Customer Reviews

Just Pickin

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For my money, this is the best Freddie King available. It is actually a combination of his two all-instrumental lps, "Let's Hide Away and Dance Away" (1961), and "Gives you a Bonanza of Instrumentals"(1965). It contains his classics, "Hideaway","The Stumble", "San-Ho-Zay", the extended raveup "Remington Ride" (based on the bluegrass original!) and many other great tunes. In his playing you can hear the roots of Clapton, Peter Green, Magic Sam,and almost any other blues-based guitarist who came after him. The playing is almost architectural at times, humourous at other times, and, especially in some of the longer instrumentals, monsterously expressive. His music combines qualities of Chicgo and Texas blues with instrumentation that is like surf music and early rock n roll, making for an overall unique sound. Don't miss it!

I was looking for the song "Remington Ride" when I stumbled across this CD last week. My motivation is that I am learning blues guitar (at the tender age of 40-something) and the name Freddie King is one I have been hearing about for some time. Little did I know that I had found a "blueprint" (pardon the pun) for learning the blues. This disk is packed with some of the best blues licks imaginable, starting with the much covered Hideaway. Whether you're a blues purist or a newcomer to Freddie King, like I am, this is one for your collection.

Absolutely stunning collection of Freddie King's two instrumental albums from the early sixties. All the favorites are here (Hideaway, The Stumble, San-Ho-Say, etc.). A cram course for aspiring blues guitarists. In impecable stereo for the first time.

Freddie King's Just Pickin' is the fundamental for any blues guitarist to learn, and cherish. I just came across a copy and was so excited to here his music from both of his instrumental albums. Freddie King was Stevie Ray Vaughan biggest influence he got all of his material from most of this stuff including Hide Away, and Sen-Sa-Shun. Any blues guitarist should pick up this copy right away and learn the best way to expand your notation as a musician this is the very best!!! Im gonna Highly Recomend this one to anybody wanting to here a pure guitar genius, he is one of the greatest!

After I received this CD, for which I paid nearly $40, I discovered that it is in FAKE STEREO...or as the CD proclaims "In True Stereo for the First Time". The booklet goes on to describe a new "audio information/image recovery system developed by Keith Keller". In other words, FAKE STEREO. The thing is, there is absolutely no reason to even think about doing something like this. A great old mono recording 24-bit re-mastering is ALWAYS superior to FAKE STEREO. Beyond the FAKE STEREO, it is great that someone has thought to combine Freddy King's two instrumental LPs, but it would have been nice for them to add his few instrumentals that are not on either LP...particularly "High Rise", which is one of his greatest and is featured on most Freddy King "greatest hits" and "best ofs". It is just too bad that this stuff is not available in mono with nice artwork (like a replica of the "Bonanza of Instrumentals" cover) and perhaps a label that replicates the original Federal 78/45 labels. Well, I guess one can always dream. However, this is really only something to get until the real thing comes along.

The music is awesome; this guy wrote the book on blues instrumentals. Can be enjoyed by anyone who likes the guitar, whether or not they are into the blues. Freddie King was the epitome of taste and technique.

However, the remastering on this album is subpar compared to the material here that has appeared elsewhere (Hideaway: The Best Of Freddie King, for instance), and though the CD proclaims that this is in stereo, it is not.

However, I still commend Modern, whoever they are, for making this available. It has amazingly been in print for almost 20 years

My introduction to this album was in 1962 under the title "Freddy King Goes Surfing"! That was the Federal Records' marketing ploy to sell the album "Let's Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King" to all us surfers. It worked and became my favorite "surf" album of all time. My friend and I wore out 2 copies copping all the great licks on this album.

I wasn't suprised a few years later when several of these classic songs, Hideway and The Stumble, were reprised by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The one song I could never find was Driving Sideways, from "Blues Crusade" with Mick Taylor, which I was convinced was on this elusive LP "Freddy King Gives You a Bonanza of Instrumentals." When I found the "Just Pickin'" CD in 1989, I was very disappoined to discover that the Driving Sideways instrumental was not included.

It wasn't for another decade before I stumbled upon "Freddy King Texas Sensation," a collection of Freddy's Federal/King records, when I discovered the missing song and a new instrumental, High Rise. So if you're looking for all his great instrumentals that's the album, along with this one, that you need! Good hunting.

John

I love Freddie King and as a guitar players he is one of my heroes. This is an all instrumental album that is not from Freddie Kings peak. The guitar work is nice but really does not give King the recognition he deserves for his genius. I order this album, paid $20, and waited for about two months to get it and in all honesty was really disappointed. If your looking for the true genius of Freddie King get his later albums or Smokey Smothers album Back Porch Blues on which Freddie plays lead guitar but does not sing. I don't mean that you should not buy this album if you are a Freddie King fan but if this is your introduction do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

Luke- sorry man you got the wrong King- SRV's "biggest" influence? I think you are talking about Albert King. Nevertheless- Just Pickin' is awesome man...