Customer Reviews

Singing The Blues - The Blues

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B.B. King's first tracks were cut for Bullet Records in 1949, but he cut his first two albums for the RPM/Kent label. These two albums contain classic songs like "Three O'Clock Blues," "You Know I Love You," "Woke Up This Morning," "Please Love Me" and "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer." The box set King of the Blues contains only three of these songs. If you're looking for a more complete introduction to the formative years of one of the greatest living bluesmen, this is the album to get. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm a bit wary of people who consider the Beale Street Blues Boy "the king of blues". I have this idea that the king of blues wouldn't record so many pop songs, or make unintentionally funny recordings like "Love Me Tender".

But when Riley B. "Blues Boy" King does play the genuine blues, he plays them very, very well. These two albums, which are brought together on one CD, were originally released in 1956 and 1960 respectively, and they still stand proudly as B.B. King's best and bluesiest. The arrangements are smooth and elegant, frequently displaying a hint of jazz, and King is backed by a well-arranged horn section in true Memphis blues fashion.

Most of King's early top 10 hits came from these two albums, and this is the fluid guitar work that has influenced so many players (the man can't play a chord to save his life, but he plays his single-string licks like he was born with an electric guitar in his hands).
Here is the original "Sweet Little Angel" (well, King's version of it, anyway - it is a Robert Nighthawk composition, even though King takes credit for it on this album). A sizzling "Why Do Things Happen To Me". And a slew of King's best compositions, including "3 O'Clock Blues", "You Upset Me Baby", "Woke up This Morning (My Baby's Gone)", and "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer". And all of are them shamelessly and unsympathetically co-credited or even solely credited to Modern Records' head honchos the Bihari brothers under various pseudonyms, by the way. The Biharis would add their own names to the credits, often without the consent of the real composer, in order to get half the royalties. Or all of them.

The "Singin' The Blues" album is also the original source of King's version of Memphis Slim's immortal and oft-covered "Nobody Loves Me" (which everybody else, including King, calls "Everyday I Have The Blues"), and King's reading of another Robert Nighthawk tune, "Crying Won't Help You". And "The Blues" from 1958 features several rarely-heard songs which actually rank among King's best early sides, like the punchy R&B-swagger of "Ruby Lee" and "Early Every Morning, and the slow blues "Trouble, Trouble, Trouble".

The only thing wrong with this album - apart from the slightly shoddy packaging - actually has nothing to do with the album itself. But these old Crown albums are currently being reissued on CDs stuffed with bonus tracks, and at such a reasonable price, too, that there is really no good reason to shell out for this disc anymore. It's still great, though.

BB's two earliest recorded albums are remastered and put together on this CD. BB's guitar playing and singing have that early fifties fun and wild sound. But don't be mistaken, there are some slower songs and this is the blues, and one listen to "Three O'clock in the Morning" will prove it. The more upbeat opening track, "You Upset Me", has got some real loopy guitar riffs. BB's style is not quite as developed as his later works, but those semi-uncertain riffs and his robust young hollars make this a glowing blue relic for your blues collection (even the jewel-case is blue- get the picture?).

B. B. King/ Singin' the Blues/The Blues: This CD has B. B. King's first two albums and they are terrific (if a bit dated). There are cuts on these albums that he Still performs. If you are looking for early B. B. King, this is the CD for you. However, if your new to B. B. King, I would recommend that you start with his great "Live at the Regal" album as the best from this CD is performed live in that classic album.

Outside of the first disc of the box set "King of the Blues," this is the best single disc of early B.B. one can find. Many of his greatest songs are here:"Three O'Clock Blues," "Everyday I Have the Blues," "Please Love Me," and "You Upset Me Baby." As a singer and guitarist, King would later sound more sophisticated, but he would rarely ever sound as energetic and full of fire as he does on these essential recordings.

B.B king is the king of jazz and I love his song

B.B King is the geaters jazz sing and i love his songs