Thursday, December 24, 2009

Hipster's Holiday! Vocal,Jazz & R & B Classics! Santa Done Got Hip!

Hipster's Holiday is a special favorite this time of the year!
Some obscure Christmas tunes here:

1. Louis Armstrong & The Commanders-Cool Yule (1952)
2. The Marquees-Santa Done Got Hip (1959)
3. Eartha Kitt- Santa Baby(1953)
4. Leo Watson- Jingle Bells (1946)
5. Lambert,Hendricks & Ross-Deck Us All With Boston Charlie(1961)
6. Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers- Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (1954)
7. Mable Scott-Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (1948)
8. Miles Davis- Blue X-Mas(To Whom It May Concern) (1962)
9. The Tim Fuller Experience- Silent Night (1989)
10. Louis Armstrong & The Commanders- Zat You,Santa Claus (1953)
11. Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra- Merry Christmas Baby (1950)
12. Big John Greer- We Want To See Santa Do The Mambo(1954)
13. Pearl Bailey- Five Pound Box Of Money (1958)
14. Babs Gonzales- Be-Bop Santa Claus (1955)
15. Lena Horne- Jingle All The Way (1966)
16. Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends- Christmas Spirit (1947)
17. Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars- Christmas Night In Harlem (1955)
18. The Coolbreezers- Hello Mr. New Year (1957)


Hipster's Holiday

Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits -Classic Christmas Songs

Classic Christmas music on this hard to find disc!
Happy Holidays From Mojo Repair Shop! Thanks
for a wonderful year of music sharing,and a Special
Thank You to all of the other wonderful Bloggers!
1.Bing Crosby-White Christmas (1942)
2.Vaughan Monroe- Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Let It Snow! (1945)
3. Gene Autry- Rudolph,The Red Nosed Reindeer (1949)
4. Nat "King"Cole-The Christmas Song (1946)
5. Spike Jones/City Slickers-All I Want For Christmas
(Is My Two Front Teeth)(1948)
6.Jimmy Boyd- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus(1962)
7.The Andrews Sisters & Guy Lombardo-Christmas Island(1946)
8.Bing Crosby-Silent Night(1935)
9.Gene Autry-Here Comes Santa Claus
(Down Santa Claus Lane)(1947)
10.Eartha Kitt- Santa Baby (1953)


Billboard Christmas

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Computer Problems # 64


I'm having computer problems. I know it's time to upgrade
to a better computer.
I think my power supply is dying and
I have to replace it,I thought it was a virus,because

the computer was acting "funny". So,the top picture is my old
computer,and the second picture will be my new "media center"
that includes a handy cassette built in to the keyboard to make
better music posts.I guess you can't have 4 hard drives
,an
ipod,and a toaster attached all at once. Oops.
Maybe Santa will bring me another computer that works.
But I don't know if I was a good blogger or not.
Stay tuned for more cool music soon, I promise!


Friday, November 27, 2009

Jimmy Reed - The Vee-Jay Years Disc 5 & 6 (Disc 6 special outtakes)


The final two discs,numbers 5 & 6 and one
of the
greatest blues songwriters ever.He actually
blurs the line between old fashioned blues

(Southern Delta style transplanted to Chicago
urban blues)
and rhythm & blues.He sets the
standard when he
sang Bright Lights,Big City.
Reed's guitar playing,
singing and songwriting (a triple threat)
inspired
a lot of the earliest The Rolling Stones,The Animals,
and
countless other British Invasion bands,
and
reminded Americans how important their
blues
artists were and still are.What a wealth of
music,made in America.


