Twenty Review

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(More customer reviews)Robert Cray hails from the BB King school of guitar playing.. and I have every single release from RC .. and they are restrained glory in every sense of the word. Then, suddenly in a song, he busts out with some very good guitar playing that catches you off guard.
This particular recording is very complete, and very gospel sounding, in a lot of places.. but yet RC's voice is very gospel sounding in itself.. so I really think that is where a lot of the gospel comparisons come into the mix... and lets face it... a lot of guitar players play guitar and will sing as well.. but in RC's case.. his singing is as every bit of (dare I say even better) than his fantastic guitar ability. This can make for a very pleasureable experience.
This cd does cut fray into the political arena, but robert sings like someone who means what he has to say and is not really trying to paint an overtly political statements... very heartfelt song.
The guitar playing on this CD... there is as much guitar playing on this CD as one would like to hear. RC uses the guitar so much in phrases, and catches so much melody.. and when he does break out in solos, they mean something.
I must admit, this RC cd is a lot better than his past couple... and they were good too, but this one is better.
Enjoy, Have fun.

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Robert Cray and band raise their profile recently with standout appearances in Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival film and DVD as well as Robert’s stunning performances in two in Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival film and DVD as well as Robert’s stunning performances in two segments of Martin Scorsese’s film and just released DVD, Lightning In A Bottle. The band started the year with their 1,000th performance as a unit and now the five-time Grammy winner (11 nominations) delivers Twenty, a set whose title track is a poignant commentary about the US war in Iraq.The Robert Cray Band’s album Twenty was released on a week bookended by the May 24 birthday of one of this generation’s most eloquent protest songwriters, Bob Dylan, and by Memorial Day, May 30. The dates are significant when one considers the subject matter which defines the album’s title track, "Twenty."While Cray has generally focused his writing on personal relationships, his song "Survivor" as well as co-producer and bandmate Jim Pugh's "Distant Shore," both on Cray's 2003 CD Time Will Tell, were also inspired by concerns about what was, at the time of their writing, an impending war in Iraq.Robert Cray is a five time Grammy winner who grew up on military bases in the U.S. and abroad. His father served in Vietnam so Robert has personal knowledge of the effect on a family when one of it’s members is serving abroad. On May 24 – the album’s street date -- TrueMajority.org, a non partisan, non-profit, grassroots education and advocacy project founded by Ben Cohen (Ben & Jerry's), offered the song a streaming audio to its entire online community of 575,000 Americans who are committed to getting government to reflect our values of justice, compassion and sustainability. The release of Twenty, Cray’s fourteenth album, will be backed by an extensive worldwide tour by The Robert Cray Band (beginning on the week of release with a May 26 San Francisco benefit for Music In Schools Today.) The tour will continue across the U.S. and Europe throughout the summer.

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I Want It All Back Review

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(More customer reviews)For fans of Coco Montoya, this disc will come as a bit of a surprise. This is NOT a blues album. Let's face it, Montoya, as good as he is, has made the same guitar oriented blues/rock since the early 90's. This time around the guitar playing is terrific as always, but shall we say restrained. It's Montoya's underrated, superb vocals that are center stage. Backed by a crack band that includes Keb Mo playing tasty rhythm guitar as well as co-producing. This has much more of a soul/r & b vibe. Standout tracks include the cover of the Motown gem "The One Who Really Loves You". "Fannie Mae", featuring Rod and Honey Piazza offering their usual tasteful harp and piano work really pops. Also, the groove laden "Don't Go Makin' Plans" co-written by Little Feat's Paul Barrerre sounds both soulful and funky. It's about time Montoya gets his just due as a great vocalist. This is a nice change of pace, while it won't be for the blues purists, it sure does sound good.

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"Coco Montoya is one of the reasons people mistakenly think blues is easy music to play. His fierce attack is so expert yet sounds so effortless that it makes you believe anyone armed with 12 bars and six strings can pull it off." -- Billboard "Few blues guitarists performing today can top the intensity of former John Mayall sideman Coco Montoya's torrid, Albert Collins-inspired attack. Shards of shivering, feedback-enhanced blue notes fly off the Southern California picker's ax and cut deep into the rhythm section's grooves." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Blistering contemporary blues ... piercing attack; funky, shivery guitar tones; and aggressive, soulful vocals." -- Blues Revue* Catalog has scanned well over 200,000 units! * Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya's explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world. * From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring. * Averaging over 200 tour dates a year, Montoya packs clubs and theaters around the world. He has played major festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, San Francisco Blues Festival, and Canada's International Jazz Festival * Has received glowing praise from the Blues Revue, Living Blues, Village Voice, Billboard, San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Daily News and much more--all of which have ranked him among the best guitarists and singers on the blues scene.

