Customer Reviews

King of the Blues Guitar

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my very first Albert King LP. It was released as the height of the 1960s Blues Mania and so did very well with white listeners. However, the album is really a re-release of several singles and additonal session material that was done at Stax during 1966-1968. The real story is that Atlantic stole the whole Stax catalogue under a clever distribution agreement. This lead eventually to Stax's total demise in the Mid-1970s.

The album is a great overview of King's early period with Stax. Actually, it is a double album- the seminal album "Born Under A Bad Sign", with additonal cuts. All bonus tracks are originally from that Stax classic album-the most influential Black Blues LP of the late sixties.

The tunes include his classics such as "Laundromat Blues" Albert's first Stax release with his soulful double string bends, "Overall Junction" a mono instrumental masterpiece, that unlike Albert Collins or Freddie King tunes has no primary melody "or head". He offers "Born Under A Bad Sign" a tune he recorded in one take as an overdub to the MG's backing track, "I Love Lucy" is a great example of his talking blues abilities (he was one of the best) and the guitar is super raw with superb bends! "Cold Feet" a tune written with drummer Al Jackson, Jr (who also helped him on "Night Stomp" and produced his famous "Live Wire" set) it is a great talking blues with a catalogue of King licks-it was his second highest charting single. "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain and You're Gonna Need Me" are later cuts that were added on the release of the original LP. "Bargain" was a cover a another R&B tune with a great Memphis Horns chart and "Need Me" is a self-penned Albert Classic that became the basis for Otis Rush's "Right Place, Wrong Time".

"Crosscut Saw" is my personal favourite with "Personal Manager" second. Crosscut Saw was an old 1940s tune which was given a rumba beat and still was originally released even though the first tape had been damaged! "Manager" is a great showcase for King's soloing technique. It may even be too much for some people! "The Very Thought of You" and "I Almost Lost My Mind" are great examples of Albert's Big Band Blues roots and his great tenor vocal ability. Many people are thrown by these tunes as not being really blues, but they demonstrate the versatility of this genre.

"The Hunter" is a famous tune that was never a hit for Albert, but was on his Bad Sign LP. Ike and Tina Tuner later recorded it with much success. "Oh Pretty, Woman" is a powerful tune that has been covered many times (Gary Moore, John Mayall) but was never actually a hit for Albert. It was wrtitten by WDIA's A.C. Williams and demonstrates the close link Stax had to Black radio play (Rufus Thomas was also a DJ there!). "As the Years Go Passing By" is one of Albert's best slow blues numbers. The best take of this tune is to be found on the "Hard Bargain" CD released after his death and has many outtakes from this period! No one really knows who wrote the song or where it originally came from. Dedric Malone, another DJ is credited with penning it.

Finally the thrilling instrumental, his first in stereo, "Funk-Shun" contains his famous stop break bending from his original tune "Won't Be Hanging 'Round" (Although this phrase is never actually sung in the tune, a charactersitic he must have learned when he played with Jimmy Reed!). It is great, but too short! This LP is a great overall introduction to the Albert King style of Blues. An essential part of any Blues collection!

This disc is a composite of 2 of Albert King's late 1960s studio albums: "Born Under A Bad Sign" (on Stax), and the Atlantic "King Of The Blues Guitar" LP. So many good tunes here, like "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Oh Pretty Woman", "Kansas City", etc. I wish Atlantic had reissued this with it's original Stax cover art, but that's a minor gripe. One of the best blues guitarists ever, this disc is his complete output for Stax/Atlantic. Don't miss it, it's a classic!!

A physically imposing man, Albert King produced blues of uncommon vitality and power. His sound is well represented in this strong sampling of his work on Stax.

Every blues singer, male or female, living or dead, of any note developed a unique vocal style, and Albert is no exception. His drawl-like phrasings and frequent spoken asides (as on "Cold Feet") place a strong personal stamp on these tunes. My personal vocal favorites are "Landromat Blues," the aforementioned "Cold Feet," the often-recorded "Oh, Pretty Woman," and "You Sure Drive a Hard Bargain."

Then there's "I Love Lucy," his ode to his guitar. While you might be tempted to dismiss it as a copy cat version of B.B. King's "Lucille," don't make that mistake. Naming guitars is a long-time tradition, and Albert's tune is as different from B.B.'s as the two great bluesmen's guitar and vocal styles are. Both men can make their guitars cry, but the sound of tears and laughter come from two different women.