Disc 5-
1.I'll Change My Style 2.Let's Get Together
3. In The Morning 4.You can't Hide 5.Back Home At Noon
6.Lookin' For You Baby 7.Kansas City Baby
8. Oh John 9.Shame Shame Shame
10.Cold And Lonesome 11.There'll Be A Day
12.Ain't No Big Deal 13.Mary Mary
14.Upside The Wall 15.Baby's So Sweet
16.I'm Gonna Help You 17.Up Tight 18.Mixed Up
19.I'm Trying To Please You 20.Five Years Long
21.See See Rider 22.Outskirts Of Town
23.Trouble In Mind

Jimmy Reed Disc 5

In the tradition of all of these fabulous Charly
box sets,disc 6
the last disc has studio outtakes,
"working songs",studio chatter,
slow and faster
versions,"mistakes"according to Jimmy.Not found
on any other disc sets,and so,get 'em here...
Disc 6-
1.The Comeback 2.How Long Blues
3.Roll 'Em Pete 4.Cherry Red 5. Wee Wee Baby
6.St. Louis Blues 7.Worried Life Blues
8.Blues For 12 Strings 9. New Chicago Blues
10.Wear Something Green 11.Help Yourself
12.Heading For A Fall 13.Going Fishing
14. Left Handed Woman
15.I Wanna Be Loved(Crazy Love) 16.Fifteen Years
17.A New Leaf 18.When You're Doing All Right
19.I'm Going Upside Your Head
20.The Devil's Shoestring
21.You've Got Me Waiting 22.I'm The Man Down There
23.When Girls Do It 24.Don't Think I'm Through

Jimmy Reed Disc 6

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Jimmy Reed - The Vee-Jay Years Disc 3 & 4 Big Boss Man!


Jimmy Reed needs no introduction,he is covered by
a lot of blues artists,and rock artists the world over.
All of his best songs are in this series.
Disc 3 -
1.You'n That Sack 2.Going To New York
3.I Told You Baby 4.Take Out Some Insurance
5.I'm Nervous 6.You Know I Love You
7.Baby,What You Want Me To Do 8.Goin' By The River 1
9.Goin' By The River 2 10.Where Can You Be
11.Hush Hush 12.I Was So Wrong 13.Blue Blue Water
14.Please Don't 15.Found Love
16.You Gonna Need My Help 17.Hold Me Close
18.Come Love 19.Big Boss Man 20.Meet Me
21.I Got The Blues 22.Sugar Sugar
23.Got Me Chasing You


Jimmy Reed Disc 3

Disc 4 -
1.Down The Road 2.Want To Be With You Baby
3.Jimmy's Rock 4.Tell The World I Do
5. You're My Baby 6.Ain't Gonna Cry No More
7.Close Together 8.You Know You're Looking Good
9.Laughing At The Blues 10.I'm A Love You
11.Kind Of Lonesome 12.Found Joy
13.Tell Me You Love Me 14.Bright Lights
15.Baby,What's Wrong
16.Aw Shucks,Hush Your Mouth 17.I'm Mr. Luck
18.Blue Carnegie 19.Take It Slow 20.Good Lover
21.Down In Mississippi 22.Too Much


Jimmy Reed Disc 4

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Jimmy Reed - The Vee-Jay Years Disc 1 & 2





Here I am again,after taking some much needed time off
from blogging,doing other things.
I found another vital box
of music in my collection that needs to be heard. This
particular set is 6 discs with 139 tracks of happening
music. I hope to bring more of this kind of music later,
I also have some Little Walter,John Lee Hooker, and
Earl Hooker(John Lee's cousin),some Skip James discs,
I don't know what else,but if you like that kind of stuff,
you'd better stayed tuned. I'm on a blues kick, and have
been for a while, and maybe I will go back to posting
rockabilly and other things in the future. I'm just into this
right now....okay? Jimmy Reed The Vee-Jay Years
is another Charley series box set, so if you understand
what that means it's a giant set,sounds better than anything,
and it's as complete as you're going to set. "Charley
NEVER releases any crap" is what I say,and you can
quote me. This is where it's at, hipsters,there's a lot of
bands who covered Jimmy Reed,and when you listen to
this set you will know why.
Here's Disc One:
1.High And Lonesome 2.Jimmy's Boogie 3.I Found My Baby
4.Roll And Rhumba 5.You Don't Have To Go
6.Boogie In The Park 7.Shoot My Baby 8.Rockin' With Reed
9.You Upset My Mind 10.I'm Gonna Ruin You
11. Pretty Thing 12.I Ain't Got You
13.She Don't Want Me No More 14.Come On Baby
15.I Don't Go For That 16.Baby,Don't Say That No More
17.Ain't That Lovin' You Baby 18.Can't Stand To See You Go
19.When You Left Me 20.I Love You Baby 21.My First Plea
22.You Got Me Dizzy 23.Honey,Don't Let Me Go
24.Untitled Instrumental
This all includes scans of front,back @320

