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The Essential Taj Mahal
 
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The Essential Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews) | More about this product
List Price: $15.93
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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


Disc 1:

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Leaving Trunk 4:49$0.99 Buy Track
listen  2. Statesboro Blues 2:58$0.99 Buy Track
listen  3. The Celebrated Walkin' Blues 8:52$0.99 Buy Track
listen  4. She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride 3:28$0.99 Buy Track
listen  5. Corinna 3:03$0.99 Buy Track
listen  6. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue 3:37$0.99 Buy Track
listen  7. Take A Giant Step 4:19$0.99 Buy Track
listen  8. Six Days On The Road 3:02$0.99 Buy Track
listen  9. Country Blues #1 2:37$0.99 Buy Track
listen10. Fishin' Blues 3:09$0.99 Buy Track
listen11. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Anymo') (Live) 8:37$0.99 Buy Track
listen12. You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond 6:16$0.99 Buy Track
listen13. Happy Just To Be Like I Am 3:52$0.99 Buy Track
listen14. West Indian Revelation 6:06$0.99 Buy Track
listen15. Texas Woman Blues 2:55$0.99 Buy Track
listen16. Cakewalk Into Town 2:34$0.99 Buy Track
listen17. Frankie & Albert 3:59$0.99 Buy Track
listen18. Railroad Bill 2:49$0.99 Buy Track


Disc 2:

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Johnny Too Bad 3:16$0.99 Buy Track
listen  2. Slave Driver 2:43$0.99 Buy Track
listen  3. (Clara) St. Kitts Woman 4:16$0.99 Buy Track
listen  4. When I Feel The Sea Beneath My Soul 3:06$0.99 Buy Track
listen  5. Satisfied 'N' Tickled Too 5:26$0.99 Buy Track
listen  6. Love Theme In The Key Of D 8:07Album Only
listen  7. Everybody Is Somebody 3:30Album Only
listen  8. Crossing (Lonely Day) 2:34Album Only
listen  9. Don't Call Us 4:21Album Only
listen10. Big Legged Mamas Are Back In Style 4:19Album Only
listen11. That's How Strong My Love Is 3:10$0.99 Buy Track
listen12. Here In The Dark 3:09$0.99 Buy Track
listen13. Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes 2:40Album Only
listen14. Señor Blues 6:45$0.99 Buy Track
listen15. The New Hula Blues 4:45$0.99 Buy Track
listen16. Queen Bee 5:05Album Only
listen17. Cruisin' (Live) 3:49Album Only
listen18. John Henry 3:43Album Only

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Frequently Bought Together

The Essential Taj Mahal + Maestro + The Best of Taj Mahal
Price For All Three: $32.95

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  • This item: The Essential Taj Mahal ~ Taj Mahal

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Maestro ~ Taj Mahal

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Best of Taj Mahal ~ Taj Mahal

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Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Maestro

Maestro

~ Taj Mahal
4.9 out of 5 stars (17)  $10.97
The Best of Taj Mahal

The Best of Taj Mahal

~ Taj Mahal
4.5 out of 5 stars (13)  $6.99
Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

~ Taj Mahal
4.9 out of 5 stars (11)  $7.99
Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home

Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home

~ Taj Mahal
5.0 out of 5 stars (8)  $15.99
The Natch'l Blues

The Natch'l Blues

~ Taj Mahal
4.7 out of 5 stars (18)  $7.99
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Product Details

  • Audio CD (August 16, 2005)
  • Original Release Date: August 16, 2005
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Sony
  • ASIN: B000A7Q2FA
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,650 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #68 in  Music > Blues > Acoustic Blues

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 33 years of music in 150 minutes, August 19, 2005
Condensing Mahal's lengthy catalog into a two-disc set is a nearly impossible task. To make it work, Columbia pulled together material from its own vaults (representing Mahal's recordings from 1967 to 1976), as well as sides from Warner Brothers (1977), Gramavision (1986, 1991), Private Music (1991 to 1998) and Hannibal (1999 to 2000). That's a healthy chunk of Mahal's oeuvre, shorting a few children's albums from the late '80s and recent works that are readily available. To insure that the arc of these two discs reflected the self-portrait Mahal painted across his recording career, they left the track selection to the artist.

The thirty-six selections do an admirable job of reflecting Mahal's deep roots in the blues and the excursions of discovery and synthesis that have kept his records vital for over thirty years. Columbia's earlier 3-disc set "In Progress & In Motion 1965-1998" offers more tracks, but many of them were unreleased or rare works aimed at collectors. This Essential set provides a more focused helping of Mahal's regular releases. In comparison, disc one of the Essential set mostly duplicates tracks offered on the box set, adding only "The Celebrated Walkin' Blues" "Country Blues #1" and "Happy to Be Just Like I Am." Disc two, on the other hand, provides 11 (of 18) tracks that weren't on the box. These include works from his year on Warner Brothers ("Love Theme in the Key of D") and several sides released by Private Music and Hannibal. I've always found the earlier sides to be more compelling, but a balanced retelling of Mahal's music requires a spin of the later work.

