Customer Reviews

Showdown

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's nothing short of awesome to hear these three guitar greats come together. Albert Collins was one of the BEST blues guitarists in the world. Any recording which features him is going to be worthwhile. Robert Cray is very good too and has a wonderful voice. Johnny Copeland contributes some nice vocals and guitar licks, but I'm not as familiar with him as I am Albert and Robert. There are only two downsides to this wonderful CD. First, the sound quality isn't as good as it could be. It definitely sounds its age. I know that Alligator is not a huge record label, but it would be nice if they could remaster and rerelease some of their titles such as this one. Second drawback is that the album is too short! It's so good that you don't want it to end. It's not much longer than half an hour. But it is good stuff. If you like guitar-based blues, BUY this CD!

Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland were two of the pioneers of Texas blues, and major influences to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. These two guys work their magic on this CD, and bring on a young bluesman named Robert Cray. These guys just seem to have fun with this CD, never trying to outdo each other. Great riffs in the leadoff track "T-Bone Shuffle", harmonica on "Bring Your Fine Self Home", lyrics in "Black Cat Bone" (hear Johnny Copeland yelling "Hey Albert!") and the last track "Blackjack" where each does a tremendous guitar solo. Cray, of course, is now a major talent in his own right, and Johnny Copeland lives on in a way in his daughter Shemekia Copeland's music, but here is a playful, low-key yet powerful, piece of work from some of the masters of electric blues. Highly recommended for serious blues fans.

One word, EMOTION, just listen to Blackjack I felt what Albert was trying to say. All other tracks on this CD are a diverse showing of each guitarist's talents. I've had it for years & I still crank it now & then. This is the real deal.

A great CD by 3 blues-giants, this album won a Grammy for the best blues album. Albert Collins had been brought to the very top of contemporary blues through his recordings for the Alligator-label, while Johnny Copeland hadn't quite received the response his talent deserved. Robert Cray was perhaps an odd choice for this group, for when this album was recorded in 1985, he wasn't really the big name he was to become a mere year later. But an inspired choice it turned out to be ! The tunes have been carefully picked to bring out the vast talent these men had. The 3 men take turns playing a solo and singing the vocals. As all 3 have a distinct style, both when it comes to singing as when it comes to playing the guitar, this is a well-varied album, which fans of modern Texas blues should really love !

For casual blues fans who feel a little of this style of music goes a long way, this grammy winner is definitely worth your money. In fact, this is probably one of 10 cds that anyone remotely interested in the blues should have. It's a great example of modern-era blues. Production quality is high. C C & C definitely bring their A-game. It has enough grit to feel real without all the bad phonics associated with older artists; on the other hand, it's not polished, slick and soul-less, the way so much modern-era, dare i say, formulaic blues tracks can sound (especially to us casual blues fans).

I've been listening to this effort for over a decade and it still sounds good. It's hard to imagine that these guys hadn't worked together for years. Many collaborative efforts come off as contrived. This comes off smooth and natural. The combination of Collins' guitar and Cray's voice on "The Dream" is spine-tingling. "Black Cat Bone" is another favorite.

I cant believe I didnt have this in my collection before now. Every song is very good. This is a true gem with 3 greats together.

I cut out and kept a magazine review of Showdown! for about 6 years before I finally picked it up. To (loosely) quote the reviewer, "Whoever got these three guys together in the same studio, at the same time, deserves a goddam medal."
Right on.

Showdown is one of the top two or three blues guitar collaborations of all time. Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray, all on one record? Unbelievable. But that's what happened, and the result was magic.

All three get a chance to show their chops, and all three were on top of their blues guitar game recording this record. The energy, skill, and unbridled joy at performing with talented musicians always brings the best out from other talented musicians. Every cut is excellent.

It's a shame that Showdown could have been repeated more often than twice. Both Collins and Copeland are gone, leaving Cray to find other blues greats to jam with, but we will always have Showdown to remember when.

Man this is one great blues guitar album! It may be listed under Albert Collins, but this is a true collaboration. Robert Cray really shines here and is much bluesier then you will find him on his own albums. All three share in the vocal duties and the guitar solos. No one plays over each other - it's a great collaboration that results in a great album. Just listen to the first cut and you will get a good taste of what is in store. Buy it and enjoy.