Jimmy Reed Disc 1


Disc Two:

1.It's You Baby 2.Honey,Where Are You Going
3.Do The Thing 4.Little Rain 5.Signals Of Love
6.The Sun Is Shining 7.
Baby,What's On Your Mind
8.Honest I Do 9.State Street Boogie 10.Odds And Ends
11.My Bitter Seed 12.Ends And Odds
13.My Baby(Down In Virginia) 14.You're Something Else
15.A String To Your Heart 16.Go On To School
17.You Got My Crying 18.The Moon Is Rising
19.Down In Virginia 20.I'm Gonna Get My Baby
21.I Wanna Be Loved 22.Caress My Baby
23.I Know It's A Sin


Jimmy Reed Disc 2

These Ghoulish Things - Horror Hits For Halloween






These Ghoulish Things Ace Records Horror Special.
Queasy listening from the vaults- 25 Horrible hit picks
from the ghoul-den age of Rock 'n' Roll. I especially
love the Bobby"Boris" Pickett radio station vintage ads,
and the super rare Allan Sherman "My Son,The Vampire".
Be afraid- be very afraid!

These Ghoulish Things

Monster Rock 'n' Roll - Crypt Records


Yet Another Halloween themed album of rock and roll
tunes, again,some songs are on other compilations,but at
least you'll have all kinds of spooky sounds. Play Loud!
Vintage Halloween fun.

Monster Rock 'n' Roll

Monster Bop - Various Artists Buffalo Bop -I Was A Teenage Monster!

Monster Bop- Rock 'n' Roll and Rockabilly Halloween music
is a regular favorite here,so let's share it with everyone.My favorite
time of the year,who doesn't love this silly music? Some of these
songs are also featured on many other compilations. Complete
with scans,glow in the dark ring,vampire teeth, and plastic skull....
1. Jackie Morningstar- Rockin' In The Graveyard
2. Carl Bonafede- Were Wolf
3. Jerry Coulston- Caveman Hop
4. Rod Willis-The Cat
5. Jack & Jim- Midnight Monsters Hop
6. Scottie Stuart- Nightmare
7. Leroy Bowman- Graveyard
8. Mack Allen Smith- The Skeleton Fight
9. Jimmy Dee- The Monster Hop
10. Carl Bonafede- Story That's True
11. Bert Convey- The Gorilla
12. Joe Wallace- Leopard Man
13. Earl Patterson- Nightmare Hop
14. Bobby Please- The Monster
15. The Phantom Five- Graveyard
16. Tommy Roe- Caveman
17. The Daylighters- Mad House Stomp
18. Jim Burgett- Jekyll & Hyde
19. Chris Kevin- Haunted House
20. Mike Fern- The Head Hunters
21. Round Robin- I'm The Wolf Man
22. The Hollywood Flames- Frankenstein's Den
23. Bert Convey- The Monster Hop
24. Carlos Casal Jr.- Don't Meet Mr. Frankenstein
25. The Keytones- I Was A Teenage Monster
26. The Castle Kings- You Can Get Him Frankenstein
27. Joe Johnson- The Gila Monster
28. Eddie Thomas- Frankenstein Rock
29. Randy Luck- I Was A Teen-Age Cave Man
30. Ivan- Frankie Frankenstein


Monster Bop

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Muddy Waters - The Complete Chess 1947-1967 Disc 9 Alternate Takes

Here's the last disc,almost forgot there's nine discs
total!
This one is special special- all alternate takes
of some of
Muddy's best songs. These are all mostly
vintage tunes.


