The Alligator Records 25th Anniversary Collection

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1996 03
• Total Time: 146:45
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Blues

Review

This is a specially priced, two-CDs-for-the-price-of-one photo-cube set, loaded with great stuff from Charlie Musselwhite, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Johnny Winter, Billy Boy Arnold, Lonnie Mack, and a host of others who have trotted their wares on the label over the years. Besides giving the novice one great introduction to the label (as the music runs from traditional to modern), the big bonus here is a treasure trove of previously unissued tracks from Roy Buchanan (a chaotic version of Link Wray's "Jack the Ripper"); Floyd Dixon (a recut of his Blues Brothers-approved hit "Hey Bartender"); Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland in a marvelous outtake from the Showdown! album ("Something to Remember You By"); and the band that started it all, Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers, with a crazed version of Elmore James' "Look on Yonder's Wall," as sloppy as it is cool. Very good stuff and at these prices, a bargain and then some. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Don't Pick Me for Your Fool	Monk Higgins, Maurice Dollison	Son Seals	(4:15)
Diggin' My Potatoes	Sunny Joe	James Cotton	(3:38)
Something to Remember You By [#]	Guitar Slim	Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland	(5:26)
The Complainer's Boogie Woogie	William Clarke	William Clarke	(4:52)
Stingaree	Charlie Musselwhite	Charlie Musselwhite	(2:54)
It's Alright [#]	Rick Taylor	Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials	(4:46)
Man Smart (Woman Smarter)	J.F. Kuhn	C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band	(3:02)
I Want to Be Your Spy	Maurice John Vaughn	Maurice John Vaughn	(5:34)
Hey Bartender [#]	Floyd Dixon	Floyd Dixon	(3:24)
Sitting on Top of the World	Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon	Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang	(3:41)
Action Man	John Cephas	Cephas & Wiggins	(1:53)
Bayou Blood	Kenny Neal	Kenny Neal	(3:14)
T-Bone Intentions	Long John Hunter, Jonathan Foose	Long John Hunter	(3:08)
'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do	Public Domain	Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women	(4:12)
If You Have to Know	Lonnie Mack, Tim Drummond, Will Jennings	Lonnie Mack, Stevie Ray Vaughan	(4:31)
Been Gone Too Long	Billy Boy Arnold	Billy Boy Arnold	(2:54)
A Quitter Never Wins	Tinsley Ellis, Margaret Sampson	Tinsley Ellis	(6:10)
I Ain't Got You	Clarence Carter	Sugar Blue	(2:37)
Crawfish Fiesta	Roy Byrd	Professor Longhair	(3:13)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Evil	Willie Dixon	Koko Taylor	(4:59)
Got Lucky Last Night (Lyrics)	Lonnie Brooks	Lonnie Brooks	(2:59)
Blues Lover	Bob Margolin, Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff	Bob Margolin	(4:53)
I Could Deal with It	Rick Estrin	Little Charlie & the Nightcats	(4:06)
Cherry Red Wine	Luther Allison	Luther Allison	(4:22)
Hard Lovin' Mama		Katie Webster	(4:12)
She Puts Me in the Mood	Elvin Bishop	Elvin Bishop	(3:32)
Low Down Dirty Shame	Carey Bell	Carey Bell	(4:29)
Six O'Clock Blues		Lucky Peterson	(3:42)
Keep Your Motor Running	Dave Hole	Dave Hole	(3:45)
Roots Woman	Corey Harris	Corey Harris	(2:50)
Can't Recall a Time	Michael Hill, Clarence Lewis	Michael Hill's Blues Mob	(3:45)
Baby, Baby, Baby	Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin	Delbert McClinton, Roy Buchanan	(4:23)
Jack the Ripper [#]	Link Wray, Mark Cooper	Roy Buchanan	(2:47)
Got to Find My Baby	Johnny Heartsman	Johnny Heartsman	(3:04)
Love, Life and Money	Willie Dixon, Henry Glover	Johnny Winter	(5:20)
Look on Yonder's Wall [#]	Jazz Gillum	Hound Dog Taylor	(3:27)
Somebody Loan Me a Dime	Fenton Robinson	Fenton Robinson	(2:56)
We're Outta Here	Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown	Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown	(3:50)

