gamblinfamily's Full Review: Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Best of th...
According to the insert enclosed in this collection this and its accompanying book are a Musical Journey. Furthermore they are also great compliments to each other. One can feel the music while reading the book. I did not opt for the book and can truly say you can feel the music without it.
But it does not end there. There is also a whole series by Martin Scorsese set to air on PBS in September 2003. The seven part series and the numerous CD’s that accompany it are a must have for ANY true blues fan.
The importance of this release in particular is hard to put into words. The BEST of anything usually is an afterthought, haphazardly put together when a band or set of music is failing. There is no such excuse here. This is a well thought out, extremely essential disc. Enclosed in this collection are 21 tracks featuring various artists new and old to blues. This is just ONE of the discs in the huge series. Getting your hands on one disc surely ensures you will be back for more.
Starting out the collection is a Robert Johnson number entitled Cross Road Blues. This 1936 recording does show it's age in sound but that by no means downplays it's importance on this soundtrack. It's underlying instruments and pain shown forth really make you feel what the blues originally intended and has remained today. That feeling that starts in your stomach and works it's way up through your soul.
Other early recordings showcased here are:
Bessie Smith - Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan)
Skip James - Devil Got My Woman
The two above tracks are recorded in 1927 and 1931. Proving again the draw and stability of blues even then.
Howlin' Wolf's - Evil , Muddy Waters' - Hoochie Coochie Man and John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom follow. Each a blues staple in it's own right. There could not be an essential mix without these guitar filled, wailing numbers.
Ray Charles and Etta James bring a jazzy soulful touch to the mix. The two tracks they contribute are titles indicative of the times as well. Titled Hard times and I’d rather go blind.
A little known Janis Joplin number One Good Man followed by Jimi Hendrix Experience’s song Red House are two huge tracks contributed by two truly troubled blues artists whose contributions to blues remain immeasurable.
The last part of the album features such artists as:
Susan Tedeschi
Bonnie Raitt
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Robert Cray and Shemekia Copeland end the collection with a live performance that alone could sell this album.
I truly wish I could have reviewed every track and dissected each one. However, it would just be too much information to handle. I chose to highlight artists and certain songs featured here, and talk more about the collection itself.
If you do get a chance to watch the series The Blues I highly recommend it. However, this should hold you over until you do.
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