Disc 9:
1.Rollin' Stone 2.All Night Long
3.She's All Right
4.Baby,Please Don't Go
5.I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man

6. Take The Bitter With The Sweet
7.Take The Bitter
With The Sweet
8.She's Into Something

9. Recipe For Love 10.Woman Wanted (8 Takes)
11.Read Way Back (9 Takes including backing track)
12.You Shook Me 13.Elevate Me Mama
14.You Don't Have To Go.
Just fucking awesome music,you will probably be
listening to this disc over and over,like a nut,like me.
It packs the most punch...it's otherworldly.
It's hoodoo voodoo. Just listen to the Woman
Wanted 8 takes-there's some pretty amazing guitar
playing,and these were thrown away! (See take 3)
One of those Chess brothers complains he's popping
into the mic.Well it's all live in the studio, everyone's
doing it live all together.It's great to hear studio
chatter it's always funny, to hear them swearing,trying
to make a record! One of the takes Muddy says he
forgets what he's doing,all while he's playing these
incredible guitar runs...he forgets?
He must've done this stuff in his sleep he's
so natural about it.I'm just not so sure about

Muddy's Recipe For Love,I'm thinking mine is
more nine disc box sets of more music huh?

Another recipe for love would be that Chess
Records releases more outtakes and tracks
they're sitting on!


Muddy Waters 9

Muddy Waters - The Complete Chess 1947-1967 Discs 7 & 8 My Dog Can't Bark


Discs seven and eight good music fans:
pretty much a lot of the songs appear on the Folksinger
album from disc seven. Disc eight really gets moving
with some faster blues numbers are probably younger
players with Muddy, that are spirited,I'm totally digging
the tune My Dog Can't Bark,too bad they didn't keep
the song going,it gets pretty interesting,then fades out.
I also like the tunes Put Me In Your Layaway Plan,
Hard Loser,Find Yourself Another Fool,
Kinfolk Blues,
and other standard shouters / blues wailers.
I'm apt to stay away from the 1968 horn tracks, like
Going Back To Memphis, and the country fried
Corine,Corina. It just doesn't sound like he's into
the groove,man. Oh well,there's still plenty o music
for everyone here whatever your thing is.

Disc 7:
1. Elevate Me Mama 2.So Glad I'm Living
3.My Love Strikes Like Lightning 4.Early In
The Morning 5.One More Mile 6. 12.Highway
7.You Don't Have To Go 8.Things I Used To Do
9.Wee Wee Baby 10.Sitting And Thinking
11.Clouds In My Heart 12.Got My Mojo Working
13.She's 19 Years Old 14.My Home Is the Delta
15.Long Distance 16.My Captain
17.Good Morning
Little Schoolgirl
18.You Gonna Need My Help

19.Cold Weather Blues 20.Big Leg Woman
21.Country Boy 22.Feel Like Going Home


Disc 8:
1.The Same Thing 2.You Can't Lose What You
Ain't Never Had 3.My John The Conquer Root
4.Short Dress Woman 5.Put Me In Your Lay Away
6.My Dog Can't Bark 7.I Got A Rich Man's Woman
8.Making Friends 9.Betty And Dupree 10.Trouble
11.Black Night 12.Trouble In Mind 13.Take My Advice
14.Hard Loser 15.Going Back To Memphis
16.Piney Brown Blues 17.Sweet Little Angel
18.Corine,Corina 19.It's All Over 20.County Jail
21.Two Steps Forward 22.Blind Man 23.Find Yourself
Another Fool 24.Kinfolk's Blues 25.Birdnest On The
Ground 26.When The Eagle Flies

Muddy Waters 7

Muddy Waters 8

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Muddy Waters - The Complete Chess 1947-1967 Discs 5 & 6 Tiger In Your Tank!


