Breakin It Up: Breakin It Down Review

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(More customer reviews)Muddy Waters' work on Chess Records from the late 1940s to the early 1970s is truly amazing. He was the most powerful blues artist and one of the best songwriters. Many fans think he was in decline in the mid-1970s when "Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down" was recorded. This concert document should dispel those thoughts. It might have taken Muddy longer to build up a head of steam, but when he got rollin', he was as "mannish" as ever. With old pal James Cotton blowing away on harp and Johnny Winter (who ignited Muddy's revival by producing his later records on Blue Sky Records) as his co-stars on the 1977 tour, Muddy was pushed to the heights he regularly reached in his 1950s and 1960s heyday ("Pinetop" Perkins on piano, and Bob Margolin on guitar also shine). The live version of "Can't be Satisfied" - the second cut on the disc - is as strong as any live recording in his career. I saw this band at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. and the three stars were on fire and having a whale of a time. When I bought "Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down," I thought, "there is no way this recording will be as good as I remember the show." But not to worry, it's all here and hearing it again made me smile at the memories of Muddy, James, and Johnny pouring out electric blues. A rousing "Got My Mojo Working" (the encore) finishes things up nicely. Someone once said, "In Muddy Waters' hands 'the blues' is a misnomer."

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Jerry Lee Lewis and Friends (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned this DVD for several years and was happy to see that others can enjoy it since it has been re-released and is therefore affordable again.
The charisma wafts from the stage from the very minute Jerry Lee Lewis sits down at the piano and breaks into a bit of rockabilly genius, "I Am What I Am." "I was born country", he wails, "but I was raised on rock 'n' roll. Oh, Hank Williams' music burnin' way down deep in Jerry Lee's soul. If Hank Williams were alive today......He'd say son, keep on movin', keep on shakin' away." This infectious rock/country gem could not have been a more fitting opener for what is a spellbinding, piano scorching, often astounding set of rockabilly, country and pure musicianship. While the effects of hard living are clearly etched on his face, at age 54 Lewis had lost none of his powers.......the amazing deft piano artistry and country/rock vocal wail are fully intact.
Unfortunately the credits are glaringly lax, naming musicians but not matching them with what they play, so one is left to guess which lesser known artist is playing what. But what an assemblage of talent: A six guitar attack, including Dave Davies (The Kinks), rockabilly stalwart Dave Edmunds, and Brian May (Queen). Of the three remaining guitarists, I recognized one, possibly two, as members of Lewis' regular touring band. Some of the other guitarists such as Davies and May join the entourage maybe half way through the set. And regrettably, the drummer providing the magnificent syncopy throughout remains anonymous. His timekeeping is almost the centerpiece of the performance, the glue which holds a collection of stars together. Completing this fine rock 'n' roll orchestra are two bassists: John Lodge (Moody Blues) and Phil Chen (Jeff Beck, David Lindley). Van Morrison makes a cameo, two song appearance. As further evidence of the inadequacy of the credits, the DVD cover says it took place at "London's Labatt's Apollo." the on-screen credits say, "London's Hammersmith Odeon." Someone was obviously very confused.
But these are minor deficiencies. The sound is great. I don't have an expensive stereo; my 100 Watt digital receiver/amp, two three-way speakers and a subwoofer all add up to about $450. Yet I challenge anyone to pump this DVD through a similar setup and not be convinced that Jerry Lee's piano is sitting in their home. The camera work is marvelous. Lewis' lightning quick dexterity on the ivories is in full view throughout from a close-up or side view, or an overhead lens looking straight down on the keys.
From the mentioned opening tune, Lewis moves into a somewhat perfunctory reading of the jumping country number, "I Don't Want to be Lonely Tonight." It could not be considered one of the highlights of the show. Williams' influence registers again as Lewis showcases his classic country wail with the Williams ballad, "You Win Again."
Next, things really get rolling with Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman." I haven't listened to a lot of Ray Charles, but I would be interested in hearing a Charles recording which showcases this kind of sprightly piano work.
Van Morrison weighs in next for a lively vocal duet with Lewis on the ballad, "Goodnight Irene." Morrison sticks around for another duet as Lewis taps into the Charles catalogue once again for a scorching "What'd I Say."
Next Lewis takes us all the way back to the Fifties and the vaults of Sun Records for a jumping "High School Confidential." The bandleader's wide grin at the tune's close is evidence that he has not yet completely submitted to the throes of addiction. "We got that one rollin' that time, now didn't we?" Lewis gushes. "Let's do it again." And they do. The pure rapture of rock 'n' roll is all over Jerry Lee's face and it's a joy to behold.
Six bell ringing guitarists, two bassists, and a most rock steady drummer add up to one superb rock 'n' roll orchestra, and they stay right in the groove for "Rockin' My Life Away", "Johnny B. Goode", "Whole Lotta Shakin'", "Great Balls of Fire", "Good Golly Miss Molly", and "Tutti Frutti."
The next tune is for me, along with the opener, the highlight of the show. I have played this DVD many times by now, and the sizzling "Mexicali Rose" has never failed yet to give me goose bumps. Herein lies Lewis' great legacy of innovation: I defy anyone to categorize this as rock or country, the two are so beautifully and inextricably combined. Lewis' barroom honky-tonk piano excursions are nothing but pure ecstasy.
The set concludes with more straight rock 'n' roll, "Wild One", the six guitars ringing the night away as acknowledging handshakes and nods are extended to Lewis by all as he exits.
Total running time is 61 minutes. This DVD would be worth the $15 I paid over the counter if all it contained were the country/rock genius of "I Am What I Am" and "Mexicali Rose." Add to that the other thrills herein, including a couple of sterling Ray Charles covers, and I can only call this a priceless addition to any collection.

