Eye to Eye

Calvin 'Fuzz' Jones, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Ronnie Earl, Pinetop Perkins, Eye to Eye | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 3, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Audioquest
• ASIN: B000003HL6
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,590 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #62 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues

Track Listings

1. How Long

2. Country Girl

3. 'Tops Boogie Woogie

4. Eye to Eye

5. 'Yonders Wall

6. Ronnie's Blues

7. Shake For Me

8. Miss Ida B.

9. Kidney Stew

10. I Woke up This Morning

11. Take It Easy Baby

12. Anna Lee

13. Forty Four Blues

Editorial Reviews

RONNIE EARL Eye To Eye (Deleted 1996 US AudioQuest 13-track CD starring the legendary Muddy Waters rhythm section of Pinetop Perkins Calvin Fuzz Jones & Willie Big Eyes Smith plus guitarist Earl on top form all in glorious audiophile quality AQ-CD1043)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The same old blues!, March 25, 2003

By 

M. Bernocchi "mbernocchi" (Old Windsor, Berkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eye to Eye (Audio CD)

Do not expect anything but the same "old" blues from this CD. However if you are true blues fans just ask to yourself: "do I really want something different?" If the answer is "no" don't hesitate a second and pick up this CD! I don't think that Ronnie Earl backed by his mate and Broadcaster former member Bruce Katz and almost the entire Muddy Waters' band was looking for anything different than playing the blues as it is written in the sacred text books when he approached the recording studio. The real strength of this album is that all the musicians involved in this project are the "cream of the cream" and the result, as easily predictable, is simply unmatchable. Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith can give lectures about how to play the blues to everyone in the business, Bruce Katz himself is nowadays one of the most talented B3 players and Ronnie Earl is probably the best white blues guitarist around. The album is a mix of originals and old tunes written by Perkins or Smith and covers of masters such as Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Tampa Red and Sonny Boy Williamson. Despite the fact that the entire album sounds very much like a respectful and sincere homage to the greatest blues men of the past, the unmistakable stile of Ronnie Earl elevates this collection to a different level. The impression you get is to listen to something incredibly fresh and "new". He plays acoustic, slide and of course electric guitars always with the usual intensity and feeling that have made him unique in the blues guitarists scenario. All the others stellar musicians involved in the project play at their best and the final result is awesome, moreover the Audioquest production and recording are as usual simply perfect. Rate this CD "only" five stars it's a real crime it deserve much more than that!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ENJOYABLE CD!, July 10, 2000

By 

deepbluereview "deepbluereview" (SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eye to Eye (Audio CD)

RONNIE EARL FOREGOES THE BROADCASTERS ON THIS CD AND JOINS WITH THE ORIGINAL MUDDY WATERS RHYTHM SECTION FOR SOME OLDTIME CHICAGO BLUES. PRIOR TO THIS CD, THE COMBINATION OF PINETOP PERKINS, CALVIN JONES AND WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH LAST JOINED FORCES IN 1993, WITH OTHER MUDDY WATER'S MUSICIANS TO PERFORM AS "THE MUDDY WATERS TRIBUTE BAND" (SEE THEIR FINE CD, "YOUR GONNA MISS ME WHEN I'M DEAD AND GONE"). THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALSO PURSUED SOLO CAREERS SINCE AT LEAST 1980. LIKE THE TRIBUTE ALBUM, THIS CD IS A DEDICATION OF SORTS TO VARIOUS BLUEMEN OF THE PAST INCLUDING MUDDY WATERS, MEMPHIS SLIM, CLEANHEAD VINSON, ROOSEVELT SYKES AND OTHERS. EYE TO EYE IS AN ENJOYABLE CD WITH SONGS FROM THE HEARTS OF MEN WHO UNDERSTAND THE BLUES. I DID NOT START OUT AS A RONNIE EARL FAN BUT I FAST BECAME A CONVERT AFTER LISTENING TO THIS CD. WHILE NOTHING NEW, ITS A GOOD ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going to the Source!, January 7, 2009

By 

Lyle Webster "Lyle & Lovin' It!" (Littleton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eye to Eye (Audio CD)

Ronnie in COMMUNION with the originators of the Blues Scene we Love! Thank God that Ronnie had this chance to forge these classics with Muddy's Backing Band. I can think of no better way to bridge the origin of electric blues to the current standard bearer!