Customer Reviews

Rockin' Wild in Chicago

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

 

 

I assume you already love West Side Soul and Black Magic, or you wouldn't be reading this far along in the reviews. Don't let the sound quality turn you off, this is classic, beautiful Sam at his best; some phenomenal talent and showmanship that you're obviously not going to get anywhere else. Here you can enjoy listening to what so many others learned from him (and what he learned from the great guitarists of his time). The live takes are priceless; the ladies are screaming to get up on stage and touch this magic man and his guitar. The recording at the Copa (tracks 1-8) sounds like an old mono deck set in the middle of a gym. Delmark did a service to the listener in putting better and better sounding recordings as you get deeper into this CD. I've got Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens recordings that sound a lot worse and I still love them (not to mention Robert Johnson's for crying out loud). If you love 60's blues guitar, and if your a fan of anything played by Freddie King, Albert Collins, Robert Nighthawk, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Luther Allison et al, trust me, you're going to love adding this Magic Sam recording to your collection. In these performances, you also get a taste of sax players Eddie Shaw and A.C. Reed, and others performers "back in the day".

This CD was recorded, non professionally, at three separate dates in early to mid 60's Chicago. The energy level on this CD is not quite as high as on Magic Sam Live, but it is still a first rate blues release and a must buy for any serious blues fan. On two of the dates, Sam is just playing with a three piece band and it is very interesting to hear how the rhythm section fills out the sound. As usual, Sam's singing is full of emotion and his playing is full of fire and is very skilled. It is amazing to think that this was recorded before the British invasion and before Bloomfield and Butterfield formed their band. Sam's playing was so far ahead of the rockers and you can see where Bloomfield learned his craft. One of the the three sessions was recorded with a full band including Eddie Shaw on sax and with piano. One huge treat is the live version of "I Found a New Love." This tune is on Sam's West Side Soul and the live version is just as good. This is one of my alltime favorite tunes and hearing it recorded live, in a small club, is truly an amazing thing. For my money, this tune epitomizes the west side sound. Another highlight is Sam's treatment of Mojo. If you are a Magic Sam fan, you must buy this CD immediately. If you are a blues fan, but not hip to Sam, you got to start buying his material. Blues is supposed to be played like this - in a smokey bar, through low wattage amps cranked, with a howling audience and a band playing at the brink of destruction, with a vocalist who will make you cry.

I don't know how anybody can give five stars for this album. The sound quality for the first eight songs is really bad. Far worse than usual delmark live records from the 60s and 70s. The second half is about the same sound as comparable CDs by Jimmy Dawkins or Otis Rush, but still a little worse.
This makes it impossible to enjoy the first half of the CD, while the second half is allright. If you're a completist, you'll go for this one, otherwise, I think there are better albums to enjoy Magic Sam's wild West Side Blues

I first bought Magic Sam's record in 1984. It was the "Live at Ann Arbor & In Chicago" album and I was 18 years old, only in my 5th year of playing guitar. I definitely hadn't seen him perform live so I can't make any comparison. But I never had any complains about the sound quality with that album and neither with this one. For crying out loud, we're talking about blues music in the '60 folks. To those who complain about the poor sound quality, I'd like to suggest listening to the Rolling Stones' first live album from 1966. And I'm not just saying it's because of the screaming. Even a band like the Stones becoming #1 at the charts competing with the Beatles in those days, couldn't have released a live record with better sound quality.

Before purchasing this CD from amazon, I read all the reviews. But when I actually palyed the CD I had forgotten which tracks were the "terrible" ones. After listening to the first track I thought it was going to get worse. But it didn't at all.

This is another very important sound source of a great legend who had to pass away before seeing today's technology. I'd rather appreciate it and savor every moment to actually try and capture how it must have been if I were there in front of him myself.

I don't remember in which of the two live albums' reviews it was, but someone wrote that people should listen to the studio albums. But why ? Why miss out all the raw excitement of live performance ? All that power and energy that you can actually feel from Magic Sam's live records (CDs) is a true Blues experience outside the live joints downtown. Just close your eyes and feel it. I myself rarely listen to his studio stuff.

Someone also wrote that the "Magic" was gone by this time and Sam is doing the same thing over and over again. What's wrong with that ? It was his style of the moment which we should appreciate to actually have this chance to experience.

Maybe today's high technology is spoiling us in a way. But all the noise you hear from the CD, is also part of this recording. I at least, can feel the air. And you can too because it's not so hard. For those who complain but still have this CD, just get used to it. It's worth it.

sound quality - not up to today's standards. it makes one think of turning up the stereo and putting the album on the turntable, and hearing those first crackles and pops of something special. don't worry about the sound quality, the tracks themselves are killer, absolutely killer. magic sam is incredible on the guitar. legendary.

I have been playing blues for a long time in the same style of Magic Sam, I was even compared to Magic Sam once. I have just about every artist on CD, but hearing Magic Sam live just sends chills down my spine. I have never heard anything like this! This blows away his clean cut albums "West Side Soul" and "Black Magic". Since Robert Johnson I have yet to hear anything so impassioned as Magic Sam on "Live In Anarbor" and this album. This doesn't exist anymore, everyone is copying now!! It is sad that the only reason great albums like this exposing the hot Chicago music scene at the time exist now only because he died so young. Wish "Just a Little Bit" this type of music was avalable from that time when the live scene was hot in Chi town in the 60's. Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Lonnie Brooks...

In very very tiny print on the back of the jewel case is printed the note: "the sound quality of these recordings is not equal to today's standards". Well the sound quality is not equal to the standards of an "day". They are fair to very poor, bootleg quality audience recordings at best. Most likely recorded on sub-cassette quality equipment. True they have "archival" value, but only for the extremely dedicated blues fanatic. Anyone not steeped in the blues up to their earlobes will have an extremely difficult time even getting thru the first few tracks. I am a blues fanatic, but I also still possess most of my hearing in all the frequency ranges. Hence, I am just being brutally honest.
Yes, Magic Sam was a guitar legend, taken from the blues world way, way to early. But these tapes should have never seen commerical release. The only reason for the two star rating is I could never rate anything by Magic Sam with just one star. Anyone looking to enjoy the brilliance of Magic Sam's playing for the first time should enter "West Side Soul" or "Chicago Boss Guitars" in the search box. For anyone who clicks the "no" button and purchases this...don't say I didn't warn you.
By the way....based on my reviews current "helpful" vote total, it looks like someone from Delmark is reading the reviews.