Blues Thread

Nowhere Man
Nowhere Man Posts: 345
edited August 2013 in Other Music
Just like to hear about some of your favorite Blues Musicians/Groups and Songs.
I've been digging Muddy Waters a lot lately also some of Clapton's work, I think it may all have stemmed from watching the Last Waltz recently.
Feel free to share your thoughts, love to hear them, always like finding songs I haven't discovered yet.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,838
    A blues thread- YES!

    I got into the blues backwards and across the Atlantic in the 1960's starting out as a big fan of Early Stones, Cream, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, The Animals, The Yardbirds, early Fleetwood Mac among others and then through them learning about the great blues artists who inspired them.

    I'm reading Ray Manzark's marvelous book Light My Fire, My Life With the Doors. In it he gives some of the most exciting descriptions of blues I've ever read. Here are a few choice quote from the book:

    [Regarding Muddy Water's "Hoochie Coochie Man"]: ...it was incredible. The most soulful harp I've ever heard. The tightest groove. The most dangerous singing. And the most evil implications, simply by the nature of the song's existence and Muddy's performance of Willie Dixon's classic. [Quotes lyrics]
    And the whole band hit the chord change! Little Walter, Otis Spann, and the boys, rocking. And the top of my head rose up. The band wailed. Muddy told you that he, indeed, was that hoochie coochie man... and I was gone again. What a fucking piece of music!

    [On hearing Howlin' Wolf on the radio]: "Here's a new record by Howlin' Wolf." And out came "Smokestack Lightening". It killed me. The repetitive riff of that great classic. No chord changes! One chord over and over. Hammering at your rhythm center. Over and over. Funky, dark, gritty, evil. Over and over. The same chord. The same riff. Again and again and again. Trance state.... here I come. My radio was hypnotizing me. The Howlin' Wolf had me in his control.
    And he would cry like a lost wolf. Crying for his lost love. Alone and afraid, vulnerable and yet powerful. A man. A real mensch. What a voice.
    And what on earth do those words mean? What is smokestack lightening and why is it shining just like gold? I still don't know. And I love it. So fucking mysterious. A man wailing like a wolf and the musical riff repeating over and over. Dark and nasty bends in the blue notes. The same chords, the same notes. Ovr and over and over, burning a hypnotic hole into your mind, consuming your consciousness. A mantra. A black American mantra.

    [On Bo Diddley]: "Here's one by my good friend Bo Diddley", Al Benson would say to me. "Who Do You Love?" And we were off again. This time riding that Bo Diddley beat. That African tribal drumbeat over which Bo so coolly floated his dark and dangerous words. "Hoodoo you love". Dig it. Hoodoo you love. The juju and the voodoo and the gris gris and the hoodoo were all walking around in my room, after school... and in my brain!

    [John Lee Hooker]: And then John Lee Hooker would jump out of my radio- after a commercial for Dixie Peach Pomade- and he would be singing his latest hit, "Boogie Chillun"

    Ray really knew his stuff! This music is the root of all rock and roll. Jazz/blues- the one true original creation of American culture.

    Long live the blues!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • pearljam133
    pearljam133 Posts: 202
    I've been listening to Bo Didley a lot lately. He has some funny lyrics but he's a badass guitarist. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is always good for someone younger. Also, Albert King with SRV: In Session is a great CD.
    5/2/2003 - Buffalo, NY
    5/9/2010 - Cleveland, OH
    9/11/2011 - Toronto, ONT
    9/12/2011 - Toronto, ONT
    7/19/2013 - Wrigley Field
    10/11/2013 - Pittsburgh, PA
    10/12/2013 - Buffalo, NY
  • SD48277
    SD48277 Posts: 12,243
    Muddy is great. John Lee Hooker is great. Sonny Boy Williams, Sippie Wallace, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Howlin' Wolf, Albert & BB King--all great. If you can get ahold of it, check out "Lightning In a Bottle." It's a documentary/concert film done several years ago. The concert was at Radio City, with a decent roster of performers covering blues classics. Also, I think Martin Scorcese did a documentary series on the blues that was aired on PBS that you can check out on DVD.
    ELITIST FUK
  • Daron Oshay
    Daron Oshay Middletown, NJ Posts: 2,603
    Really enjoying the Buddy Guy Hold That Plane record that was released on RSD
  • DM213518
    DM213518 Posts: 117
    Willie Dixon is pretty cool.
  • mfc2006
    mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,491
    Muddy, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker & BB King are all huge influences for me.
    I LOVE MUSIC.
    www.cluthelee.com
    www.cluthe.com
  • No Coder
    No Coder Brisbane Posts: 1,126
    I have always enjoyed listening to some Blues artists, but never searched for any myself, only those that were recommended. So I listened to mainly John Lee Hooker,BB King, Jimi Hendrix, Taj Mahal and Eric Clapton's Blues works

    I have really started to listen to more Blues in the last few years and discovered many more artists- Derek Trucks Band, The Jeff Healey Band, SRV, Buddy Guy, Gary Clarke Jr, Kenny Wayne Shephard. I really hav started to get a great enjoyment from all of these artists.

    I also love the Eric Clapton's Crossroads festivals- the DVDs are some great viewing
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me

    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
    *BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
    *QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
    *Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
  • StillHere
    StillHere Posts: 7,795
    HOT f^^&ing TUNA!