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Live From Across the Pond Review

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(More customer reviews)This isn't a review of the album, it's a review of Ted Drozdowski's (?) editorial review. I just heard Cray open for Clapton in Dallas a few nights ago. I didn't hear Cray downplaying his "incendiary" guitar abilities on stage, either in this album or the recent concert, as Drozdowski contends. B.B.King says he plays in "sentences." Cray is similar--but with longer, more complex sentences. Still, though, sentences. The contrast was startling when Clapton came out and played his melodic paragraphs. Neither is better. They're the unique voice of the respective artist. Cray is so smooth that the transition from vocal to guitar solo is seamless. He's always "incendiary," but it's often a slow burn.
Oh, and BTW, Cray doesn't have a "whammy bar." He plays a Strat with a hard-tail bridge (i.e., no tremelo).

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Strange Pleasure Review

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(More customer reviews)This CD, and the tour that resulted from it, took me by surprise.
Jimmie Vaughan's band is amazingly tight, his vocals are much better than expected. The songs are from a far better musical era. They are reminiscent of something that came from Memphis in the 60's. He uses no bass player. The organist uses bass pedals to round out the bottom of the sound. Austin guitar legend Denny Freeman plays both rhythm guitar & piano and is equally deft at either instrument. The doo wop singers he brought out on tour (after they blew him away in the studio)were a great compliment to his sound. I loved this CD. A tip for guitar players trying to cop his sound: Many people have written in articles that he has gone to an open tuning, with a capo. I was able to talk with him and found that he tunes conventionally, but uses the capo on the proper fret for the key of the song he is playing. This allows him to pull off the strings from any position to get a note which is in key with the song. It is like playing every song in the key of E. This makes his sliding/pulloff licks work. He was not using an open tuning as many people believe. Anyway, buy the CD and good luck playing his chops. Remember, SRV looked up to him. That is a reccomendation.

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Strange Pleasure -Jimmie Vaughan
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Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)Amazon keeps inter-mixing the reviews for the 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection' album and the similarly named 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary tour' album. So I will include a review of both here to set the record straight.
The 'Collection' album is by far superior to the 'tour' album. The collection has many artists on show and offers a bit of everything. The best tracks are AC Reed's 'These blues are killing me' with SRV brilliant on guitar, Little Charlie and the Nightcats with 'Rain', Roy Buchanan's classic 'Drowning on dry land', Koko Taylor with 'That's why i'm crying', Katie Webster with 'Pussycat Moan', Son Seal with 'Going back home' and Hound Dog Taylor and the classic 'Give me back my wig'. The album is uneven as you would expect for a label show case but well worth it as a introduction to a variety of blues styles and artists.
The 1993 20th aniversary tour album has only Li' Ed, (the late) Kattie Wester, Elvin Bishop, Lonnie Brooks and Koko Taylor. The album does typify Alligator records music that by my definition is mostly reasonable blues without being great. This live album has plenty of energy and is listenable, but fails to scale the heights I expect of the blues.

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From the Cradle Review

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(More customer reviews)I almost laughed reading what a previous reviewer said about this album "lacking soul". Man, this is what Eric Clapton is all about. He loves the blues, he lived the blues, he is a blues man. When you hear him growl in "Groaning the Blues", that's Eric practically ripping out his larynx singing the blues to its low-down-and-dirtiest. Eric keeps the blues's integrity alive by recording the songs straight-forward without any overdubs (sans Motherless Child), and yet the sound of the songs are uniquely his own even though they are covers.
And his guitarwork in this album is unparalleled. FIVE LONG YEARS will blow you away. I listened to that song over and over and over and I couldn't get enough of it. If this won't get you to play air guitar, nothing will.
This, in my opinion, is Eric Clapton's best work, period. Eric should have never gone astray to record hoary pop standards; his home is the blues. Don't listen to what the purists say; they don't know anything. Listen to this CD instead.

