Customer Reviews

Ice Pickin

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The late Albert Collins was one of the very best guitarists America ever produced. His idiosyncrasies probably hurt his recording career, because he didn't fit neatly into a marketable category. He incorporated elements of blues, R&B, rock & had a very funky sound. If you ever heard him play, you would recognize his style within 3 notes, a block away. He tuned his Telecaster to a D-minor open chord & always had a capo halfway up the neck. He used his thumbnail instead of a pick, and didn't really pick, strum or pluck -- he attacked the strings in an incredibly percussive way. His style was so unusual that you might overlook the fact that the guy could flat-out play.

Unless you saw him live. Albert was a showman, and you couldn't take your eyes off him. He had crazy-looking eyes, a perpetually impish look about him, and he was really, really funny. It's a cliche to talk about a guitarist making it sing, scream or cry. Albert made his guitar swear during his nightly diatribes at his woman.

Although there are great tracks on his live efforts, some of the cuts really worked a lot better where you could actually see him. For those who never saw him live, there are three studio CDs that give a good overview of his work.

THe 2-CD Complete Imperial Recordings set is a revelation to those who are only familiar with Albert's work after his Alligator releases finally raised his profile in the late 70's. Not yet the pyrotechnic showman, this compilation of 3 60's albums shows a surprising kinship with the solid, fundamental funk of the Meters. At times, he sounds like he was from New Orleans, not Texas. Understated, soulful, classy and as always, cool. Most cuts are the Albert Collins equivalent of lean, powerful Booker T & the MGs instrumental workouts. The 36 songs are good enough to stand on their own, and he didn't try to overpower anyone with his technical prowess.

Like a number of unjustly neglected blues acts, Albert got a boost from Alligator Records in the 70's. His breakthrough came with 1978's Ice Pickin.' It features two of the live-wire instrumentals he was famous for ("Ice Pick," "Avalanche") and a generous helping of his world-weary grievances with women, including the classic "Conversation With Collins" (more fun live, but still fun on disc) where his guitar not only spouts obscenities, it takes on the multiple roles of a complaining husband, and a wife both seductive & defiant. Some shuffles, a couple slow burners.

In 1991, Albert served up Iceman, practically a straight-up funk revue. If you play it for people who aren't familiar with electric blues, they'll adamantly deny that it is blues at all. Well, it is & it isn't. Albert is backed by the fullest band sound he ever had, with a full 4-man horn section, bass, organ & keyboards (yes, 2 different guys), plenty of rhythm guitarists, a solid rock-steady drummer, and 2 female background singers cooing "Mr. Collins, Mr. Collins!" on the tracks that start & end the CD.

All three come highly recommended.

When people refer to the late Albert Collins as the "Master of the Telecaster", it's for a good reason. The Texas bluesman was known for the unique, instantly recognizable sound he wrung out of his guitar. Playing a specially tuned Fender Telecaster with his bare fingers instead of a pick, Albert got a sound that was dynamic and powerful, yet never lacking in soul. He could shake the walls playing a driving shuffle or send chills up your spine with a gut wrenching slow blues. His backup band, the Icebreakers, always provided exceptionally tight accompaniment. Until his untimely death of lung cancer in 1993, Albert was one of the most in demand performers on the contemporary blues scene.

"Ice Pickin'" is Albert Collins' first recording for Alligator records, and finds Albert and his band in fine form. The CD kicks off with the up-tempo shuffle "Honey Hush", a showcase for Albert's guitar and wry vocals. The band slips into a low-down groove for the powerful slow blues "When the Welfare Turns its Back on You." On this tune Albert shares solo space with Chicago sax man AC Reed, and is backed by a soulful horn section. The horns return in the next track, a funky instrumental groove called "Ice Pick." "Cold, Cold Feeling" is a mournful minor key blues that gives Albert plenty of room to stretch out on guitar, and showcases some of his most soulful singing. "Master Charge" is a modern day blues classic, featuring a funky rhythm section and tongue in cheek lyrics about the dangers of credit card debt. "Conversation With Collins" displays a similar tongue in cheek attitude, as Albert tells amusing tales of his domestic life with musical accompaniment. The disc concludes with the driving instrumental shuffle "Avalanche", another showcase for Albert's no-holds-barred guitar playing.

With its spectacular guitar work, tight rhythm section and soulful horn arrangements, "Ice Pickin'" is a contemporary blues masterpiece. After listening to this CD, you just may find yourself wanting to hear more of the Master of the Telecaster at work. "Frostbite", "Live in Japan", and "Showdown" (with Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray) were all recorded for the Alligator label, and feature Albert at his best.

Albert Collins was one of the most unique blues pickers to grace the stage. Tuning his guitar to alternate tunings and using a capo, he would walk around the bar with his 100-foot cord wandering into the bathrooms, out on the street, around the bar playing the blues all the while. He mixes his blues up playing soft, slow blues, and powerful instrumentals. Sometimes his topics are serious, other times his humor comes through. Collins was quite the entertainer.

Although "Ice Pickin'" is a short album, it is jammed with the blues over eight tracks. In such a short amount of time, Collins covers a lot of ground. From his upbeat "Honey, Hush!" to making his guitar talk the argument between him and his wife on "Conversation with Collins" it is nothing but enjoyable. He shines with instrumentals like "Ice Pick" and "Avalanche". His phrasing is like talking. Never to many words, and he can get his point across with hardly any effort. Humor shows through in "Too Tired", where he's too tired to stand after sitting on a pin, and "Master Charge". He also gets heavy on "When the Welfare Turns Its Back On You" and "Cold, Cold Feeling".

