Take it Home, Little Brother

Albert King's seminal title track "I'll Play the Blues for You" was very ubiquitous when I started listening to the blues in earnest as a teenager. I've always liked it, but it's greatest gift was introducing me to the second track on the same album - Little Brother. This song moved me from my first listen and remains one of the few songs that I am physically incapable of getting sick of. It was my gateway drug to the magic that was Stax and allowed me to appreciate how nicely great horns and great blues can play together, as long as they are on the same team. Albert coaches them brilliantly here in his Stax debut with help from the Memphis Horns and the Bar Kays. The genius of it, to me, is how he seamlessly weaves his gifted guitar work into a funk-infused song like this without taking it over. He uses his signature riffs to expertly move the groove along and create a truly unique sound for him.

Other than that, this one is hard to put to words for me. It's just always felt right.