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Blues Legends: Albert King - Live in Sweden Review

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(More customer reviews)Well it is absolutely about darn time a DVD was released dealing exclusively with the single greatest and most influential Blues guitarist of all time. This DVD certainly has its limitations. It was filmed in 1980 and the wonders of technology haven't done much to improve the audio or visual quality. It is also disappointingly skimpy. Just fifty-eight minutes and that includes pieces of an interview. When I saw the track listing, I was thrilled to see "Summertime". I could hear King's haunting guitar on the standard, and my mouth began to water. Unfortunately, Albert sat this one out, and it is just his band doing a nice, but predictable Jazz version.
Imperfections aside, if you know Albert King's work, you are invariably a fan, and so this DVD is an essential buy. There's plenty of good camera work showing King's giant paws working the frets and choking the you know what out of Lucy, the Gibson Flying V guitar that Albert calls, "My honey". We hear his signature tune "Born Under a Bad Sign" (I still haven't heard a version that wasn't just a little better than decent without King's Stax Records compadres Booker T. & the MGs backing him up) and the standard "The Very Thought of You", which shows that the deep voiced Blues giant was also one heck of a soulful singer, and that though Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn could almost match his power, they never came close to his tastefulness and touch.
King definitely provides great highlights, not only with his playing, but with his always perfectly timed "Woooooooos!" and "Yeahhhhs!". Those moments are great examples of Albert King style Blues. Orgasmic bursts of joy that could instantly cure the bluest man's blues.
Usually depicted as a gruff giant, King comes across more as a lovable teddy bear in the snippets of the interview. I found him to be truly endearing as he chuckles at things he just said. The interview, though pretty skimpy as well, and also the closing number make everything worth while. He does a wonderful version of "As the Years Go Passing By". And as they pass on by, the world will never see his equal. Every year I hear of a new guy on the scene who is being hailed as the heir apparent, but there will never be another Albert King.

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Born in Indianola, Mississippi, Albert King remains one of the mostinfluential blues guitarists of all time and enjoyed a successful career that spanned fourdecades, with wide critical and commercial acceptance throughout the world. The left- handed blues giant wrenched stinging solos from his trademark Gibson Flying V,informing the sound and style of such admirers as Eric Clapton, Luther Allison, StevieRay Vaughan, Taj Mahal and Jimi Hendrix. This never before released concert filmpresents King in top form, tearing through his signature songs at the peak of his career.Songs include "Born under a Bad Sign," "The Sky Is Crying," "The Very Thought ofYou," "Cadillac Assembly Line," "Summertime," "Cold Women with Warm Hearts," "Asthe Years Go Passing By."

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Irish Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)In the late 60's and early 70's, rock was ruled by the guitar gods. Clapton with his smooth licks and easy control. Hendrix with his brash individual style. And Page with his ever adventurous spirit. I had the privilege to see them all. Clapton in a tasty but rare appearance with Derek and the Dominoes. Hendrix in two inconsistent sets that flashed brilliance and boredom. And Page in an arena-sized homage to self indulgence.
Then there was Rory. Eschewing the wall of amplifiers and the "wish-to-kill sound", Gallagher stripped his set to the bare minimum. Small amps, small drum set, and a beat-up old Stratocaster. While the guitar gods brought their large amp banks and egos to match, Gallagher brought his "nice-guy" persona and determined work ethic. Always the gentleman, always the humble showman, Gallagher always put the audience first. And he always delivered a great show!
Clapton had his taste. Hendrix had his sexuality. Page had his trips to tonal nirvana. But nobody, NOBODY, could boogie like Rory! In the 70's, I saw Rory four or five times. Every time I left the concert with a big smile on my face.
IRISH TOUR `74 is proof positive of Rory's talents as a guitarist and a showman. The album displays Rory's "let's have a party" spirit with a band as tight as you'll ever hear. From Cradle Rock to Walk on Hot Coals, Rory will have you up and dancing around the room from the first note. Because it has some of the best blues-boogie music from the era, IRISH TOUR `74 is one of the best live albums of the 70's.
Rory, you gave us your best here below. Now, boogie with the angels.

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Vinyl Classics reissue of the 1974 album comes as a vinyl look-a-like CD that's packaged in a die-cut see-through Slipcase. Capo. 2005.

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