In addition to stellar blues tracks (including early work recorded with Ry Cooder, Jesse Ed Davis and Al Kooper, and some truly fine National steel-body guitar picking), there are great surprises in Mahal's catalog. Goffin & King's Brill Building classic "Take a Giant Step" (famously recorded by The Monkees") is turned to island folk, and the trucker standard "Six Days on the Road" takes a blues turn that's still suitably pill-fueled. His excellent work with brass (particularly tuba master Howard Johnson) is represented by a 1971 live-at-Fillmore-East recording of "Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Anymo')" and 1972's "Cakewalk Into Town." Also from 1972 is the unusually arranged "Texas Woman Blues," with the Pointer Sisters adding vocal harmonies to Mahal's lone bass accompaniment. The Pointers gospel-influenced vocals also provide the decoration for Mississippi John Hurt's "Frankie & Albert."

Mahal's collaborations with Etta Baker, Hall & Oates, Sheryl Crow, and players from Little Feat and The Hooters turn up on disc 2, along with an ever expanding repertoire that takes in soul and jazz classics such as Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" and Horace Silver's "Senor Blues," as well as Caribbean and Hawaiian forms. Like other "Essential" releases of deep-catalog artists (e.g., Johnny Cash), this serves as both a listenable career anthology and a roadmap to exploration of the individual releases. The chronological arrangement of the tracks allows the progress of Mahal's music to unfold organically, and the discographical notes tie each track to its originating album and accompanying musicians. [©2005 hyperbolium dot com]
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally satisfied and totally tickled too!, September 6, 2006
Aahh yes the Taj!! I've been searching for the track "Satisfied and Tickled too" for years. The original album from the mid 70's just doesn't seem to be available anywhere on cd, so what a surprise when an old friend returns from a holiday in Florida and presents me with the Essential cd and yes folks this really is an essential album. As a previous buyer said there is something about the track Satisfied and tickled too that just makes you want to play it over and over again. Mind you there a quite a few tracks on this collection that also merit the repeat button. This is a great 2 cd compliation, there is a more comprehensive 3 cd set called "In progress and In motion" but basically if your new to the Taj this Essential collection is the perfect start. You really will be satisfied. Long live the Taj.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfied and Tickled, January 23, 2006
On a recent NPR segment, they asked people on the street what song they would choose to listen to, if they had to listen to it for 24 hours straight. My song, I think, would have to be "Satisfied N' Tickled, Too"...Don't what it is, but I have a nearly insatiable craving to hear it again after the final notes fade...

But everything you need by Taj is here, from classics like "Take A Giant Step" to more modern fare like "Senor Blues"....it's all there, and it all, dare I say it? satisfies...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars disappointed in this
I am a Taj Mahal fan and love his voice, but this collection did not have songs I enjoyed.
Published 1 month ago by La Nelda V. Hughes

5.0 out of 5 stars New Taj Fan
I will admit I'm a new Taj Mahal Fan. I met him at a private party several years ago and saw him again at the same annual party last fall. Read more
Published 17 months ago by S. E. Smith

3.0 out of 5 stars Like trying to drink from a fire hydrant
If you want something that covers almost all of Taj's material, this is for you. If you want a taste of Taj Mahal, who I think is fantastic, then this is too much. Read more
Published on July 19, 2007 by J. Winningham

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Deal
Lots of music for a decent price. If you're unfamiliar w/ Taj, it's a good introduction. If you are familiar with his music but don't have a lot of his cd's, it's a worthwhile... Read more
Published on June 6, 2007 by M. Rowland

4.0 out of 5 stars Taj Then and Now - Reviewed by Reyna Sion, Critic at Large
I was looking forward to receiving my CD and spending time with Taj Mahal. He became one of my favorite performers after seeing him at the Fillmore East over 30 years ago. Read more
Published on November 11, 2006 by Reyna Sion

4.0 out of 5 stars True musicianship
Taj Mahal is not only a bluesman but an true musician.He expands the blues format way beyond the tradition.
Published on November 9, 2006 by James M. Shaw

5.0 out of 5 stars Taj Mahal in Eastern Europe
Everyone who likes the Blues must listen to this CD; particularly "senor blues" is one of my favorites. Read more
Published on March 1, 2006 by Oswald Placeres

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The Essential Taj Mahal opens new browser window is one of Taj Mahal's opens new browser window 59 releases. Browse Taj Mahal's Discography opens new browser window and watch Taj Mahal videos opens new browser window on SoundUnwound.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Essential Taj Mahal
68% buy the item featured on this page:
The Essential Taj Mahal 4.4 out of 5 stars (10)
$14.99
Maestro
13% buy
Maestro 4.9 out of 5 stars (17)
$10.97
The Best of Taj Mahal
10% buy
The Best of Taj Mahal 4.5 out of 5 stars (13)
$6.99
Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home
5% buy
Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home 5.0 out of 5 stars (8)
$15.99
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