Customer Reviews

Live at Ann Arbor & In Chicago

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the summer of 1969 I had the pleasure of attending the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. It was my privilege to be exposed for the first time in my young life to some of the biggest names in blues. The most memorable moment, however, was a performance by Magic Sam, a relative unknown from the more obscure (in the blues world) west side of Chicago. Sam, backed by bassist Bruce Barlow (later of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen fame) and drummer Sam Lay, who was recruited in the wings just before the set, Magic Sam delivered the tastiest, most high-energy blues licks that I had ever heard. In particular, I Feel So Good (I Wanna Boogie) and Sweet Home Chicago had the crowd, who had formed to see James Cotton perform in the next set, going absolutely nuts. His finale of Looking Good ended with chants of "Sam, Sam, Sam" that went on for what seemed like forever while the roadies attempted to set up for James Cotton. The promoters were forced to allow an encore which was another instance of Looking Good. The crowd was left with the feeling of having witnessed something significant, the birth of a new giant in the blues world.

Sadly, that following winter, Samuel Maghett died at the age of 32.

I have told that story a hundred times and you can imagine my joy to find that there was finally a released recording of that performance. It's crude, and the lead-in stuff from Chicago in the earlier is much less interesting. Still the cuts from Ann Arbor underscore the power of the performance, something you won't find in Sam's studio work. Buy this CD and play cuts 13, 15, 16 and 17 loud. Then play them again. And again.

I'm not kidding, this one is NOT for audiophiles. Considering that these performanced were taped in the 60s using ordinary tape recorders it doesn't excactly come as a surprise, but, really, the sound is awful.

The music is superb, though. Screaming lead guitar and vocals to rival Elmore James (well, almost), and powerful live renditions of some of the best songs in Sam Maghett's repertoire.
He does a riveting version of Fats Domino's "Every Night About This Time", an intense "I Just Got To Know", and a rocking "I'm Tore Down", and he plays some white-hot guitar on the instrumental "Mole's Blues".

The Ann Arbor cuts include a funky take on Freddie King's "San-Ho-Say", the slow blues "Strange Thing Happening" and "All Of Your Love", and Magic Sam's scorching take on Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago".
His guitar playing on this album has to be heard to believed, and I'm not easily impressed...I have too many blues records for that.
If only he had been recorded using some decent equipment. A "real" live recording of this concert would undoubtedly have been one of the all-time great blues records...but he wasn't, so this is all we have.

Still, Magic Sam Maghett plays some fabulous blues guitar on these cuts, even better than his studio waxings, and his vocals are sublime. Serious fans will want to hear this wonderful music in spite of its shortcomings.
3 1/2 stars. This could have been so great...!

A great, great record! For all of us who never had the chance to hear Magic Sam live this is the closest thing to a cure. Great club/on-stage atmosphere. The dialogue between Sam and the customers is worth the price of admission. The real deal: rough, raw, hot, and a lot of fun!

Live at Ann Arbor and In Chicago does not have the greatest sound. This fact would be admitted by anyone. Any concert taped by a tape recorder can only be remastered so much, if at all. So understand that the sound on this recording is not the best.

But when you consider that Magic Sam Maghett was one of the great blues guitarists ever, that he has influenced every generation of blues musicians since his arrival on the scene, and when you remember that when he died in 1969 at the age of 32 with only two recorded albums, you should be willing to give a little to get a whole lot back.

And these recording do give a lot. They show the Magic Sam we know and love from West Side Soul and Black Magic, the skilled guitarist, the compelling, pleading voice, and gifted songwriter. But they also show a Sam Maghett we would encounter only a live show - a master showman who knew how to engage his audience, a performer who might show up to a gig without a guitar or a band, but who could dig up a guitar and a band, and sound as if they had rehearsed for days.

This live recording is a valuable document for all blues and Magic Sam lovers. Don't miss out because of understandable imperfections.

This album is a priceless miracle and we should thank the guys who had the foresight to capture Sam live on tape, especially Peter Kroehler who sadly died young himself. Others have said it but if either of these sets had been professionally recorded they would rank amongst the best live blues albums of all time. The Ann Arbor set is a real stomper and crowd pleaser, all the more amazing in that Sam was sick and had both a borrowed guitar (not unusually for him) and band. There's a fantastic momentum to the songs and the energy rubs off on an initially wary crowd of 10,000 who by the end are whooping and hollering for more. Personally, I love the Alex club sets even more because they capture Sam in his own backyard and at the absolute peak of his powers. The opening song "Every night about this time" is awesome in its intensity, soulfulness and power, Sam's beautiful voice pierces right through you and his elongated guitar solo rips the place up. Listen to this, feel the vibe, imagine what it must have been like to be there in that small, dark, smoky, crowded room and think that it was 1963!! Sam had it all - good looks, a warm and witty personality, a voice to die for, phenomenal guitar chops and supreme showmanship and it's a tragedy that we lost him so young. These recordings, more than his studio ones (though of course I love them too) bring Sam to life and I return to them again and again. They are primitive but they have a wonderful intimacy and haunting power. They are a poignant glimpse of a great lost talent and I can't recommend them highly enough to any fan of soulful blues.

sound quality - not so good. everything else about this disc -excellent. actually the sound makes it sound like getting your hands on a blues album, getting it down to your old turntable, and playing it trying to pick up any thing you can from it. he is definitely magic.

Currently, I'm goin' through the 'Rough Guide to the Blues' matching my own blues collection w/ the recommendations in the book - hoping to refine and add to my current discs; this 'live' disc is a top recommendation - personally, I do not own this CD, but I have had 'West Side Soul' & 'Black Magic' for many years - great albums; thus, I probably will not buy this 'live' compilation but its reputation and the writings of others certainly warrants a higher rating, despite the poor sound, often a 'victim' of these outings.

SO HERE HE IS...MAGIC SAM...LIVE...AS WELL AS NOT LIVING...ANYWAY YOU HAVE HIM HE IS A GREAT MAN OF THE BLUES...SO WHAT IF SOME OF THE TRACKS ARE NOT PRODUCED UP TO THE LEVEL OF OTHER RECORDINGS....THEY ARE THE BLUES....AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS....THE BLUES IS A FEEL...LIKE A BLESSING FROM HEAVEN....BLUES COMING THROUGH MAGIC SAM IS A WONDERFUL THING TO BE AROUND....DIG HIS LIVE TRACKS...IT SAYS IT ALL...RAW ...ROLLICKING...AND REAL...THAT IS WHAT THE BLUES IS ...WAS....AND WILL ALWAYS BE....THANK YOU MAGIC SAM...YOU ARE MUCH MORE THAN MAGIC...YOU ARE A MIRACLE...HOLLYWOOD JOE http://www.hollywoodjoe.com http://www.hollywoodjoe.8m.com hollywoodjoe@usa.com 212-989-6193

Magic Sam was magic.One of the greatest blues talents ever.This was one hell of a show,great guitar and great vocals.The setlist was also very good.The only problem is the sound,it's really bad.Save your money and buy one of his studio albums.I suggest either West side soul or Black magic.You won't be sorry.

magic sam's best live album. the best chicago blues album of all time. together with live woodstock of jimi hendrix, this cd must be added to your collection.