By Hound

This two CD overview of both Hound Dog Taylor and his sidekick Brewer Phillips features some of the toughest Chicago Blues ever recorded. The legendary JSP Brewer Phillips studio album is included in its entirety. Early small label sides by Hound Dog Taylor are collected together for the first time and this set features the very first CD release of the Live At Florences recordings.

Natural Boogie is the second studio album released by Hound Dog Taylor and his band The HouseRockers. Released on Alligator Records in 1974, it was the follow up to their 1971 debut album Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers. Natural Boogie was recorded at Sound Studios in Chicago, and produced by Hound Dog Taylor and Bruce Iglauer. It was Taylor's second album, and the last to be released during his lifetime.

Beware of the Dog was Hound Dog Taylor's posthumous live album containing performances that are even steamier than his first two studio albums, if such a notion is possible. For lowdown slow blues, it's hard to beat the heartfelt closer "Freddie's Blues," and for surreal moments on wax, it's equally hard to beat the funkhouse-turned-loony bin dementia of "Let's Get Funky" or the hopped up hillbilly fever rendition of "Comin' Around the Mountain".

The release of 'Unleashed' on r.a.r.e. complements the band's original classic 'Growers of Mushroom', a legendary 1970s album, reissued on Repertoire in 2005. This newly recorded set of high-octane performances features powerhouse vocalist Peter French - after spells with Cactus and Atomic Rooster - now back with a new line-up featuring fleet fingered guitarist Luke Rayner, Ed Pearson (bass) and Jimmy Rowland (drums). Dynamic tracks such as 'One hundred and five degrees', 'Barricades' and 'Too many rock'n'roll times' epitomise the band's allegiance to the legacy of Cream, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Outstanding cut 'Breakthrough' is a new version of a song originally sung by Peter French with Atomic Rooster in the 1970s.

The first album and the perfect place to start. Wild, raucous, crazy music straight out of the South Side clubs. The incessant drive of Hound Dog's playing is best heard on "Give Me Back My Wig," "55th Street Boogie," and "Taylor's Rock," while the sound of Brewer Phillips' Telecaster on "Phillips' Theme" gives new meaning to the phrase "sheet metal tone." One of the greatest slide guitar albums of all time.

As the debut act on the fledgling Alligator label, Hound Dog Taylor obviously holds a hallowed place in owner Bruce Iglauer's heart. That has resulted in more posthumous albums (three) from the raw boogie-blues man than "official" ones (two) released in his lifetime. And that's not including the Alligator tribute disc. Iglauer has returned to raid what must be some pretty threadbare vaults by now, to cobble together this 70-minute collection of live tracks, outtakes, and general leftovers. Fortunately, this barrel-scraping has turned up some real gems, although they are far rougher than what is already in Taylor's gritty, gutbucket rocking catalog. Certainly existing fans won't mind. The rawer than raw - but still far better than bootleg - quality tapes are only for those already in Hound Dog's house…

Hound Dog Taylor's second album was every bit as wild as the first, bringing with it a fatter sound and a wider range of emotions and music. A recut here of Taylor's first single, "Take Five," totally burns the original while the smoldering intensity of "See Me in the Evening" and "Sadie" take this album to places the first one never reached.

Hound Dog Taylor's second album was every bit as wild as the first, bringing with it a fatter sound and a wider range of emotions and music. A recut here of Taylor's first single, "Take Five," totally burns the original while the smoldering intensity of "See Me in the Evening" and "Sadie" take this album to places the first one never reached.