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Jerry Lee Lewis performs to a sold-out audience in London’s Labatt’s Apollo joined by a number of special guests, including Van Morrison, Dave Edmunds, John Lodge (Moody Blues), Brian May (Queen), Dave Davies (The Kinks) and many more! This title has been out of print for a number of years, and is now available for fans of all the participants in this magnificent show.Tracklisting: 1. I Am What I Am 2. I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Tonight 3. You Win Again 4. I Got A Woman 5. Goodnight Irene 6. What I’d Say 7. High School Confidential 8. Rockin’ My Life Away 9. Johnny B. Goode 10. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On 11. Great Balls Of Fire 12. Good Golly Miss Molly / Tutti Frutti 13. Mexicali Rose 14. Wild OneBonus Features: Biographies of Jerry Lee Lewis and guests

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American Folk-Blues Festival: The British Tours 1963-1966 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This series originally came out during the Year Of The Blues (2003) and provided us with glimpses of the real originals in this genre. The first three volumes gave us a lot of wonderful clips of Wolf, Sonny Boy, Memphis Slim, Otis Rush, Muddy, T-Bone, Big Mamma, Lonnie Johnson and so on. The German settings were a bit sterile and often staged to look like a Juke or with strange back drops of urban America. This set, from 1963-1966, is more like a concert. And it's great!
The concert format with an appreciative audience is really fantastic and well done for the time. We see Sonny Boy Williamson in three performances with the harp in his mouth sideways and playing with his NOSE! He is cool, no wonder he taught Little Walter (whose only recorded performance is in Vol. 3 of this series!).We also see Hubert Sumlin play with Sonny Boy on his second offering in this show. He turns in one of his most unusual solos in "Getting Out Of Town"- very chromatic and almost jazzy! We see Muddy as a stand up singer (no guitar), on "Mojo" and in two bonus performances. He has Matt "Guitar" Murphy playing behind him on this one (who was playing with Memphis Slim at the time). There is a rare look at the great Lonnie Johnson, who plays by himself and shows us why he is one of the original inventors of the Urban Blues guitar style. Big Joe Williams gives us a close up view of his famous nine string guitar.
Lightnin' Hopkins plays his distinctive Texas-style acoustic blues, with a few tricks on the fretboard as well. Howlin' Wolf puts in, to me, his best ever filmed performance-it's worth the price of the whole thing!!! He does an update of "Smokestack Lightning" (without its famous riff) and "Don't Laugh At Me" in a "Killing Floor" groove, a song which had just been recorded. And we also see a young Hubert Sumlin playing with Wolf and also with Sugar Pie Desanto's female input (these shows always had at least one female performer).
Big Joe Turner does his usual big voiced thing and he has Otis Rush on lead guitar, it's a fantastic performance, one of the best insight's into Otis's guitar style we've seen. A bonus in this tune is that we see maybe the only existing footage of pianist Little Brother Montgomery who wrote "The First Time I met the Blues" and "I Can't Keep From Crying"-this is a rarity. Also scarce is film of drummer Fred Below, who gave the beat to Chess Records. Fred plays on this tune and in Junior Well's section.
Junior Wells is in his James Brown groove (he always did this! In Australia in 1991 when I saw him he led off with "I Feel Good"). He does Ray Charles'"What'D I Say" in a JB style, but we hear no harp! Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the first US Blues/Gospel acts to crack the UK, finishes the set with two of the bonus tracks. They are superb as is Muddy Waters' two bonus tracks staged and filmed at a railway station-very effective. His slide playing (standing up) is another extremely rare view of Muddy.
This is one of the most historic releases for urban blues yet available. The sound has been remixed by Eddie Kramer (of Jimi Hendrix fame) and Reelin' In The Years Productions have done it again! I hope they can find more of these rarities soon. We need the Fillmore Concerts that were on PBS in the late sixities. Get this for your Blues collection and check the price, what a bargain!

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AMERICAN FOLK BLUES FESTIVAL:BRITISH - DVD Movie

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