Audio CD review:
Albert King - Live

Albert King - Live

Band: Albert King Title: Live Rating: Release Date: 01 February, 1994 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Watermelon Man 2: Don't Burn Down The Bridge 3: Blues At Sunrise 4: That's What The Blues Is all About 5: Stormy Monday 6: Kansas City 7: I'm Gonna Call You As Soon As The Sun Goes Down 8: Matchbox Holds My Clothes 9: As The Years Go Passing By 10: I'll Play The Blues For You

Customer Reviews Personal favorite The material on both albums is from King's 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival appearance. All tracks from this album plus "Overall Junction" and "Jam in A Flat" are on 'Blues from the Road' (Fuel 2000/Varese Sarabande), which also has informative liner notes by Bill Dahl. While his Tomato studio albums from the '70s seem contrived and less satisfying than his King/Bobbin ('50s), Stax ('60s), and Fantasy ('80s) albums, I prefer his live albums from this period to those before and after. King seemed to have found his musical home with the horns on the road, after having been juxtaposed to them and female choruses in the studio. Compared to the '50s and '60s live albums, the sound is fuller, the solos even more focused and meaningful, and the vocal presence even more centered and commanding. There are precious few live albums from the '80s. I have 'Live in Canada' (Charly Blues Legends 'Live' Vol. 6): no date is given, but the Elmore James number "The Sky Is Crying" and the "Texas Flood"-rewrite "Rainin' in California" put it in the mid-'80s. It's a fine CD, but the recording quality is lacking (excellent for an audie) and King didn't seem to be reaching anymore or feeling he had something to prove or reveal. 'Live' (Tomato/Rhino/Wea) is my favorite blues album. 'Blues from the Road' may be more complete, but I prefer the single disc format of 'Live' with its "Watermelon Man" opener--a perfect combination of convenience and musical sense. I enjoy having both, frankly, since the extra tracks are well worthwhile. The most influential blues guitarist ever! Albert King was one of those whose playing inspired me to learn guitar. I could bore you with compiling a list of the musicians in the rock, blues, jazz, and new age field who were influenced by this master of electric blues but I will refrain from doing so. I thought "heck, it sounds easy enough for me to play". Aah the naive thoughts of youth! Truth be told often the easiest sounding parts are the hardest to play and play with authority. Albert plays a lot of the same licks but inflects them differently in delivery - a talent that is in and of itself notable. He finds ways to transcend the patterns that all - himself included - fall into when playing. To quote Robert Palmer, his solos combine both "torrential power and striking freshness" and his style works not only in traditional shuffle style blues but also with r & b, funk, soul, jazz, and rock stylings backing him up. No offense intended to BB King partisans with the title of this review (or to BB himself), but the truth is the truth. BB is (and has been) a wonderful ambassador for the blues. However, if we are talking about whose stylings have been most influential, Albert comes out ahead by quite a ways. No one has ever played the guitar with more authority for one thing. Also, Albert combined an impeccable sense of timing, the ability to utilize dynamics effectively, a penchant for economy of notes, and the ability to subtly inflect the notes he played with an individuality that few have ever approached. On top of that, his style was akin to a wrecking ball slamming into a building. His was a killer tone coupled with the elements I outlined earlier that many have sought - and still seek to - emulate in their playing (including yours truly). As Robert Palmer astutely pointed out in the liner notes, Albert's playing is never cluttered. On this album he plays uptempo jazzier tunes, scorching slower blues, and songs where he combines his approach with music stylings then current (circa 1978). More could be stated but perhaps the best tribute to Albert King was from Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh (who also eulogized him at his funeral in December 1992). Joe Walsh stated quite bluntly that "Albert King could blow away Eddie Van Halen with his amp on standby". Obtain this CD and listen to King live employing the various elements of his unique style. If you are infected with "MTV-itis" be warned: the songs on this disk average about 8 minutes per with some surpassing 10 minutes long. But then if you enjoy good music and biting soulful playing, you will not be disappointed. Tim He puts everything he has in each song, each note, each word. This is a very solid cd! Albert King is as close to musical perfection as there will be, this is a GREAT example of why. . . This cd takes you into the crowd for that concert, no matter where you listen to this cd you gain a sense of feeling for King's onstage presence; in word--captivating. Each track on here is clearly recorded and very well presented. This cd is NO gamble--you will enjoy it for many, many years. . You can see a complete list of all Albert King discography, or go back to the Albert King tabs