Customer Reviews

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Stuff: The Greatest Hits

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

 

 

In the late `70s and early `80s the next generation of blues greats were starting to bloom in Austin, Texas. One of the first bands to explode onto the scene was The Fabulous Thunderbirds. An all-star band comprised of guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, singer and harp player Kim Wilson, bassist Preston Hubbard, and drummer Fran Christina they would begin paving the way for more Texas blues bands to follow. This album covers five years of music, covering four studio releases.

This is just an all around good album. The songs all have a good rhythm to them with catchy lyrics. "Tuff Enough" and "Powerful Stuff" are the overly popular selections on the album. "Rock this Place" and "Wrap It Up" are two of the best cuts off the album. The only track that I didn't care for was "Why Get Up". In 1990, Jimmie left the band after the untimely death of his brother. "Twist of the Knife" is the only Jimmie-less cut that appears on this album, and his replacement does a very good job of impersonating him.

Jimmie doesn't get the credit for being the great guitarist that he so well deserves. Playing in the shadow of his brother (although Stevie felt that it was the other way around), he has been thought of as simplistic and dull. Carefully listen to the ten tracks that he does on this album. His less-is-more approach to playing fits the music, and doesn't distract from the song. He can be fast and flashy when he wants to, but has found a voice of his own. Listen to his "Powerful Stuff" solo and tell me that he's simple and boring. A solid guitarist indeed.

This eleven-track greatest hits album provides a healthy sampling of the three real Fabulous Thunderbirds albums (the ones with Jimmie). Definitely worth listening to if you're a fan of the Texas sound.

This is a superb selection of early to more recent T-bird music. "Hot Stuff" represents the raw soulful music of the thunderbirds and reinforces the song writing talents of Kim Wilson.And of course if you don't already know, his stature as one of the best if not the best harp player alive is most apparent.Don't miss out on those raw guitar licks on "Tiger Man" with vocals to knock your socks off!This is a must for T-bird fans or any blues fan for that matter.

This collection brings together eleven songs from the Fabulous Thunderbirds' Epic-years, which were slicker and more commercial than their earlier albums for Takoma and Chrysalis (now Benchmark).
I prefer the Thunderbirds' bluesier and less mainstream late-70s/early 80s-recordings, but this is a good overview of their late-80s/early 90s Epic releases, including the hard-rocking of "Tuff Enough", the fine, swinging "Why Get Up", and the anthemic, three-chord thumper "Let's Rock This Place".
The Fabulous Thunderbirds' version of Slim Harpo's "Got Love If You Want It" is only available on this compilation, and it's the bluesiest tune here, the excact opposite of the awful, synth-laden 80s pop-rock of "Wrap It Up" (Kim Wilson even sounds like Tom Jones!).

The Fabulous Thunderbirds' four albums for Epic were rather uneven, and unless you're a very devoted fan, this is pretty much all you'll ever need from that period. Just remember that this is NOT where you go for their earliest (and best) material...that is available on ASIN B000007WPI, "The Fabulous Thunderbirds Collection". Or rather it would be if it was in stock. Hrmph!
3 1/2 stars.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Stuff: The Greatest Hits is correctly named in that these are indeed the biggest hits in the T-Birds long and storied career. This single CD package certainly could not be called "Best Of..." or it would have to encompass at least 6 CD's of music and a 40 page career retrospection booklet! So, instead we get the most popular and best known tracks for the budget-minded consumer. "Tuff Enuff" is basically the better-known rewrite of that all-time classic from their club days, "She's Tuff," but it's such a great number that it's good the second time around as well. "Wrap it Up" features a wonderful keyboard hook and would do Sam and Dave proud, while "Why Get Up" (featuring snoring sound effects) is absolutely hilarious; one of the TBirds best comic numbers. "Powerful Stuff" features bass player Preston Hubbard's powerful hook, while the entire band (Jimmie Vaughn, guitar, Kim Wilson, vocals and harp, and Fran Cristina, drums) really rocks out on "Rock This Place"; Jimmie's mega-riff guitar work is especially good here. Of course, with a band as good as the TBirds, several tracks are conspicuously absent, most notably "She's Tuff" "Jumpin Bad" "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine" "Scratch My Back" "Tear It Up" and "Gotta Have Some/Just Got Some". (Some of these gems are available on Tacos Deluxe, the new compilation of early Birds classics.) Even so, this is still a good place to start your TBirds collection; there may be only eleven tracks of the two dozen or more than could be called the best of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, but rest assured, this is some powerful stuff!!!

I ordered this for my husband after I lost his. He was delighted to have it back. (Several months after ordering this, we finally found the original one). But service was quick and it was brand new, still sealed and played perfectly. Classic rock that still makes you feel good!

This was not a one hit wonder group as I heard someone on the radio say about them the other day. Obviously they never played a lot of records. Yes, this is their greatest hits, and from the opening Tuff Enuff, to twist of the knife, rock this place, powerful stuff, and wrap it up, you've got just five of the songs that made this group popular. Hard driving and blues orientated, the Fabulous Thunderbirds knew how to put out a clean record that people would enjoy over and over again. All in all I think it is a good CD to have in any rock section of your music library.

In their time, I was a fan of this band.

The singer, Kim Wilson, was a fine front man in a live context.

However, I cannot ignore the fact that;

shuffling beat + same guitar tones + similar guitar fills + Stax-
sounding horns= all songs sound too similar with not enough
variety of the dynamics.

This is a great album! This has all of their great hits.I highly recommend this album!

The Fabulous Thunderbirds are what real Rock n' Roll is all about! This is a really good compilation, it hits all the high spots and is a joy to listen to. The sound is very good and everything about this compilation is just great. If you love good Rock, you need this!

HOT STUFF: THE GREATEST HITS is a wonderful collection of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' later material, which combined their Texas R&B with a Memphis funk style to create a blend which succeeded in crossing over to rock radio. You should buy this anthology and the first four CDs first to start your Fabulous Thunderbirds collection.