A definite master of the guitar, and the blues. He has entertained many a people over his life. As he said in the movie "Adventures In Babysitting" - No one leaves until they sing the blues. He sure did.

I miss the Iceman. He was as funny as he was a serious musician. His sound was telicious.

I like this CD, but for a true blues fan I recommend "Alive and Cool" more than this. On "Alive and Cool" you will find Mr.Collins' telecaster crying.

Prior to the release of this CD in 1978, Albert Collins had not recorded since 1975. This three year hiatus was due to some disappointing results with his prior, and sometimes obscure, recordings with Imperial records and Blue Thumb. But that all changed when he signed with Bruce Iglauer and Dick Shurman of Alligator records. From that point on, Albert began his quest to become the consummate showman and premier bluesman. The rest, as they say, is history. On this CD, Collins is joined by Icebreakers, AC Reed on sax, Casey Jones on Drums, Aron Burton on bass and Allen Batts on keyboard. There is plenty of guitar solo's that are, well, down right chilling and the sax of Reed is sensational. While Albert would later develop a knack for some excellent and sometimes witty lyrics, here is best stuff is material written by others such as the slow burner "Cold, Cold Feeling", or the funky "Honey Hush". Hints of what would come later are contained in Collin's "Master Charge". Sit back, turn it up and enjoy it. You just don't find stuff like this anymore.

This is the best ALbert Collins CD you can buy. The guitar playing is amazingly wild. Its one of the great blues albums ever, it certainly has the feeling of a great live seesion in the studio. All the different styles of blues that MR collins played are well represented here: shuffles, slow blues, minor blues, fast sinstrumentals, etc. More satisfying than any compilation. Warning: you'll want more after this.

I absolutely love AC and think he's by far the most neglected of the electric bluesmen. Sure, he gets mentioned, but his truly unique approach and completely personal sound sets him far apart from all of the other masters.

I really enjoy his jumpin' 60s instrumentals, but even those couldn't prepare one for the onslaught of funky power and unequalled humor here. Not many musicans ever played this well yet took things with this much bonhomie. Collins' distinct sound came from capoing his Tele at the 9th fret to give him a C# minor 6th tonality, along with his wild all-fingers attack on the strings, a thoroughly unique marriage. Such amazing tone! No nickname is more apt, though the Iceman also has moments of deep warmth.

This, his first album for Bruce Iglauer's wonderful Alligator records (take a bow, Bruce, for bringing so many masters back to the spotlight), is still to my ears Albert's best. The sound is superb, the vibe completely relaxed yet grooving like mad, and it features his best band. There's not a weak cut here, and the best of them are classics. The slow blues Cold Cold Feeling shows him laying out and making it happen; he had the goods. I particularly love the two that are about Albert's wife, Master Charge and Conversations. These are just flat out hilarious, as well as featuring some really sweet pickin'. Conversation has some fine licks and along with Ice Pick ups the already solid funk quotient here. Collins was in fact a funk master as well as a blues master, as his 1991 release Iceman shows quite clearly.

I had the tremendous good fortune to see him live in 1982 at a small blues club, with this same band. A friend took me to see the opener, John Hammond, and got there way early to get us the very best seat, a table right in front of center stage. Hammond was excellent and I thought, well, not much will top that. Ho ho ho! Collins came out with that grin, plugged in, and from that first stinging note my mouth just dropped open. It was a tiny stage and they were all jammed onto it, with the very tall A.C. Reed taking up the most room. Man, could he blow that horn. (He is also very happenin' on Ice Pickin').

But the real revelation, in the true sense of the word, was Collins. I was about eight feet dead in front of his amp, and my ears will never be the same. That TONE! Never heard anything like it before or since, and I've seen almost every blues great who was around from 1980 on. Insanely stinging yet always musical, and so in the groove. He absolutely led the band and the room, large and in charge, and the boys were with him every step of the way. Funky as hell and clear as a bell. We sat literally at Albert's feet and were treated to two hours of some of the best music I've ever heard, of any genre. He was also hilarious and had about as much fun on stage as is legal. His singing was excellent, as on this record, and though his range is limited he conveyed all the emotion he needed to, with a wry sense of timing that was all his own. What I wouldn't give to go back to that night. I saw him a few times after, but he never matched that performance. Not many men could.

Ice Pickin' shows exactly how relaxed yet aggressive Collins could be, and features nothing but good tunes, nary a clunker to be found, a rare thing for a blues lp. It's still one of my favorite blues albums and gets played often. It always gets me rockin' and makes me smile. Hard to ask more than that.

Albert Collins. They only made one.

I miss the Iceman. He was as funny as he was a serious musician. His sound was telicious.

Ice Pickin' is far and away the most enjoyable blues disc in my collection. Albert Collins brings an attitude and sense of humor to this record that I have not heard in any other blues recording.

The subject matter is all too familiar for a blues record: woman trouble, money trouble and just plain trouble. However, in songs like "Master Charge" Albert sits back and says, you just gotta laugh.

The guitar work is central to each track, with Albert letting his fingers tell the finer points of each story. The highlight of the record is the hilarious, "Conversations with Collins," where Albert tells the guys what happens when he decides to be a nice husband and let his wife have a night out on the town.

Great Blues and Great Fun.