Customer Reviews

King of the Blues

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B. B. King has over 200 albums on the market today, ten of which are labeled "Best of" or "Greatest Hits". With that much music to pick from it sure his hard to find the right ones to purchase. This box set of CDs is one of the best places to start your King collection. It includes four disks with over 75 tracks. The really nice thing about this box set is that each CD has King's hits from different points in time. CD 1 from 1949 to 1966, CD 2 from 1966 to 1969, CD 3 from 1969 to 1975, and CD 4 from 1975 to 1991. The set also includes a very nice 73-page book all about the life and times of this great Blues artist.

B.B. King is the greatest blues guitarist ever. He's not as clever as T-Bone Walker; he can't play rhythm at all. He's not a wizard like Jimi Hendrix was. He's utterly original, though, and has been to the summit more often than anyone else.

What's surprising about B.B. King is how he brightens up any genre he steps into, whether it's lowdown or uptown or big band or radio-friendly soul. He plays with anybody and everybody with consistently wonderful results. Can't recommend this set enough!

I just bought this box set last week and have been enjoying it like no tomorrow. I have many records of the top Blues singers going back to Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith, but I do believe that this is the best "complete" set on one artist! Man can them songs take you back. If I knew that this collection was this good I would of bought it years ago when it first came out (1992). No matter what your Budget is ,if you are really into the Blues you should buy this set - even if it means eating half lunches for a week or two, you won't be sorry. After hearing these tunes "The Thrill is Back"!

BB King ranks at the top of blues music and belongs in company with some of the greatest blues artists of all time (i.e. Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, etc). His contributions cannot be overstated. This boxed set, "King of The Blues", is a masterful collection of his best works whether obscure or well known. This is a must own for any fan of blues, jazz or music in general and covers King's contributions from 1949-1991. The thrill is definitely NOT gone.

BB King is an amazing artist and this box set is a must for whoever can get their hands on it. Now I know where the title Lucille came from for his guitar, which he so eloquently describes for us in the song, just great storytelling. The second disc is simply awesome with a great start with "Going Down Slow," an extremely well done live performance! You can completely imagine exactly what BB is talking about thinking about a young man coming up to Chicago and blowing all of his hard earned money on a good time, and being abandoned by all his "friends" when the money runs out. BB knows the blues, and he sings like he was right next to you during the hardest of those times, and somehow you don't feel so all alone and your problems don't seem as miserable. I can't imagine a more talented performer, he really captures your whole undivided attention. There are simply too many highlights to name, but get this set and find out a great artists' work! And this box set doesn't just take it slow, there are rockers (She's Dynamite), jazzy ballads (try "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"), smokey blues, blazing guitar, cool guitar, the whole gamut. This is entertainment as fine as can be found. Take your time with this set and really get to know it, you'll be really glad you did.

B B King is the number one Blues artist. This set proves that. Although it doesn't even scratch the surface of his recording career, it does a good job of introducing King to the person looking to get started with a collection of his music. The more familiar fan will also like the selection of songs provided. The cut with U2 from their Rattle And Hum album is also very good. There is not a bad song on here. The only question is when will there be a second box set so that we can enjoy more of his music in one nice set? The booklet is also good and informative.

I was on the line of whether I just liked B.B. or really liked B.B. After I bought this box set I upgraded to loving B.B. This is one of the greatest collections of tunes I have ever heard. Muddy is still the king of blues in my book but B.B. definitely deserves to wear a crown too.

All fans of the blues have their favorite guitar players:Johnny Lee Hooker, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, and the list goes on. But for me B.B. has always been the "King." His distinctive style of playing "Lucille," his masterful grasp of the slow blues and his blistering attck on the fast numbers, and his wonderfully expressive vocals make for one of the most complete artists ever to play music of any kind. This collection, starting from his earliest recordings in 1949 to a few cuts from 1991, is a wonderful way to get a true understanding of the incredible brilliance of this man. Pardon my gushing here, but B.B. King is one of America's true treasures and this box set should be part of any music lover's collection.

This collection of tracks covers B.B.'s career from 1949 to 1991 and contains 77 classic recordings with many rarities and 7 previously unreleased performances.

Having been a B.B. King Fan for over 30 years I was pleased to find that many of the tracks on this 4 CD set are currently unavailable in this format - as such, it is as much a worthwhile purchase for established fans as it is an essential one for the first time buyer.

The "bookset" style box has been lovingly put together with the authorisation of B.B. himself and has 70 pages of high quality rare photgraphs as well as reflections from the "Chairman of the Board" himself.

The audio quality on all 4 discs is simply stunning and supercedes many of the previous MCA album remasters from the mid 1990's.

In short,this set is thoroughly recommended without reservation - so go on,treat yourself!

When it comes to the blues, almost no one has mastered it better than B.B. King. He is truly a legend in the music business. His guitar playing skills are comparable to but a few (and those few were heavily influenced by him), his voice is one of the most distinct and powerful in music, and his career spans almost 60 years. How many other artists can boast not only having that longevity, but also still being able to thrive even as they hit their 80s'.

The 77 songs on the aptly titled "King Of The Blues" boxed set are astonishing. Every classic B.B. song is available, from his early recordings spanning all the way back to 1949 all the way up to 1991. That's 42 years of some of the finest blues and R & B ever recorded. The sound quality is highly commendable, and the liner notes are exceptional. This is a boxed set that belongs in everyone's record collection.