this cd. no filler here. this cd started a run of successful work thru the 90's with silvertone records. it's amazing what he has accomplished here in his later years. thanks buddy for giving us all this great music to listen to. god bless!

There are two giants that keep on promoting the lifestyle of the blues. The first is B.B. King. The other? Buddy Guy. Here is a man that knows the meaning of the blues. At times he was too poor to afford guitar strings, and used wire instead. How he has any pads left on his fingertips to play, I'll never know. But, he does play here, and it is very good.

There is no doubt that this is an excellent album with the first notes of the title track. Guy makes his guitar cry throughout his solos, and his voice is full of soul and pain. It doesn't slow down after that. He then turns around and does the John Hiatt cover of "Where Is the Next One Coming From" with Mark Knopfler and the Memphis Horns backing him up. Again, an A effort from the blues master. Jeff Beck appears on "Mustang Sally", and then teams up with Eric Clapton to provide additional licks on Louis Jordan's "Early In the Morning". This whole album is nothing but high-powered blues. The album culminates with the powerful "Rememberin' Stevie", a tribute to the late great guitar master, and Guy's dear friend. The tune is hauntingly beautiful and Guy bears his soul for all to hear.

This album is what the blues are about, solid guitar playing, strong vocals, and feeling. If you're a big blues guitar fan, this is a must have for your collection. You can't go wrong with it.

My first Buddy Guy album. I think it is pretty good. I like the title track. I find the blues classic "5 long years" interesting -- quite different from the BB King and Eric Clapton versions. I usually don't like the Fender tone -- it is can be a little too thin or piercing for my tastes, but Buddy has a tone that is warm by Fender standards. I read somewhere that he uses a Fender Stratocaster and Fender Bassman amplifier, perhaps he plays with his fingers rather than a pick - well, whatever it was sounds "right". Buddy is a blues icon.

Good blues and rock from Buddy Guy. The stronger songs are "Black Night", "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Rememberin Stevie" which feature great guitar. A must have for your collection.

This is the one that put Buddy back on the blues map. With the help of several well-known friends, including Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton (who once called him the greatest live blues guitarist), and the great Memphis Horns, Buddy burns on the more uptempo tunes like the soulful groove of "Where Is the Next One Coming From" & a definitive version of the classic "Mustang Sally". Buddy's gritty, passionate vocals are intense without being totally over-the top, & the background vocals are perfect. The slower tunes are not the old, tired, by-the-book standard slow blues, but are leisurely, rolling blues, focused as much on piano & horns as on Buddy's guitar. He closes things out with "Rememberin' Stevie", paying tribute to his own biggest fan.

You can feel every guitar note, you can hear every breath in his voice, and you can still feel the groove. Whether you're a Blues purist or want to become a blues fan for the first time, this one has all the ingredients for a great listen... Simply one of the best blues recordings from the 1990's from the best veteran Chicago Bluesman!

Fans of Blues music know that there are some living legends which we are all lucky to listen to and if we are really lucky we get to see them live at their best. Buddy Guy ranks high among the living legends of the Blues. He has influenced and been appreciated by some of the truly great musicians of both rock and blues. Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton were ( and are among) his greatest fans. They like so many others appreciate his virtuosity and his skill at improvisation.

In interviews regarding Damn Right I've Got the Blues, Guy says that Silvertone allowed him to do on record what he had been longing to do for years. Damn Right nicely show cases Guy's skills and genius at the guitar. He does covers of songs by Willie Dixon, Eddie Boyd, Louis Jordan and John Hiatt, as well as a number of originals including the original. With help from Jeff Beck, Buddy sizzles on Mustang Sally. Black Night is done in the heartfelt and soulful manner that only Buddy can do. The instrumental Remembering Stevie is a wonderful tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

This is a wonderful CD. It was done in a way that Buddy Guy had long wanted to do. Moreover it brings the blues to a greater audience and there is truly nothing wrong with that. If we are to keep the blues alive, we need CD's such as this. Go for it Buddy.