Similar Albums:
Blowin' Like Hell,
Chicago/The Blues/Today!, Vol. 2,
Generations of Blues, Vol. 2: Born in Chicago,
House of Blues: Essential Chicago Blues,
Chess Blues Classics: 1957-1967,
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American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966
- Artist:
Various Artists - Release Date: August 24, 1999
- Total Time: 130:46
- Type: Collection (various artists), Box set
- Genre: Blues
Review
In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock & roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience. The "Today!" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid-'60s. Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor the legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom. Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and have been reasonably good sellers over the years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc. This new packaging puts all three volumes together, but with no bonus tracks, as no extras were recorded for these sessions. So if one already owns these sides, what's the incentive this time around? That's easy: the sound is massively improved, with the bass that was rolled off the vinyl and original CD versions now being restored. This makes the tracks truly come alive, especially on the Otis Rush and Junior Wells sides, both fortified with some major amounts of badass bass thumping by Roger Jones and Jack Myers, respectively. One can really hear the spaciousness of the old RCA studios where this stuff was cut for the first time, and the detailing of the mix is in sharp focus throughout, although the increased bass causes some unwanted distortion on the Homesick James Williamson tracks. The other plus is the new packaging, which features a nice booklet with detailed, updated notes from Charters, a nice appreciation from Ed Ward, and absolutely eye-boggling session photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann, that alone are worth the price of the set. With the glut of blues reissues out there, it is often a coin toss regarding where best to spend your hard-earned money. Even if you still have the original vinyl or CDs, this is one of the times when it would be best to spend the dough and add this one to your collection, because blues records seldom come as important, innovative, or just plain pleasurable to listen to as this set. File under "essential." ~ Cub Koda, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Help Me | Ralph Bass, Sonny Boy Williamson | (4:05) | |
| It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong) | Elmore James | (2:44) | |
| Messin' with the Kid | (2:21) | ||
| Vietcong Blues | Junior Wells | (4:57) | |
| All Night Long (Rock Me Baby) | Junior Wells | (3:44) | |
| Going Ahead | J.B. Hutto | J.B. Hutto | (2:03) |
| Please Help | J.B. Hutto | J.B. Hutto | (2:53) |
| Too Much Alcohol | J.B. Hutto | J.B. Hutto | (2:29) |
| Married Woman Blues | J.B. Hutto | J.B. Hutto | (3:06) |
| That's the Truth | J.B. Hutto | J.B. Hutto | (2:47) |
| Marie | Otis Spann | Otis Spann | (2:27) |
| Burning Fire | Otis Spann | Otis Spann | (3:14) |
| S.P. Blues | Otis Spann | Otis Spann | (2:51) |
| Sometimes I Wonder | Otis Spann | Otis Spann | (3:27) |
| Spann's Stomp | Otis Spann | Otis Spann | (2:19) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Cotton Crop Blues | James Cotton | (2:18) | |
| The Blues Keep Falling | (4:01) | ||
| Love Me or Leave | (3:25) | ||
| Rocket 88 | Jackie Brenston | (2:02) | |
| West Helena Blues | (3:27) | ||
| Everything's Going to Turn Out Alright | Otis Rush | (3:52) | |
| It's a Mean Old World | Otis Rush | (2:21) | |
| I Can't Quit You Baby (Lyrics) | Willie Dixon | Otis Rush | (3:14) |
| Rock | Otis Rush | (3:32) | |
| It's My Own Fault (Lyrics) | B.B. King, Jules Taub | Otis Rush | (5:55) |
| Dust My Broom | Elmore James | Homesick James Williamson | (3:15) |
| Somebody Been Talkin' | Homesick James Williamson | (2:14) | |
| Set a Date | Homesick James Williamson | (2:43) | |
| So Mean to Me | Homesick James Williamson | (2:48) |
CD 3
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| One More Time | Johnny Young | Johnny Young | (2:26) |
| Kid Man Blues | Johnny Young | Johnny Young | (2:59) |
| My Black Mare | Johnny Young | (3:40) | |
| Stealin' Back | Johnny Young | Johnny Young | (3:17) |
| I Got Mine in Time | Johnny Young | Johnny Young | (4:18) |
| Tighten Up on It | Johnny Young | Johnny Young | (3:09) |
| Dynaflow Blues | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (2:34) |
| Black Spider Blues | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (3:02) |
| Layin' Down My Shoes and Clothes | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (2:27) |
| If I Get Lucky | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (3:23) |
| Rockin' My Boogie | Big Walter Horton | Big Walter Horton, |
(3:26) |
| Mr. Boweevil | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (3:10) |
| Hey, Hey | Johnny Shines | Johnny Shines | (2:21) |
