AMG Review of Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey

Ronnie D. Lankford
All Music Guide

English musicians listened and learned from the blues long before their American counterparts did. In fact, the Rolling Stones and the Yarbirds covered classic blues material, re-introducing Americans to their own music. Now Document has given Bill Wyman the opportunity to trace his romance with the blues over a two-disc set, beginning with Mamie Smith's "Goin' Crazy With the Blues" in 1926 and traveling all the way to Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" in 1951. Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey grew out of a television project of the same name. The 46 selections include familiar names (Blind Lemon Jefferson) and less familiar ones (Bo Carter); familiar songs ("Stack O' Lee Blues") and less familiar ones ("Kid Man Blues."). All styles sit comfortably beside one another: Chicago and Delta, solo performers and full bands, acoustic and electric. This rich, deep collection includes a plethora of highlights. Georgia White sings the infectious, raunchy "Alley Boogie," while Memphis Minnie belts out the delightful "Me and My Chauffeur Blues." Classics from Robert Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, and Big Bill Broonzy make appearances. A trio of post-1940 classics, John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen," Muddy Waters' "You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Dead and Gone)," and B.B. King's "3 O'Clock Blues," represent the revolution of the electric guitar. This collection excels any way one looks at it. To the unfamiliar, it introduces 46 performers; for blues aficionados, it works as a tasty overview of '20s, '30s, and '40s blues. Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey offers a closer look at the songs that inspired a generation of English musicians.