Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Anthology From Groundbreaking Blues Band, October 21, 2001
The Elektra Years is a 2 cd anthology which features some of the best blues music from the early to late sixites bar none. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band played with Bob Dylan at his first electric performance at Newport in 1965 and at Woodstock in 1969. The band was formed in Chicago by avid blues aficionados Paul Butterfield on harmonica, Elvin Bishop on guitar and the former Howlin' Wolf rhythm section of Jerome Arnold and Sam Lay on bass and drums respectively. Butterfield and Bishop spent most of their time in Chicago bars listening to the blues masters perform live. It was then decided in a groundbreaking move to add a second guitarist and blues fan Mike Bloomfield to the band. The band was one of the first integrated blues/rock bands. The musicianship was uniformly excellent with Bloomfield and Bishop swapping leads inventively. By the time of their second album Lay was replaced on drums by the jazzier Billy Davenport and part-time organist Mark Naftalin joined the band permanently. The music became more jam oriented and the cuts "East West" with its modal soloing and a cover of Cannonball Adderley's "Work Song" provide ample evidence of the ever evolving musicianship of the band. However Bloomfield soon exited to form the horn driven rock band Electric Flag with ex- Jimi Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles. Instead of replacing Bloomfield with another guitarist, Butterfield elected to add a horn section himself and the music became more r& b driven. Among the musicians who joined the horn section was a very young David Sanborn. Eventually Bishop also quit to start a solo career and the band continued with a lower profile. This set contains 5 rare tracks from the band's great early period which were either non-lp singles on were on rare compilation albums. The importance of the band cannot be overstated. It proved that two guitarists could trade solos with keyboards and harmonica in an exciting new way. The band proved that even white musicians could play classic Chicago blues with as much feeling as their African-American counterparts. It also proved that a blues/rock band could be integrated. Not only were Bloomfield and Bishop two great white blues guitarists but Paul Butterfield proved to be one the best white blues harmonica players. The band proved jazz and blues could be fused together to from an exciting combition and if used effectively a horn section could work in a blues/rock/jazz context. The first disk highlights Bloomfield's tenure in the band while the second disk begins with the addition of the horn section. Memorable cuts include "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Thank You Mr. Poobah", & "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". I regret that "Screamin'" and "I Got My Mojo Working" were not included from the first album. It also would have been nice to have some live cuts from "Woodstock" but the set is an excellent overview of the band. It is also invaluable because some of the material on the second disk is currently out of print. If you enjoy this set I recommend picking up at the minimum "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band" (first lp), "East West" (2nd lp) and "The Original Lost Elektra Sessions" (unissued tracks with Bloomfield and Bishop).
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
White Guys CAN Play the Blues!, February 11, 2000
Like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band stayed true to the tradition of the blues. And it's no wonder. Butterfield grew up in Chicago and as a teenager jammed with the likes of Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Little Walter and Howlin' Wolf. [In fact, the first incarnation of the Butterfield Blues Band featured two former members of Howlin' Wolf's band.]Over the course of their first two albums the band featured the twin-guitar attack of Michael Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop (on all of Disc-1)in addition to Butterfield's gritty vocals and powerful harmonica playing. This multi-racial band could play the blues with authority. When they played tunes like "Born in Chicago," "Shake Your Money Maker" or "Walkin' Blues," it was with a firm knowledge of the roots of the blues. But they weren't staunch purists either. Listen to the 13-minute jazz-rock-raga fussion "East-West." This isn't jerk-off showmanship; it's inspired improvisation and no one else at the time (1966) could touch these guys. Disc-2 sees the departure of Bloomfield and has Butterfield experimenting with a horn section. While some might argue this version of the band lacked the bite of its predecessor, listen to songs like "Double Trouble" and "Last Hope's Gone" and Bishop steps up and delivers as the band's lone guitarist. Al Kooper's organ playing on "Just To Be with You" adds another facet to the band's sound. After the album In My Own Dream (tracks 3-7), Bishop left to go solo. "Love March" with its flute and french horn seems like a complete departure from the blues, but "Walking' By Myself" returns the proceedings to the blues. And the nearly fourteen-minute live workout of the Charles Brown classic "Driftin' Blues" is hypnotic. Although he recorded sporadically until his death in 1987, his best work was on Elektra. If you don't already own the Paul Butterfield catalog, this is an essential purchase. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Finest Blues Bands Ever, April 28, 2002
No one who hasn't at least heard the Paul Butterfield Blues Band can consider him/herself a true, red-blooded blues fan. One of the greatest groups ever to grace the clubs of Chicago, the Butterfield Band was also perhaps the first blues band to successfully bridge the racial barriers and allow blues to become a music for anyone and everyone who cared to listen.Without question, Butterfield's best recordings were done for the Elektra label. Therefore, it would make sense that Elektra's two disk anthology would be the perfect place to go for a one stop shot at this remarkable band. In fact, with both discs running over 75 minutes in length, this package is a bargain and then some. Like all of the greatest bands, Butterfield's group had a very distinct sound, one which was both revolutionary and a treat to listen to. This anthology captures that sound and allows the listener to hear the evolution of the band throughout the years. Begining with some of their earliest sides in 1965, this anthology covers their careers all the way to 1971. There's a lot of great music to be found, particularly on the first disc. Classics like "Born In Chicago" (both the recognized version from their debut and an earlier take) and the ground-breaking "East West" are here along with lots of other great material. The second disc is a bit weaker, but still features pleanty of great tunes, especially the live songs "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and "Driftin' and Driftin'," which are my favorite songs on the set. Butterfield's sound was always very contemporary and cutting-edge; I often find myself forgetting that these were late sixties and early seventies recordings. By virtue of the outstanding music and the sheer amount of material on this set, I can wholeheartedly reccomend this. Any fan of the blues should hear this at least once; most will probably find themselves playing it again and again.
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~ Paul Butterfield
~ John Mayall
~ Paul Butterfield
~ Paul Butterfield
by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 
