Customer Reviews

Don't Lose Your Cool

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The least of Albert Collins' four Alligator albums, 1983's "Don't Lose Your Cool" is a solid effort, but it lacks the overall high quality of "Ice Pickin'", and it can't quite match its predecessor "Frostbite" either.
Both of those produced lasting Collins classics ("When The Welfare Turns Its Back On You", "If You Love Me Like You Say" etc), but there is really nothing remarkably great here, except perhaps the slow grind of "When A Guitar Plays The Blues".

But that's not to say that "Don't Lose Your Cool" is a waste of time. Collins' icey guitar playing is excellent as always, and he delivers some great solos and a couple of good instrumentals, and a fine take on Guitar Slim's "Quicksand".
I'm not too fond of that organ which keeps interfering, but otherwise the band is good and sympathetic, particular saxist A.C. Reed and drummer Casey Jones.

This is not a necessary purchase for casual Albert Collins fans, but it's a solid collection of songs which is buoyed up by Collins' pinched yet muscular solos and a really good band.

Like another reviewer, this album was the first Albert Collins album... actually, first BLUES album I ever got... and boy did I play the heck out of it... and considering that the screaming sound of the B-3 on it had such an impact on me and years later I did become a B-3 player, it must have been a lot more influential than I realized at the time.

The interesting thing about the album is that a lot of it seems to border on "soul Jazz" - - Collins never departs from his Chicago Blues roots (*well, for the record he was a Texan, still...), however, the trademark Collins "cool tightness" is there... For some blues fans, this might come across as sounding a bit subdued, however, for me, who like Collins also is a big Jimmy McGriff fan - - I can dig it. The key note, however, is that although Collins guitar playing is GREAT as all his albums were, the strong point of the album is not his guitar, but the overall band/tunes and arrangements (of course, capped by the presence of the great Albert Collins.)... Another strong point is Chris Foreman's great and juicy sounding organ/organ playing and accompanying - - he even gets some nice action on the ballad MY MIND IS TRYING TO LEAVE ME.

All in all, I first heard this album about 25 years ago... and its still sounding good to me... passes the test of time - - dat for sho'!

One of the very first Collins' discs I ever owned, and worth every penny, too. After seeing him live in Century City, CA, I was an instant fan. This man rocked the blues world with his blonde Tele and 100+ foot guitar cord struts through the crowd...

Sure wish he was still here recording.

Great tunes, great vocals, great licks. Definitely a keeper, and a joy to listen to.

Peace Out.

This CD is not one of the greatest by the "GREAT" Albert Collins. This is another case of an older CD not having real good volume and clarity. With that being said, lets discuss the other qualities. If you're new to Albert Collins, this bluesman's lyrics, at times, sound like he's a young Muhammad Ali, if Ali was a rapping Bluesman. Albert talks about shots of whiskey, double shots, having no money, women leaving him, his Cadillac, shooting a gun at his girlfriend, missing, and killing his dog! This man done got da blues! Song #2 "My Mind Is Trying To Leave Me" is a 7 minute 42 second demonstration of Albert's versatility on his axe. I just ordered 2 of Albert's live CD's, and I'm hoping, (after hearing this one.) that the sound quality is better. I will let my "Shaq's, The King Of The World Blues Reviewer's" loyal fans, know in the next week or so. SHAQ'S BLUES TRIVIA TIDBITS: 1)"Jimi Hendrix idolized Albert." 2) "Albert never used a guitar pick."