Discs five and six,coming at ya! Even if you're not in the
mood for Muddy's blues,make sure you listen to this series.
Otherwise,you are shortchanging your bad self,and you're
missing out on great music.
Disc 5:
1. Lonesome Road Blues 2. Moppers Blues 3. Take The Bitter
With The Sweet 4. She's Into Something 5. Southbound Train
6. Just A Dream 7. I Feel So Good 8. Hey Hey 9. Love Affair
10. Recipe For Love 11. Baby I Done Got Wise
12. Tell Me Baby 13. When I Get To Thinking
14. Double Trouble 15. Woman Wanted 16. Read Way Back
17. I'm Your Doctor 18. Deep Down In My Heart
19. Tiger In Your Tank 20. Soon Forgotten
21. Meanest Woman 22. I Got My Brand On You
Disc 6: (Live tracks 1-9 Incredible sound! Fine playing!)
1. I Got My Brand On You 2. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
3. Baby,Please Don't Go 4. Soon Forgotten 5. Tiger In Your Tank
6. I Feel So Good 7. Got My Mojo Working 8. Got My Mojo
Working Part 2 9. Goodbye Newport Blues 10. Real Love
11. Lonesome Room Blues 12. Messin' With The Man
13. Going Home 14. Down By The Deep Blue Sea
15. Muddy Waters Twist 16. Tough Times 17. You Shook Me
18. You Need Love 19. Little Brown Bird 20. Five Long Years
21. Brown Skin Woman 22. Twenty Four Hours 23. Coming
Round The Mountain 24. Let Me Hang Around
Muddy Waters 5

Muddy Waters 6


Saturday, October 17, 2009

Muddy Waters - The Complete Chess 1947-1967 Discs 3 & 4


Discs 3 & 4 have 22 and 26 tracks and sound better than
any other Muddy Waters CD's I have heard so get 'em while
you can. A large amount of songs in this series are written by:
Muddy, Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Bill Broonzy,
and Sonny Boy Williamson. I'm going to let the music speak
for itself.
Disc 3 tracks: 1.Flood 2. My Life Is Ruined 3. She's All Right
4. Sad Sad Day 5. Turn The Lamp Down Low(Baby Please
Don't Go) 6. Loving Man 7. Blow Wind Blow 8. Mad Love
(I Want You To Love Me) 9. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
10. She's So Pretty 11. I Just Want To Make Love To You
12. Oh Yeh 13. I'm Ready 14. Smokestack Lightning
15. I Don't Know Why 16. I'm A Natural Born Lover
17. Ooh Wee 18. This Pain 19. Young Fashioned Ways
20. I Want To Be Loved 21. My Eyes(Keep Me In Trouble)
22. Mannish Boy 23. I Got To Find My Baby 24. Sugar Sweet
25. Trouble No More 26. Clouds In My Heart.

Disc 4 tracks: 1. Forty Days And Forty Nights 2. All Aboard
3. Just To Be With You 4. Don't Go No Further 5. Diamonds At
Your Feet 6. I Live The Life I Love,I Love The Life I Live
7. Rock Me 8. Look What You Done 9. Got My Mojo Working
10. Good News 11. Evil 12. Come Home Baby,I Wish You Would
13. Let Me Hang Around 14. I Won't Go On 15. She's Got It
16. Born Lover 17. She's 19 Years Old 18. Close To You
19. Walkin' Thru The Park 20. Blues Before Sunrise
21. Mean Mistreater 22. Crawlin' Kingsnake
Complete with artwork: back scans, front covers.
The titles alone should move you.

Muddy Waters 3

Muddy Waters 4



Monday, October 12, 2009

Muddy Waters - The Complete Chess 1947-1967 Discs 1 & 2






You can't have Howlin' Wolf without Muddy Waters,
so
I'm also going to post this whole series here on this
blog.The way things are going, maybe blogger might not
last much longer,(no don't freak out,just be wary of it)
and if you enjoy music as much as I do, it's best to post
the things that matter and mean something to
you,so that's why I'm veering off into the blues lately. Plus
I like listening to it, and find it more creative than today's
latest rehashed shit rock coming over the speakers. I'm
certain even the artists today wish they had a shred of this
man's talent. And for you people who think I'm living in
the past,well,I think it's a better place than right nowsville.
This ain't no nostalgia trip,this is real music to bite into.
And if you're smart,you're gonna pick this up,listen to it,
and see for yourself why I think it's great! So much rock
& roll and punk comes from the blues. It's honest and real.
It's made by people who didn't take music lessons,and they
just kept making music,even though it was not popular or
widely accepted. When Motown began churning out big
city hits, and more polished records for urban blacks,
music made for and made by black people everyone
abandoned this form of countrified blues.Even though
people in Chicago dug it, the new sound was Motown
and guys like Muddy had a rough time getting people to
buy his records after that. I'm glad the Stones came
along and reminded people where the real blues rock
came from. I'm glad that Chuck Berry came along and saved
Chess records from going down.Chuck's records were
more modern, and easily more marketable to radio,they
sold well making Muddy able to still record even
though his kind of music was on the way out.
Muddy Waters 1

