Before I start writing this review I must come clean, I like blues, but it's one of the many genrés of music I like that I know the least of, being a newcomer to the genré. Something which can only be blamed on the Eslöv City blues festival that has sparked an interest in the genré for me.
To me and all newcomers, this is a wonderful compilation put out by a Swedish record label called "Bakhåll" and I couldn't resist buying it, not only cos I want to support the scene in Sweden and the fact that it was ridiculously cheap, it cost me about €5, no, cos what you get here is the perfect introduction to the genré.
On this little darling, you get 20 of the best known American blues singers doing some of their best numbers. BB King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, they're all here. Then add the fact that you get a good little brochure with facts about the performers that is highly welcomed for people like me, people who consider starting a blues record collection. The brochure is in Swedish, though, which might make it less usable for non-Swedes.
Why should one buy a compilation of blues then? You get a load of different styles of blues, some with bands and some just an acoustic guitar on them, "but doesn't all blues tunes sound the same?", my punk and skinhead mates ask me. No, they don't, they all bring the performers soul into the music which make every number stand out. Even if you're not a blues die-hard, you should respect the legacy of the genré. Most tunes on this compilation comes from the 50's and sure, not much groundbreaking has been done since then, but blues has gone on, through r&b, to influence everything from rockabilly over the mod music of the 60's to punk. There's a straight lineage of influence from that time till the present.
As I said, this record makes one want to start a collection of blues vinyl. Every tune on this album is a killer! The tunes, apart from those of the superstars of the genré that stand out are the tunes of JB Lenoir and Jimmy Reed, both of whom I'll check out more stuff by.
I really liked this compilations and it get a bloomin 96,7% in rate of satisfaction
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