Are You Mad at Me?

This five-disc collection from London's JSP Records brings together 126 sides that Lightnin' Hopkins tracked for the Aladdin, Modern/RPM, and Gold Star labels at the very start of his recording career. Included are the Texas bluesman's first hit, "Katie May" from 1946, "T-Model Blues" from 1949, and arguably the most startling Hopkins composition, the powerful "Tim Moore's Farm," also from 1949. Most of the tracks are Hopkins solo, playing either acoustic or electric guitar, but he takes a turn at the organ for "Organ Boogie," a track that shows the same adventuresome liberties with tempo and time that mark all of his work, whatever the instrument. Since his approach and style to the blues never altered throughout his life, a case could be made that these first recordings are the ones to get, but at an astounding 126 tracks, this set is mind-numbing overkill for all but the most devoted fan.

Buck Owens - Buck 'Em! - Volume 2: The Music Of Buck Owens (1967-1975) (2015) {2CD Omnivore Recordings OVCD-135}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 859 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 304 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 78 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1967-75, 2015 Omnivore Recordings | OVCD-135
Country / Bakersfield Sound / Honky Tonk / Traditional Country

Two years after the first installment comes Buck 'Em!: The Music of Buck Owens, Vol. 2, a double-disc set chronicling the eight years when Buck Owens was a crossover superstar thanks to his prominent role as a co-host of Hee Haw. Buck started to slide into a rut toward the end of this run – a process accelerated by the tragic death of his right-hand man Don Rich in 1974, a loss from which Owens never fully recovered – but producer Patrick Milligan slyly disguises this trend by nestling deep cuts, live tracks, and outtakes among the best of his hits, thereby painting a portrait of Buck Owens as a musician nearly as adventurous as he was during the purple patch of the '50s and early '60s.

Although Basie's years with RCA Victor are usually regarded as his weakest, there is still plenty of good music to hear from these years. "Sweets" Edison and Emmett Berry still sparked the trumpet section and tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate and singer Jimmy Rushing were still on board. Perhaps the most interesting feature from these years, though, was the addition of an unknown tenorman who had only recently replaced Illinois Jacquet, a guy named Paul Gonsalves. While there are a few throwaway novelties in this set, there are also some fine performances, both by the band itself and by a small "band within the band".