Years Gone By

Albert King | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000000ZIM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,295 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Albert King's First Studio Album., November 8, 2003

By 

Perry Celestino (Tahmoor, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Years Gone By (Audio CD)

This set was Albert King's first intentional LP. His most famous record, "Born Under A Bad Sign" had been a compilation of singles he'd recorded in sporadic sessions at Stax. This was meant to be a proper album. It is interesting that his very first LP, "The Big Blues", for King Records, was also a singles compilation. This record is important for a number of reasons; First of all he is in his prime. He is playing straight blues with some soul arrangments. His guitar has about the best sound he was ever able to achieve. Later albums, such as Lovejoy and I'll Play The Blues For You, he became more experimental and sophisticated. Which is alright, but this CD had him as raw as he every got. The tracks are excellent. "Wrapped Up in Love Again" is a self-penned song that also became a rare single. He borrowed his ideas for this tune from some earlier blues standards of the 1940s like he did with "Blues at Sunrise". "You Don't Love Me" is his famous instrumental version of the Willie Cobb tune, this is as raw has his sound ever got!!! Check out the bends in this! "Cockroach" and "If The Washing Don't Get You The Rinsing Will" are typical of the wily humour in the 1960's Stax writing team. I particularly love Cockroach! "Drowning On Dry Land Parts One And Two" are equally raw and are classed as one of his best efforts. It is interesting that Albert never gets the lyrics right and he does a mix up of the middle of the song and also exclaims: "my nose are in the sand!" He did this on the alternate take as well! To hear the proper lyrics listen to O.V. Wright's soulful version. However, Albert's is real, it's great-what the blues is all about! It is honest music!

"Heart Fixing Business" and Little Milton's "Lonely Man" are included as tunes with different tempos and I would guess were done to augment this LP's dancablitiy. He does a cover of his own "You Threw You're Love On Me Too Strong" and the track is interesting as it is the only mono track and it is mixed poorly. I have always thought that is was included to make up the LP (they were always 11-12 sides in those days!). Finally there is the classic "The Sky is Crying" unlike Elmore James, Albert does not play slide and does some great and deceptively simple bending solos. Stevie Ray Vaughan thought this was the best ever. Now on the alternate take which you can hear on "Hard Bargain" I think his playing is even better. It is interesting that the Stax people probably thought that his other version was too long for one song (in those days) and put on "Too Strong" instead. Oh well, this is a great and historic CD. I would also buy his "Hard Bargain" CD as well for the extra singles and out takes from this period at Stax. "Years Gone By" is a great record and is topped off with a great cover photo from the Fillmore West.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!! Do not look any further than this one!, November 28, 2002

By 

P.J. Le Faucheur (Canada (ex- U.K. resident)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Years Gone By (Audio CD)

I first got this c.d in England where it came out as "Years Gone By ..PLUS!" "Plus" meaning that it had 11 extra tracks!
(Quite a few of the extra tracks were taken from Alberts other c.d "Funky London") I wouldn't be able to hand pick a favourite track because they are ALL GOOD, and this is very rare when you are buying music."Drowning on dry land" is great as is " Don't throw your love on me too strong". Albert had a way of really digging deep and acheiving those two octave bends on his slow blues songs.
This U.S version still features the best tracks, and if you are searching for the BEST Albert King...then here it is!
His guitar can be heard nice and loud and can strip paint off walls easily.... his voice is absolutely in immaculate shape...and just look at that 'psychedelic' cover art work (originally from 1969). ---That picture was once available as a full size poster, and is the grooviest snap of Albert...One that even Austin Powers would be proud of.
Just remember what Joe Walsh said about Albert....quote" Albert King could blow Eddie Van Halen clean off stage with his amp just on 'standby'!!"
This c.d testifies to this statement accurately.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blues Power, December 31, 1999

By 

Christopher Marsheck (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Years Gone By (Audio CD)

First of I'd like to say that this was my first Albert King record, and that it still sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard it. There are some real gems on this on. "Drownin' on dry land", "Sky is Crying", "Coack roach". But my favs have to be "Heart Fixin' Business" and "You threw your love on me to strong". This is great music. Get it while it's here!