Muddy Waters 2


Friday, October 2, 2009

Howlin' Wolf - Complete Chess Recordings 1951-1969 Discs 6 & 7




The lasts discs- volumes 6 & 7 contain 18 and 24 more tracks
each.
Gotta have more Wolf, never can get enough. There's
some amazing
outtakes, on these last disc. I'm talking
about disc 7.
There's You Gonna Wreck My Life
(Alternate Take),
Moaning For My Baby (3-4 takes),
I've Been Abused (Takes 5-7)
Howlin' For My Darlin'
(Takes 1-7), and the best stuff is Mr. Airplane Man (Takes 1-2)

The Wolf messes up the lyrics, and the engineer, probably
Leonard Chess starts telling him,
Ah...Wolf...the airplane flies
he doesn't sail...motherfucker"...
Clearly Wolf just had
done a long session, and maybe screwed up a line...
usually they recorded long ass sessions, to get the
feeling right.
All recorded live, why bother adding anything,it's
warts and all,
and beautiful the way it is. The music,it's spine
tingling, it's ferocious, how do you top this?
I love the howls, and falsetto echoing howls.This is a cool
series of discs and I'm glad I could share them with you.
I'm not sure what I'm gonna post next, this series of discs has
got a hold on my ears. I might start going through more blues
discs, and well, I don't know, find another band to obsess
about, like usual.
Howlin' Wolf 6

Howlin' Wolf 7


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Howlin' Wolf - Complete Chess Recordings 1951-1969 Discs 4 & 5




Disc 4 & 5 feature 24 and 25 more songs to wet your whistle.
Some of the best songs Willie Dixon ever wrote are on disc 5.
And disc 4 is mostly Chester Burnett or Howlin' Wolf's written
songs. How can you compare? You can't compare
"I Asked For Water" to "Down In The Bottom", they're both
equally great. One particular song was written by both Burnett
and Dixon and that is "Howlin' For My Darling". Again, they are
all strong songs, even the ones,that aren't blues ready classics are
still better than many other blues artists best works. Maybe it's
the delivery, and the emotional content. You bet it is.
Sam Phillips "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said,This is for me.
This is where the soul of a man never dies!"
Then Wolf came over to the studio...he was six foot six, with
the biggest feet I've ever seen...He would sit there with two
feet planted wide apart,playing nothing but the French harp,
and I tell you, the greatest show you could see to this day
would be Chester Burnett in my studio".
The first session at Sun Records was held on May 14th or
in July of 1951,with the Wolf, Willie Johnson, and
Willie Steele (Ike Turner added his energetic style on piano
on "How Many More Years") There was no attempt to tone
down the powerful sound of the band,indeed the first
results encapsulate the Wolf's sound: the eerie moans and
howls,the rasping and menacing voice,the consistent lyrical
theme of being cheated and abused,all fueled by aggressive
harp and guitar playing.
The results were new,exciting and immediate. I give you,
both discs 4 and 5, it's the mostest daddy-o.
Howlin' Wolf 4

Howlin' Wolf 5

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Howlin' Wolf - Complete Chess Recordings 1951-1969 Disc 2 and 3



Discs 2 and 3 have 21 and 20 tracks each, and
MANY songs you never heard before.
A lot of tracks
are alternate takes,
and many songs are never played
on the radio-EVER!
So there's a wealth of music
that is begging to be loved
by you. My favorite song
must be Forty-Four. I'm not
really so sure what the
song means,but it lumbers along,
and I think
he's singing about carrying a gun,to do some
harm.
He wears this gun so long,it made his shoulder
sore.
I think that's what he's singing, but I guess the
lyrics don't
mean that much for me,I like the
melody and the
stomping and the piano,which
takes an active role in this
song. It's menacing.
I also like the Wolf's fine fine harmonica playing.

