Rough Guide to Chicago Blues

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: World Music Network
• ASIN: B0000AQORL
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,750 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #62 in Music > Blues > Harmonica Blues
  • #67 in Music > Blues > Jump Blues

Track Listings

1. Sweet Old Chicago - Roosevelt Sykes

2. Dust My Broom - Elmore James

3. Strange Feeling - Nolan Struck

4. It Must Have Been The Devil - Otis Spann

5. I Got Rambling On My Mind #2 - Otis Spann

6. Murderin' Blues - Robert Nighthawk

7. This Is The End - Buddy Guy

8. Worried Life Blues - Billy Boy Arnold

9. Come On In This House - Junior Wells

10. Three Harp Boogie - Billy Boy Arnold

11. Ain't Got Nobody - Hound Dog Taylor

12. Bad Avenue - Valerie Wellington

13. Walkin' Blues - Muddy Waters

14. What In The World You Goin' To Do - John Littlejohn

15. Money (That's What I Want) - John Lee Hooker

16. If I Should Have Bad Luck - Charlie Musselwhite

17. Never Trust A Man - Koko Taylor

18. Sugar Baby - Eddie 'The Chief' Clearwater

19. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Part 2) - Little Walter

20. I Can't Quit You Baby - Otis Rush

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Born In The Bars And Clubs Of The Ghetto, A New Blues:", November 10, 2007

By 

AvidOldiesCollector (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rough Guide to Chicago Blues (Audio CD)

The caption is the opening line from the eight pages of liner notes written by Robin Wise, and it concludes with "Chicago Blues ... a virile and proud new genre." And what you get here from the British-based World Music Network are 21 representative tunes of that form of the Blues, performed by its most famous artists.

The sound quality is excellent, and while I also assign 4 stars rather than the maximum 5, it isn't for the same reason as stated by another reviewer, i.e., the abrupt endings/fading early. That, where it happens, is most likely a result of the original recordings, but even so it isn't distracting to any great degree.

Rather, I deducted 1 star for the simple reason that the liner notes, while telling you the name of the original album from which each selection was culled, only hints at the year of the recording in most cases, and in some doesn't even do that. I suppose, given the album names, one could research the Web and try and determine when the albums were cut, but that's something the producer, Phil Stanton, should have done. Even then, knowing when the album was recorded doesn't necessarily tell you if the track concerned was actually recorded at that time, as it wasn't uncommon to throw in much earlier cuts here and there.

And if it's R&B hits you're seeking, I can tell you that the only track here that was an original hit single is I Can't Quit You Baby by Otis Rush. Indeed, a # 6 R&B in late 1956 on Cobra 5000, and written by Willie Dixon, it was the only charter for this Mississippi-born singer/guitarist. "Dust My Broom" was, of course, a hit for Elmore James (billed then to Elmo James) in 1952 on the Trumpet label, but this version was, according to the notes, recorded for Arhoolie Records "in the 1960's."

If you like the Chicago Blues style you will certainly enjoy this CD.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 76:12 of chicago blues-, September 29, 2007

By 

chetbakerfan "davdmock" (Metro-Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rough Guide to Chicago Blues (Audio CD)

-that's more than enough to get you through a full slab and your choice of sides (as my friends and i did just this evening!). rough guide generally does exemplary work, and the only reason i'm not giving them 5 stars here is the fact that some songs fade out way early, or simply cut off abruptly. even with this, you've got a collection of pretty much every great chicago blues musician, and the feel of a night on the town. bring me another slab- i'll work it off later!