Geez it's been a bit since I made a real post. Sorry 'bout that. I've been busy as hell these past couple weeks. As a results I haven't had the chance to listen to much, but I have been digging a few things.
Most notably this new compilation cd called When Blues Met Rock. My mom picked it up at Starbucks (I know, I know. Unfortunately she's addicted to that place) and remembering that I was a fan of the genre got it for me.
Here's the description on the cd:
"The blues had a baby and they called it rock 'n' roll. So sang Muddy Waters, one of the patriarchs who amplified their music in the 1950s, mapping the way for musical offspring who in the ensuing decades gathered at the crossroads where fierce traditional blues intersected with fiery rock. Here are the masterworks from the heyday of the blues-rock nexus."
The case is pretty cool, too. In addition to the scetches of artists on the front, the whole thing is actually designed to be like a giant matchbook, from how it unfolds to the striking strip on the back. I thought that was pretty creative. Much better than a jewelcase, anyway.
There are some fantastic songs on here that I'd never heard before, such as The Yardbirds' "I Ain't Done Wrong" and Johnny Winter's "Be Careful with a Fool", but far and away the standout track for me has been T.B. Sheets. Maybe it's because I haven't heard many Van Morrison songs or something, but for whatever reason this song has been on repeat in my car and in my head. And it's just the same thing over and over music-wise. I think one of the things I like most about it is the way it matches up the chillin' groove with lyrically horrid imagery, and it's that clash that makes the song haunting.
Go here to listen to the entire thing: http://podblanc.com/node/17657
Anyway I'm not usually a compilation guy, but this is definitely a great one.
Here's the entire track list:
Elmore James - Dust My Broom
Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman
The Animals - Bring It On Home To Me
Canned Heat - On The Road Again
The Yardbirds - I Ain't Done Wrong
Van Morrison - T.B. Sheets
Sonny Boy Williamson - Bring It On Home
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Pride And Joy
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - One More Heartache
Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper - Albert's Shuffle
The Allman Brothers Band - Trouble No More
Jethro Tull - A Song For Jeffrey
B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone
Taj Mahal - Statesboro Blues
Chicken Shack - I'd Rather Go Blind
Johnny Winter - Be Careful With A Fool