Credits

Luther Allison (Performer), Luther Allison (?), Billy Boy Arnold (Performer), Billy Boy Arnold (?), Lonnie Brooks (Performer), Lonnie Brooks (?), William Clarke (Engineer), William Clarke (Performer), William Clarke (?), James Cotton (Performer), James Cotton (?), Floyd Dixon (Performer), Floyd Dixon (?), Tinsley Ellis (Performer), Tinsley Ellis (?), Johnny Heartsman (Performer), Lonnie Mack (Performer), Lonnie Mack (?), Delbert McClinton (Performer), Delbert McClinton (?), Charlie Musselwhite (Performer), Charlie Musselwhite (?), Kenny Neal (Performer), Kenny Neal (?), Lucky Peterson (Performer), Lucky Peterson (?), Fenton Robinson (Performer), Fenton Robinson (?), Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women (Performer), Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women (?), Son Seals (Performer), Son Seals (?), Eddie Shaw (?), Hound Dog Taylor (Performer), Hound Dog Taylor (?), Koko Taylor (Performer), Koko Taylor (?), Katie Webster (Performer), Katie Webster (?), Elvin Bishop (Performer), Elvin Bishop (?), Roy Buchanan (Performer), Roy Buchanan (?), Johnny Winter (Performer), Johnny Winter (?), Albert Collins (?), Bob Margolin (?), Sugar Blue (Performer), Sugar Blue (?), Dave Hole (Performer), Dave Hole (?), Long John Hunter (Performer), Long John Hunter (?), David Axelbaum (Engineer), Richard Bailey (Engineer), Bryan Bassett (Engineer), Jim Bateman (Producer), Carey Bell (Performer), Carey Bell (?), Stu Black (Engineer), Fred Breitberg (Producer), Fred Breitberg (Engineer), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (Performer), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (?), Cephas & Wiggins (Performer), Cephas & Wiggins (?), Little Charlie & the Nightcats (?), Johnny Copeland (Performer), Johnny Copeland (?), Scott Dirks (Producer), David Farrell (Engineer), Sam Fishkin (Engineer), Jonathan Foose (Producer), Bob "Rattlesnake" Greenlee (Producer), Julian Herzfeld (Engineer), Kevin Hill (Producer), Michael Hill (?), Larry Hoffman (Producer), Ice Cube Slim (Producer), Bruce Iglauer (Producer), Bruce Iglauer (Liner Notes), Vas-tie Jackson (Producer), Criss Johnson (Producer), Andy Kaslow (Producer), Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Producer), Warren King (Engineer), Karl Emil Knudsen (Producer), Gene Lawson (Engineer), Samuel Lehmer (Engineer), Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials (?), Professor Longhair (Performer), Professor Longhair (?), Bill McElroy (Engineer), Andrew McIntire (Engineer), Richard McLeese (Producer), Stephen J. Mendell (Engineer), Kevin Morrow (Producer), Justin Niebank (Engineer), Eddie Offord (Producer), Eddie Offord (Engineer), Tary Owens (Producer), Wesley Race (Producer), Dick Shurman (Producer), James Solberg (Producer), Bill Thompson (Engineer), Stevie Ray Vaughan (Producer), Stevie Ray Vaughan (Performer), Maurice John Vaughn (Performer), Maurice John Vaughn (?), John Villani (Engineer), Mark Williams (Engineer), Sonny Boy Williamson (?), Joe Wilson (Producer), Jim Watts (Engineer), Corey Harris (Performer), Corey Harris (?), Pete Reiniger (Engineer), Michael Hill's Blues Mob (Performer), Ivar Rosenberg (Engineer), Port Barlow (Producer), Port Barlow (Engineer), Bob Ozowski (Engineer), Allison Miner (Producer), Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang (Performer), C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band (Performer), C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band (?), Brian Young (Producer), Brian Young (Engineer), Tom Anderson (Engineer)