Albert+king

Albert King recorded a lot in the early '60s, including some classic sides, but they never quite hit the mark. They never gained a large audience, nor did they really capture the ferocity of his single-string leads. Then he signed with Stax in 1966 and recorded a number of sessions with the house band, Booker T. & the MG's, and everything just clicked. The MG's gave King supple Southern support, providing an excellent contrast to his tightly wound lead guitar, allowing to him to unleash a torrent of blistering guitar runs that were profoundly influential, not just in blues, but in rock & roll (witness Eric Clapton's unabashed copping of King throughout Cream's Disraeli Gears). Initially, these sessions were just released as singles, but they were soon compiled as King's Stax debut, Born Under a Bad Sign.

It's not as if Albert King hadn't tasted success in his first decade and a half as a performer, but his late-'60s/early-'70s recordings for Stax did win him a substantially larger audience. During those years, the label began earning significant clout amongst rock fans through events like Otis Redding's appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival and a seemingly endless string of classic singles. When King signed to the label in 1966, he was immediately paired with the Stax session team Booker T. & the MG's. The results were impressive: "Crosscut Saw," "Laundromat Blues," and the singles collection Born Under a Bad Sign were all hits. Though 1972's I'll Play the Blues for You followed a slightly different formula, the combination of King, members of the legendary Bar-Kays, the Isaac Hayes Movement, and the sparkling Memphis Horns was hardly a risky endeavor. The result was a trim, funk-infused blues sound that provided ample space for King's oft-imitated guitar playing.

Three disc set compiling, comparing and contrasting three giants of guitar blues, B.B., Freddy and Albert. Although they share a name each guitarist has his own particular and inimitable style. Riley, or B.B. is a Blues institution while Freddy maintained a massively influential position on the British blues boom having Eric Clapton and Peter Greeen as disciples. Albert, with his flying V in tow, was capable of taking four notes and writing a volume. 'He can say more with fewer notes than anyone I've ever seen', said Mike Bloomfield. We have no presidents here, but three musical monarchs will more than suffice.

Live Wire/Blues Power is a live album from Albert King recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. Featuring originals and King’s rendition of classics, the album demonstrates Albert King’s blues prowess. According to Rolling Stone, this album is “Just the unadulterated pure and simple blues.

Albert King, Chico Hamilton & Little Milton - Montreux Festival (1974) {Stax ‎SCD-4132-2 rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 264 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1974, 1991 Stax ‎Records / Fantasy | SCD-4132-2
Jazz / Blues / Modern Electric Blues / Soul-Blues

This is not a long album. Little Milton takes up less than 10 minutes of it in his two songs (Let Me Down Easy, We're Gonna Make It). Chico gets a single cut, the first cut "In View" (12:20), in which he smokes - a nice opening to the show. The last 3 songs are King in fine form in this vintage 1973 show at Montreux - could have offered us more, but it's better than nothing.

A value-added combination of four of the blues guitar legend Albert King's albums, dating from the 1970s to the 1990s, this two-disc best-of notably includes his 1979 Allen Toussaint-produced set NEW ORLEANS HEAT, as well as the workmanlike R&B of 1977's KING ALBERT. Among the highlights are a reworking of Toussaint's "Get Out My Life Woman" and the guitarist's own "Born Under a Bad Sign," and there's also the bonus of King's unlikely yet frequently performed version of Ray Noble's standard "The Very Thought of You," with full string accompaniment. As you'd expect from a chronicle of the master's late-period work, funky, fatback rhythm, horns, and stinging guitar work predominate, overlaid with King's good-natured, relaxed baritone vocals.