Grateful Dead

Yup, I like him, too. I think he was one of the country bluesman who were "rediscovered" in the early 1960s, and presented to white audiences as the real thing at various folk festivals. Well, they actually WERE the real thing. The tracks I have heard by John Hurt seem gentler -almost delicate compared to the metal guitar bashing fire and brimstone approach of Bukka White-or particularly Son House. I actually prefer the latter-but there is so much from the early blues years that is worth exploring. So much so, that I can forget what I am here for-to discuss The Dead. So apologies for all this! Before I go though another great country bluesman who resurfaced in the early 1960s was Skip James. His recordings from the 1930s sound almost ghostly.

I have never heard "Drinkin' TNT..", so I must look it up. One of my favourites is called "Blues Giant", which was recorded live in France 1979, with his brother Phil on rhythm guitar. Buddy plays like a demon-its almost the opposite of Albert Kings economical style. In France he never plays one note when twelve will do-the rest of the band are left clinging to his coat tails. This cd has also been released with the name "Stone Crazy" There was also a great film of Buddy playing live around this time, called "Chicago Blues". This is with Junior Wells. Again, it is fast and furious-the versions of We're Ready-which opens the film accompanied by shots of Chicago -and First Time I Met The Blues are incendiary. But as an overall album, my favourite may be the much more recent "Sweet Tea" which he cut on the Fat Possum label in 2001. This one is slow and brooding-but very powerful. Buddy sounds more at one with the band and the song, compared to the earlier ones, where he goes like the wind.

Mississippi John Hurt. Nobody seems to have mentioned him. Maybe not the best on the guitar but he can always brighten up the day with his songs.

"Drinkin' TNT 'n' Smokin' Dynomite" is one of my most prized CD possessions....but then, so are all my Buddy Guy & Junior Wells CDs...but that is "the one" I would use to turn someone on to them.

Sorry to post 2 nights in a row, not my usual MO... Anyway, I believe I'm on record here (maybe a year or so ago?) as saying that Freddie was my favorite of the 3, but I've got to say now that Albert has edged up and is in a tie with Freddie in my book. BB, sorry, but contrary to his popularity, is not in the running... But what I really wanted to say is, if you listen/view the Stevie Ray/Albert video I posted, you will see that Albert comes to realize that Stevie Ray has become the Student that has surpassed the Master (at least, technically), and although there is a sadness there, there is only mutual respect between the two (master and student), and it is really quite an insight we are given access to (though perhaps unintentionally). In any case...amazing fking music, we can all agree on that! Now, go ye and watch "Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World" and learn a bit more about Buddy Guy and others (like Rhiannon Giddens) and yes, even fking Jimi Hendrix (yeah, he was an Indian too!, "Little Wing" and "Castles Made Of Sand" should have clued you in)! If you guys go watch it, I promise not to haunt these boards for another month ;)

I listen to a fair amount of blues and continue to expand the blues portion of my music collection. I think my favorite blues artists at this point would be Albert King, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Robert Cray, but there are a lot of other great blues artists as well, to each his own. I would agree that Born Under a Bad Sign is a high point for Albert King, and Thursday Night in San Francisco smokes, dig the song Crosscut Saw on both of those a lot. I recently picked up I'll Play the Blues for You along with Blues at Sunset, both of which are excellent Albert King selections, still soaking them in. As for Buddy Guy, I have picked up just about all of his earlier recordings that I can find, and especially some of the stuff he did with Junior Wells, including most recently picking up the album Drinking TNT and Smokin' Dynamite, live stuff from the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival and well worth checking out. The albums Hoodoo Man Blues and It's My Life Baby with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells are both absolutely smoking. Willie Dixon's album I Am the Blues is a classic no collection should be without. Robert Cray's album Strong Persuader is another classic for me, just evokes some pleasant mid '80's memories and his album Who's Been Talking is another that just hits the spot sometimes. Always nice to find new stuff to listen to and grok. I like seeing the musical references on these threads, I have picked up a lot of great stuff after seeing someone on these threads recommend an album or artist, hopefully I can turn on others to some good stuff they may not have heard before. nitecat, I recently picked up that remastered Rumours just out of curiosity about the disc of live stuff and found it a cool addition. As I said previously, there is something about the song Dreams that just never gets old for me, and that entire album is classic from start to finish, so kind of cool to hear live versions of the songs.

Your brother will understand, and eventually accept.You just have to ease him in. And for me, why am I even still up at 2am? Oh yeah, watching Pink Floyd Pulse DVD. Pink Floyd is the only royalty from Britain I accept.

....the ABQ Other One is calling my name.

I've been listening a lot to lately.GRATEFUL DEAD. Ha. My brother is up for the weekend and its been raining like hell for weeks. He's a moderate dead fan.. I carefully explained to him that I listen to more GD now than perhaps I ever have before. He seemed to understand. Seems rational and reasonable to me. Anybody heard from David Duryea? I miss his positive input here. I hope all is well. Oh.. Terrapin Moon.. I was at that last Comes a Time show at the cap center. It was a wedding present to me and the bride I never ended up marrying. Serendipitous I guess.. I think we all ended up better for it. I can say I did not enjoy that show with the exception of the Comes A Time. I have a soft spot for that song.

what's a Grateful Dead?