I like the guitar, I like the stomp.I like the drumming.

Nobody plays this song on the radio?!
What's wrong with you?
I'm guessing if some opened
minded blues DJ
played it, listeners would call and
ask about this song,and love it. If you love this band,
and Howlin' Wolf's music, I urge you to read a book
called Moaning At Midnight-The Life And Times Of Howlin'
Wolf By James Segrest & Mark Hoffman. It's a complete
biography of an amazing guy. It's a fantastic book.
From the Introduction: "He was one of a kind.Nobody I heard
before him or after him had that fantastic delivery-that certain
something in his voice that seemed like a sword that'd
pierce your soul when he'd sing. Wolf was already a great singer
and musician when I first met him. To my mind, he's one of the
greatest ever.We'll never see another like him." -B.B. King
Go ahead and pierce your soul here.
Howlin' Wolf 2

Howlin' Wolf 3


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Howlin' Wolf - Complete Chess Recordings 1951-1969 Disc 1


Howlin' Wolf born Chester Burnett June 10,1910 -
January 10th,1976.

He's one of my favorite musicians,and singers,ever!
This is from the series on Charly Records, and is very hard to find,
and worth tracking down, simply because it's so full of music,
it's hypnotizing, it's emotional,it's the greatest blues recordings,made
from an amazing man.
I'm not the only person who feels this way...So recollected
Robert Palmer on seeing Howlin' wolf perform in 1965,but that was
only the beginning: "The signal to finish (the show)led to a grand finale
of Wolf feigning an exit,and suddenly making a flying leap for the
curtain at the side of the stage. Holding the microphone under his
beefy right arm and singing into it all the while,he began climbing
up the curtain,until he was perched far above the stage,the thick
curtain threatening to rip...then he loosened his grip ...slid right back
down...hit the stage,cut off the tune,and stalked away,to the most
ecstatic cheers of the evening. He was 55 years old".
I wish I could have seen that!!! As if the singing and playing didn't
slay you, the climbing the curtain surely made you shit your pants,
what a showman! Well, while you listen to this disc,please think of
that image.This is a powerful performer, and they don't make 'em
like this anymore.
Howlin' Wolf 1

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Chuck Berry - The Chess Years Red Box - Reelin' And Rockin'



The final three discs to this set. I wasn't trying to keep it from
the fans, just busy doing other musical things. Trust me, I'd never
keep you from Chuck Berry,he's just too cool!
Well, the last remaining discs here have 14 tracks,16 and 24
per disc, and are just as important of any of the other discs!
Now, you are a hipster. Don't forget Chuck inspired The Beatles,
The Stones, and The Beach Boys, and untold thousands more
musicians, and then all of the non musicians who are just fans!
He's in a class all by himself!
Chuck 7

Chuck 8

Chuck 9

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Chuck Berry - The Chess Years Red Box - I Want to Be Your Driver


Discs Five & Six today, with 25 and 27 tracks each. Still a couple of
cool hits and a lot less known tracks from the 1950's, and some from
the early 60's to mid 60's.This is perhaps the more less known music:
My Mustang Ford, Merrily We Rock & Roll, She Once Was Mine,
Ain't That Just Like A Woman, Lonely School Days, I'm A Rocker,
No Particular Place To Go, Chuck's Beat, I Want To Be Your Driver,
and it's strong as ever with that Chuck Berry patented riff all throughout.
It's also some excitable, happy music, the song Butterscotch is a
serious guitar workout,instrumental not to be missed.
A lot of these 60's tracks have the same themes in them from the
vintage 50's Chuck, but they never seem to sound too dated.
After It Over is a slow blues instrumental number that really
shows his guitar playing off. Everyday We Rock & Roll is yet
another guitar riff-fest.
Chuck 5

Chuck 6