    That is all.

    http://www.hottuna.com

    and

    [url]www.http://jormakaukonen.com/[/url]
    peace,
    jo

    http://www.Etsy.com/Shop/SimpleEarthCreations
    "How I choose to feel is how I am." ~ EV/MMc
    "Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends." ~ One Stab ~
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,838
    All the great Chicago Blues artists listed in the Manzarek quotes I posted are indispensable. Along with them, I'm a big fan of Charlie Musslewhite, Harvey Mandel (the two of them on "Stand Back"- fantastic!), Paul Butterfield Blues band and John Mayalls Bluesbreakers.

    Taj Mahal!

    Buddy Guy!

    Bukka White and Mississippi John Hurt are a couple of my favorite acoustic blues artists. And J. B. Lenoir's acoustic sides are great (as are his electric bands' work).

    The blues forever!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Digital Twilight
    Digital Twilight Posts: 5,642
    I think most of my favourites have already been mentioned with the exception of Leadbelly.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2doFJHXDwJ8
  • he.who.forgets
    he.who.forgets Posts: 4,593
    edited June 2013
    Some others that I dont believe have been mentioned yet:
    Blind Willie McTell
    Memphis Minnie
    Big Joe Turner
    Freddie King
    and Junior Kimbrough!
    Post edited by he.who.forgets on
    We were but stones your light made us stars
  • rhcpjam1029
    rhcpjam1029 Posts: 1,982
    My favorite king...Albert.
    Beavis: All my friends are brown and red? What does that mean?
    Butthead: It means that his friends are like turds and that they like suck.
    Beavis: Heh heh. Oh yeah. Yeah! Get those spoons out of my face before I shove them up your butt!
    Butthead: Huh huh.
  • StillHere
    StillHere Posts: 7,795
    rhcpjam1029 wrote:
    My favorite king...Albert.
    :thumbup:
    peace,
    jo

    http://www.Etsy.com/Shop/SimpleEarthCreations
    "How I choose to feel is how I am." ~ EV/MMc
    "Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends." ~ One Stab ~
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,838
    StillHere wrote:
    rhcpjam1029 wrote:
    My favorite king...Albert.
    :thumbup:

    Ah yes, another great!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • kwdaley
    kwdaley Posts: 499
    Early ZZ Top

    http://youtu.be/b76kjd5nvMg
    Ottawa 2011
    London 2013 "The Dundas Hookers on Crack" Show
  • Nowhere Man
    Nowhere Man Posts: 345
    This is great! Thanks for all the suggestions, I will be busy listening to a lot of this music.
  • STAYSEA
    STAYSEA Posts: 3,814
    Nowhere Man wrote:
    This is great! Thanks for all the suggestions, I will be busy listening to a lot of this music.


    I'm unsure if you can handle the blues...

    If you can dig Clarence Carter... You know the blues.

    :D

    http://www.youtube.com/user/SonicJuncti ... BLv4WlKdLA


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7gMkiOPSeA

    This is a show down... Wooten vs, Flea. I guess this is why Victor doesn't play with a band and only teaches. ?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmoeZHnOJKA

    (sorry, I'm infected... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq_YfqIJTfc)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBHaMgM1z3I



    Ummm... Wooten?




    This is too blues...or Funk to handle.. Good luck.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTCAZK9rzY
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTdSQCgMrFY
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QST9Joizdjs


    and then...

    Billie Jean by Michael Jackson (NOT MICHAEL JACKSON! :lol: )
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6mListnZ10
    And Some Purple Haze...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agRb-QJc7xY

    Playing da blues....
    image
  • EdsonNascimento
    EdsonNascimento Posts: 5,531
    All the classics have been named, so I will suggest....John Mayer. Get Live in LA and you'll see why EC has him at His Crossroads Fest every time. He's not a King, or a god, or a Guy, but he's damn good when he wants to be.
    Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
  • No Coder
    No Coder Brisbane Posts: 1,126
    EdsonNascimento wrote:
    All the classics have been named, so I will suggest....John Mayer. Get Live in LA and you'll see why EC has him at His Crossroads Fest every time. He's not a King, or a god, or a Guy, but he's damn good when he wants to be.

    Could not agree more - forget his pop stuff - this guy can seriously play the Blues. His live DVD is brilliant and gave me a whole new appreciation of him
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me

    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
    *BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
    *QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
    *Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
  • goldrush
    goldrush everybody knows this is nowhere Posts: 7,871
    edited May 2014
    RL BURNSIDE! :D

    I'm sorry but you just can't have a blues thread without mentioning the badass that was RL Burnside. My Dad used to have some of his stuff on vinyl and I remember listening to it as a kid when I started to learn guitar. My teacher was showing me some John Lee Hooker and BB King stuff and my Dad brought up Burnside.

    I love the RL quote at the end of this story:

    Around 1959, he left Chicago and went back to Mississippi to work the farms and raise a family. He killed a man at a dice game and was convicted of murder and sentenced to six months' incarceration in Parchman Prison. Burnside's boss at the time reputedly pulled strings to keep the murder sentence short, due to having need of Burnside's skills as a tractor driver. Burnside later said "I didn't mean to kill nobody ... I just meant to shoot the sonofabitch in the head. Him dying was between him and the Lord."

    Poor Boy A Long Way From Home
    http://youtu.be/meC4pmw5u84

    See My Jumper Hanging On the Line
    http://youtu.be/K_DOnKJ232M

    Goin' Down South
    http://youtu.be/hDCcN9qqbUA

    Shake 'Em On Down (with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
    http://youtu.be/8CEWyHC-iAk
    Post edited by goldrush on
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)

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