Customer Reviews

Let's Cut It: Very Best of Elmore James

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... this CD affords a good compromise. On it you'll hear some of Elmore's seminal early work, produced by Joe Bihari (the same guy who produced all the early B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf sides), and originally issued on the great Modern label, and its subsidiaries Flair and Meteor. Not every selection is a gem, but who can argue with an album that includes the screaming slide-guitar instrumental "Hawaiian Boogie," "Dark & Dreary," "Goodbye Baby" and one of my favorite jump blues of all time, "My Best Friend" (other -- and better -- takes of "My Best Friend" have been issued under the title "Make My Dreams Come True"). All in all, a lot of important early recordings; good to have if you're into the Blues and you like this truly original guitar giant. But if your gonna have only one Elmore CD (why would you do that?) choose "The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James" (also available here).

Ace Records' 28-track "The Best Of Elmore James - The Early Years" is more comprehensive than this collection, and the true fan will of course want the lavish three-disc box set "The Early Recordings 1951-1956". But this is a really fine sampler, opening with Elmore's shameless re-recording of "Dust My Broom", titled "Dust My Blues", and ending with the sizzling slow blues "Goodbye Baby".

Elmore James is often considered a one-riff boogie king, but that is actually very unfair, as this collection shows. Yes, he (or more likely his producers) wanted to recapture the "Broom" magic by utilizing the same riff on subsequent singles, but James had many more tricks up his sleeve, and "Let's Cut It" is filled with some of the rawest, most intense music he ever made, including a version of "Blues Before Sunrise" which is virtually hard rock, a supremely funky "No Love In My Heart (For You)", and a slow, intense "Sunnyland".

Elmore James and the Broomdusters played tough, hard-rocking electric blues, all howling slide guitar, clanging piano, and J.T. Brown blowing the sax, and Elmore's loud, anguished vocals made him one of the best and most awesome blues singers of the 50s. The many highlights on this disc include "My Best Friend", "Sho' Nuff I Do", "Standing At The Crossroads", the fiery "Canton, Mississippi Breakdown", the swaggering groove of "So Mean To Me", and the soulful "Long Tall Woman". But everything is definitely worth a listen...you won't find better or more powerful electric post-war blues than these smouldering sides.

4 1/2 stars - highly recommended.

When one thinks of the classic blues tune "Dust My Broom" one tends to think of the legendary Robert Johnson who along with his "Sweet Home, Chicago" created two of the signature blues songs of the pre-World War II period. However, my first hearing of "Dust My Broom" was on a hot LP (the old days, right?) version covered and made his own by the artist under review, Elmore James. I have heard many cover versions since then, including from the likes of George Thorogood and Chris Smithers, and they all reflect on the influence of Elmore's amazing slide guitar virtuosity to provide the "heat" necessary to do the song justice. Moreover, this is only the tip of the iceberg as such blues masters and aficionados as B.B. King and The Rolling Stones have covered other parts of James' catalog.

Perhaps because Elmore died relativity young at a time when blues were just being revived in the early 1960's as part of the general trend toward "discovering" roots music by the likes of this reviewer he has been a less well-known member of the blues pantheon. However, for those who know the value of a good slide guitar to add sexiness and sauciness to a blues number James' is a hero. Hell Thorogood built a whole career out of Elmore covers (and also, to be sure, of the late legendary Bo Didderly). I never get tired of hearing these great songs. Moreover, it did not hurt to have the famous Broomdusters backing him up throughout the years. As one would expect of material done in the pre-digital age the sound quality is very dependent on the quality of the studio. But that, to my mind just makes it more authentic.

Well, what did you NEED to listen to here? Obviously,"Dust My Broom". On this CD though you MUST listen to Elmore on "Standing At The Crossroads". Wow, it jumps right out at you. "Sure Enough I Do", "Wild About You Baby" and "Mean and Evil" round out the minimum program here. Listen on.

"Let's Cut It:The Very Best Of Elmore James" is a compilation by Flair Records (the label name was purchased by Virgin Records from the United Kingdom). The CD features James' recordings on the Meteor, Flair, and Modern Records labels from 1952 through 1956. This was the first Elmore James CD that I ever purchased back in the mid-1990s.

It has some great songs, such as "Dust My Blues". The CD starts with some recording session chatter leading into the start of "Dust My Blues", which was recorded in 1955. "Let's Cut It..." jumps back and forth in time with various songs in random order. Some of these songs, such as "So Mean To Me" and "Wild About You Baby", must have been major influences on ZZ Top, because the guitar solos by James sound like the ones that Billy Gibbons plays.

"I Was A Fool" has some great guitar picking on the song by James. When I listen to the song, it makes me want to drink a mug of beer! LOL!!! :-) "Sho' Nuff I Do" is required listening on this CD because it is an Alternate Take of the original recording, with totally different lyrics, and a double guitar solo along with Ike Turner on the take. The song sounds much better than the version on a Rhino Records compilation, because the master tape of the Final Take of "Sho' Nuff I Do" was lost.

Speaking of lost, the 1952 song, "I Believe", is lost. "Let's Cut It..." features a scratchy, badly worn, 78 rpm record of "I Believe" being played on a record player. This is sad, because it is the "rosetta stone" of American Rock music. This is the record that started it all. This is the first, TRUE rock record with an electric guitar solo in it. But because of its historical significance, it is included on this CD.

Flair Records later released a Box Set of Elmore James' Meteor/Flair/Modern recordings, where the music researcher rectified the problem of a bad recording of "I Believe", by sacrificing a "never-played", priceless, virgin copy of a 78 rpm record of "I Believe", recorded by state-of-the-art, noise cancelling equipment. The music researcher also did the same for the flipside recording, "I Held My Baby Last Night" (which is not on the "Let's Cut It..." compilation). The CD finishes out with the song, "Goodbye, Baby", a 1955 recording with a sad, slow tempo, and a doo-wop group singing in the background. A good way to finish out the CD.

With the exception of "I Believe", the sound quality of the CD is excellent. If a listener wants to listen to the best early recordings of Elmore James on one CD, "Let's Cut It:The Very Best Of Elmore James" is the CD that you want to buy. From there, purchase the Elmore James Box Set of his 1950s recordings, then his Box Set of his Early 1960s recordings on the Fire, Fury, and Enjoy labels.