Customer Reviews

Joy & Pain

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

 

 

Sam McClain is a blues singer aka rthym n' blues. Sam started his career towards the end of the soul era but has continued performing and is one of those excellent blues vocalists playing small clubs (in Sam's case, mostly around Boston). "Joy & Pain" was recorded live in Germany in 1997. McClain has surrounded himself with a great band and the songs are all first rate. If you like the late Otis Redding or Bobby Blue Bland then you will truly enjoy Mighty Sam McClain and his great band.

This is one of my favorites (a classic) the more you listen the better it gets. The band is as tight as it get's, very strong as you listen you wait for a bad tune there is not one. The guitar is excellent as for the horns, which I am not real big on can't be matched. The vocals are awesome I can't get enough of this one. I have over 1,000 blues cd's and this is a real stand out. I have 8 of his cd's this is my favorite, just buy it you will be amazed. Also it is over an hour of pure heavy rocking blues live in Germany.

I have a buddy who plays on the road with MSM, so I purchased this as a starting point. The CD is well produced the band sounds tight and up front. My beef is with the re-recording. Who ever used the original master grabbed a copy that had a SCRAAAAAAAATCH right in the middle of MSMs cover of the Doobie's "LONG TRAIN RUNNING". You know the kind you used to have on a turn table? This is a shame, as a novice to his music, that song was one I could relate to, and wanted to show case to sell others on Sam's mighty voice.

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I don't enjoy folks that write how the CD did not play and all that when they received their disc but in this case I have to warn you MSM's engineer missed the boat here.

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It is a 4 star performance, intimate and exciting. I wish they had put as much time into mastering the tape as they did in performing.