Customer Reviews

The Very Best of Albert King

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

 

 

Well compilation albums are always hard to assess. Everyone has their favourites or all time classics. I personally like the Rhino issues of most blues artists. The remastering is good and their liner notes are always well presented. This CD is great as an introduction or a sampling of Albert King's style of playing urban blues. He was heavily influenced by swing music, Louis Jordan, Robert Nighthawk and Tampa Red. But he couldn't play a slide. He created a style based on bending the strings to get to the notes you want and make them sing with vibrato.

This disc takes you on a tour of Albert's recording career from the beginning at King Records with "Let's Have A Natural Ball", a great Jump Blues he used to use as a warm up tune, then on to "COD" from his very rare Coun-tree sessions (these were not re-released until after his death). From here the set progresses into seven of his early Stax classics from "Born Under" a Bad Sign and "King of the Blues Guitar". Then on to the later Stax stuff with "I'll Play the Blues For You", from his most creative period. The CD ends with "Cadillac Assembly Line" which was a Stax tune, but released under the Tomato label.

This is a well presented and compiled disc. It has great live moments in the famous Filmore West classic:"Blues Power", some rare items and a good cross section of King's recorded work. This was culled from a larger set "The Ultimate Collection" which was issued just after his death. This set has two discs and a great booklet as well. It even has a cut from his last recording sessions at Fantasy Records. It would be nice to include an early Chess release such as "Wild Woman" and something from his rare out of print album (and his last) "Red House". I love "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". This is a great disc for the blues beginner, casual fan, or as an inclusion in a blues collection. I think it covers most of King's great and innovative blues, funk, R&B and soul style. When he became popular in the 60's he was the leading exponent of using blues as a medium to instigate musical change. Afterall, blues is the roots of all American Pop Music. It is much like in the Scorsese series "The Blues" (on DVD) the film on "Godfathers and Sons" is about Hip-Hop artists doing a blues inspired modern tune. This is much like Albert did at Stax in the 1960s and it is well developed in this CD compilation. Also, what a great cover photo!!!

"The Very Best Of Albert King" does a really good job drawing from King's 60s output and his soul-influenced latter-day recordings alike, and this is a very good single-disc overview of his career.
A couple of the selections are debatable, as always when you make a compilation, but almost all of the must-have classics are here, including "Let's Have A Natural Ball", "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong", "Crosscut Saw", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Laundromat Blues" and "I'll Play The Blues For You".
("The Hunter", "Down Don't Bother Me" and a few others are missing, though, which is a shame.)

Rhino's double-disc "The Ultimate Collection" is a lot more comprehensive, however, and contains almost every track from King's superb "Born Under A Bad Sign" LP. If you really only want one Albert King-CD in your collection, that's the one I'd go for.

This is as good as it gets, the blues at its best. I cannot stop playing this disk, C.O.D. over and over again. My fiancee has threatened to leave me if I do not put a new disk in the CD player. I helped her pack her bags to "Don't Throw Your Love on Me so Strong." Buy this CD and "Break Up Somebody's home."

Chris Riedel and GD Mason Blues Beer Company, St. clair, Michigan

Whilst trying to locate some info on the unique Gibson Flying "V" i was stunned (but not entirely surprised)to learn that the "King" of the "Flying V" is reputed to be Michael Schenker!!
Who the hell is Michael Schenker in comparison to this most influential 6 ' 4" giant of guitar? Has Schenker influenced more people than Albert King?
Nobody looks as good with a Flying V as Albert nor is noted worldwide for the distinctive tone connected to the guitar.
On this compilation we have possibly some of the finest tracks culled over Alberts career.(the best parts of his career).
"Personal Manager" contains one of the wildest solos ever done on a slow blues. It creeps up you and towards the end Albert runs out of frets and yells in excitement. He must've been in a good mood when he cut this song.
If any are looking for a song that sums up Albert then it's this one although every track on this CD is perfect.
Albert King's talent will live on as the years go by and in theface of every other genre of music.
Needless to say, if you purchase this CD you will have it ALL... i.e Great music & a dynamic cover photo.

Albert King was a great urban blues singera and one of the best guitarists that played the blues. This CD has 16 of his best tunes. It doesn't cover his entire work, but it is better than "King of the blues guitar" in this aspect, as that one featured just 1966 - 1968 material and this one spans nearly 20 years , from about the late fifties to mid seventies.
However, the track list isn't stellar: I have nothing against the three pre 1966 selections, but the some of the seven tracks from his most famous period between 1966 - 1968 are odd. Why there is Cold feet, which is pretty good, but no As the years go Passing by which is more of a classic and one of his trademark tunes. It is inexcxusable to have a Best of without it. That's why I put 1 star off. The latter tracks are well chosen, so I hink you should pick this one up if you want to have just one Albert King CD. Just add As the years go passing by and you'll have ***** stars as far a single disc collection can go

Over the years their have been countless compilations of albert king's Stax recordings. But this Rhino's very best of Albert King serves justice to the legendary guitarist most greatest hits including Born Under A Bad Sign, Crosscut Saw, Let's Have A Natural Ball, Blues Power, and many more. Albert King was Stevie Ray Vaughan's biggest influence and he has soon became mine after listening to this incrediable album. You will learn to appreciate a long but forgotten guitar hero Albert King. Enjoy~

Years ago, when I purchased this disc, I thought it was a great introduction to the greatest Blues guitarist to ever live, it's great for someone who says, "Yeah, I like blues, B.B.'s cool." Because after hearing this, their life won't be quite the same. I can guarantee they will never listen to B.B. the same way again. Where B.B. plays clean and dare I say, wimpy, Albert was hard, funky, soulful, and dirty. Combining his MS delta blues with the Memphis Soul of Booker T. & the MGs, with the great Al Jackson on drums, King's blues recordings simply have no equals. Even later, without the MGs, King used top notch musicians and cooley slid into the 70s.

Now that I am familiar with so much more of the King's work, I realize how very limited this disc is. There are so many great tracks missing from here, including "Wrapped Up In Love Again", "Drowning On Dry Land", the Mack Rice penned "Playin' On Me" , and I could go on forever. There are tons of King CDs out there (mostly poorly done compilations), but a box set is truly long overdue. However, the sound here is great! This disc sure pleased me when I bought it, and it is always the first I reach for when I want to hear some of the masterpieces that are represented here.

First five songs on this CD are excellent. If you are expecting blues but not funk rest of the songs may be a little boring. Thursday Night contains all blues of Albert King. You may check out Thursday Night before this CD.

There are so many great r&b, jump blues oriented blues singers/guitarists, taht sometimes one disc has to cover a good overview, and this disc does the job. It has plaenty of jump blues stompers, as well as draggers and boppers. There is a little r'n'r but mostly shuffle blues rhythms, great for lindy hopping, jitterbug, jiving, or cruising or working on your 50's hotrod or custom. Awesome rockin' cd, essential! Also if you like Albert King, then Johnny Guitar Watson is a must(get "Hot Just Like TNT"). Buy this now!!!

How can you only provide part 1 of "I'll Play The Blues For You"? It is arguably Albert's best song and they give you a short version. And to think that someone made a conscious effort to do this. There are plenty of other AK collections that will give you the full versions.