VARIOUS ARTISTS
Pure Blues: 20 Essential Blues Recordings
(UTV Records/Universal Music)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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For the last couple of years I've passed by many, many blues compilations in the Various Artists bins in the record stores. Seems like they've been multiplying faster than the notes on a solo from the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, but if they win new converts over to the blues, these sampler CDs have certainly done their jobs. Last month I broke down and succumbed to the spell cast by Pure Blues, an outstanding blues collection. If you like electric, post-war blues, Pure Blues is a true encyclopedia of the blues featuring Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thornton, and John Lee Hooker, just to name a few. There's not much acoustic stuff here, but if Duane Allman and Eric Clapton's duel and duet on "Mean Old World" leads listeners to go deeper into either of these musician's catalogues, Pure Blues has done its job. While I'd rather have heard other songs by Jonny Lang, Buddy Guy, or B.B. King from Universal's vaults, Luther Allison's "Little Red Rooster" and Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Flood Down in Texas" is pure blues joy for fans of high energy electric blues. Pick up Pure Blues, if only to have classics like Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful," The Allman Brothers' "Statesboro Blues," or "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" from Muddy Waters all on the same disc. Take a look at the songs on this disc, and you'll agree that it contains 20 tracks that are an essential part of any blues fan's blues library.

Track List:

Mean Old World/Eric Clapton and Duane Allman * Good Morning Little Schoolgirl/Jonny Lang * Shame, Shame, Shame/Kenny Wayne Shepard * Flood Down in Texas/Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble * Smoking Gun/Robert Cray * Just Won't Burn/Susan Tedeschi * Little Red Rooster/Luther Allison * Let Me Love You Baby/Buddy Guy * Statesboro Blues/The Allman Brothers * Spoonful/Howlin' Wolf * (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man/Muddy Waters * Have You Ever Loved a Woman/Freddy King * Hound Dog/Big Mama Thornton * Big Boss Man/Jimmy Reed * One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer/John Lee Hooker * Wang Dang Doodle/Koko Taylor * Born Under a Bad Sign/Albert King * Tell Mama/Etta James * Turn on Your Love Light/Bobby "Blue" Bland * The Thrill Is Gone/B.B. King

© 2003 - Eric Steiner