Customer Reviews

Harp Attack!

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

 

 

By the time I purchased this album I had already been playing harp for a few months, had heard several good recordings and was preparing to attend my first jam. This album forever altered my perspective. The harmonica here is 100% pure talent. This is the album the solidified my relationship with Blues Harp. The playing on this is simply stellar, and the choice of players offer a diverse approach to style, from Cotton's ferocious, high energy playing to Wells' more soulful, precise wails. Every song here offers something, from the blues party style of Down Home Blues to the mornful tones of Black Night. What really makes this album happen, though, is the obvious enjoyment these guys get from playing together (demonstrated well in My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble). If Junior Wells hadn't passed away I would say a follow up from this group was in order. But as long as I have this masterpiece, I'll be happy. If you like Blues Harp, GET THIS!

Harp Attack features 4 harp masters performing 11 songs for over 50 minutes of fabulous harp drenched blues. The disc also features an all star backing band featuring Lucky Peterson ("Double Dealin'") on piano, Michael Coleman ("Do Your Thing!") on guitar, Johnny B. Gayden on Bass and Ray "Killer" Allison on drums. Gayden and Allison are stalwarts of the blues and have backed up the likes of Johnny Winter, Son Seal, Larry McCray, Dave Hole, Buddy Guy and Don Griffin. The CD does an excellent job of maintaining cohesiveness, highlighting and then blending the various styles and vocals of these individuals without elevating the songs to jam status. While the disc does not break new ground, there is a lot of fun here.

This is the Cd that hooked me on blues harp - had it over 3 years now and it still is one of the best. Four of the greatest having what was obviously a great time playing. A must have if you like the true low down harp music.

I can't imagine a better album demonstrating the power of electric blues in general or the force of the harp in particular. If there is such a thing as a perfect blues disc, this is it. Not only do the players reveal their awesome musical chops, but they let a bit of their stage personalities come through also.

This is an incredible set of songs that has stood the test of time. Tonight I was listening to "Black Night" and was transported back to the first time I heard this album, a few years after it was released back in 1990. The version of "Black Night" on this CD is the best I've ever heard.

When I read a couple of the reviews that said this was a less-than-stellar collection of songs, I was shocked. I could listen to these songs over and over again and never get tired of them.... as I have for nearly 20 years.

Whoa. If you can't say something nice online about a collection like this, why do you say anything at ALL?

Signed,

White Boy Who Borrowed the Blues

If you don't have this CD already and you're a harp player, you need to get it right now. This CD is not only well mastered, mixed, and with great fidelity, but has some absolutely fantastic playing by four harp legends all on one CD. Unlike most CD's featuring soloists, the backup band on this CD is not horribly boring (see Riding With The King), in fact, it's actually very good and listening to this CD is just great fun from start to finish. Buy a copy, stick it in your car, and crank it!

I bought this CD because of the great song "My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble".
The rest of the songs is pretty good too. If you like the blues, you can check this CD out. If you like the harmonica, this album, like Charlie Musselwhite's album Delta Harware, is a must-have.

I heard the cut (#6) "Broke and Hungry" by way of the car stereo a few months back. I knew right then I had to have the CD. "Broke and Hungry" is still my favorite cut on the album, but others have pleased me too. If I were to nit pick about the album, it would be that there still isn't enough harmonica in there.

Wow, what a great collection of players on one CD. I bought this as a new harmonica player looking for a compilation type CD and was presently surprised to hear awesome harmonica playing and some great tunes without players stepping all over one another as might have easily happened when the best of any instrument come together and start showing off. What you won't hear is any of the regular classic by the oldie greats but rather a new collection of songs debuting just good old harmonica blues tunes and a very listenable bunch of songs, well arranged and masterfully performed by the best blues harp players of the Chicago style in their day.

It must've looked great on paper. This Grammy-award-winning album has an unbeatable roster, but somehow the elements don't gel. I think it's just too sloppy a mix - the originals of these songs have much more to offer. Still, you gotta love Cotton's 8-minute tortured version of "Black Night" (which, for my money, tops Charles Brown's) or the four of them rapping about big-legged women on "My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble." I grew less fond of this album with time, but it's still good for a little smile.