Oddly enough, I downgrade the CD version slightly from the original vinyl -- not enough to change my overall assessment of the release, but the added material could be stronger. Of the six bonus tracks, I consider only the mournful "As the Years Go Passing By" a significant addition to the package. Stax would have been very well advised, I think, to leave off, in particular, "The Very Thought of You," a great tune, obviously, but not one that is up Albert's alley.

Nonetheless, you'll have a great time with "King of the Blues Guitar." Albert will get a lot of argument about that assessment, but there's no question that he's a member of blues royalty.

Agreed - this is some of the best songs I heard Albert play on record. Truly an excellent collection. You'll hear not only Albert's awesome soulful singing but also a LOT of intense blues guitar, which is truly "King". The sound quality leaves more to be desired, but it is acceptable. Material more than makes up for it. I played this record to someone who's never heard Albert King's material before and they were shocked. I'm a fan of Albert King, and this is a valuable disc in my collection.

This is what the "fuss" is all about. If you can only have one Albert King disc (hard to do), THIS IS IT! Incredible tone, crying, wailing guitar, and a voice like black velvet. An all killer - no filler - set of tunes including Oh,Pretty Woman, Crosscut Saw, and Born Under a Bad Sign. This album defines the blues.

"I'm a cross-cut saw, baby drag me across your log."

This is my absolute favorite recording by Albert King. I had the album for years and literally wore it out playing it. I finally got the CD to replace my album and was pleasantly surprised to find it included some additional material not on the LP. Any collection of blues material is not complete without this.

Albert King's "Personal Manager" is one of the best examples of why he was such a genious. The soft, syncopated piano, the delayed introduction of horns, the gradual build of energy in his voice and the blazing guitar lead send chills up my spine. I love this CD.

This is not a compilation, but rather an expanded Atlantic edition of Albert King's Stax LP "Born Under A Bad Sign" from 1967.
"Born Under A Bad Sign" was Albert King at his most inspired, and most influential, too, a blueprint for young white guitarists like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Jimi Hendrix and Joe Walsh. And it's no wonder; it was an immensely strong and unusually varied collection, spanning swaggering R&B, passionate soul-blues, mid-tempo hardcore blues grinds, and smouldering slow numbers.

"King Of The Blues Guitar" brings together all 11 tracks from the original LP, and combines them with six of King's excellent non-LP singles from the same period, everything presented in the order in which it was actually recorded.
The 1966 sides "Overall Junction" and "Funk-Shun" are both instrumentals, and very good ones, too, but both were left off the original "Born Under A Bad Sign". Here they are, though, along with four more late-60s recordings which were cut by King and Booker T & the MGs shortly after the release of the "Bad Sign" LP.
The half-spoken '68 sides "I Love Lucy" and "Cold Feet" aren't really musical heavyweights, but they're good enough, and "You're Gonna Need Me" and "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain" are particularly satisfying, tough blues numbers with a couple of great vocal performances by King. And thsoe horn charts? Perfect!

It must be said that this disc can't quite match the 2001 version of the "Born Under A Bad Sign" CD (the digipack) as far as fidelity is concerned, and the digipack edition is notably louder, which is nice, but the difference is nearly as great as some audiophiles claim, and this
is actually an excellent way to get all of "Born Under A Bad Sign" and an extra handful of early Stax sides at no additional cost!

This is Albert King at his best, some of the finest 60s blues and soul-blues you'll ever hear. Superbly played and exquisitely arranged, and the addition of the six non-LP singles actually make for an even stronger and bluesier set than the original "Born Under A Bad Sign" album.
Highly recommended!

What does it feel like to be an outsider? Like this.
Albert's recorded output could be inconsistent at times, but that's certainly not the case here. Pure unmitigated pain, Memphis electric style. Almost too much for one sitting.

Listen to this and you can hear a lot of where SRV got his style. It's no secret and he's the one who directed me to listen to Albert in an interview I saw with him. Albert wears it out, flying V upside, bendin' the crap out of those strings. He's got chops, feel and soul, not a bad singer either. I wish this CD had his version of "Stormy Monday," but it's a great CD anyway. Enjoy!

Many blues fans have been disappointed because Albert King's classic "Born under a bad sign" album was only available as a high=priced (and now-out-of-print) gold audiophile disc. What many don't realize is that EVERY TRACK from that classic disc is included on this "best of" CD (but in a different order). It even includes a few bonus tracks. If you've longed for the best of Albert King look no further. It's here, baby!