Blues compilations are a dime a dozen, so this set of 42 tracks that looks to steer as wide of 12-bar as is possible is refreshingly different. Some seriously tasteful tracks have been selected – some are better than others – though many of them are bound to ignite debate as to their merits in relation to an artist's catalogue and the genre of blues itself.
Dr John's creepy, trippy Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, the ten-minute skronk of Captain Beefheart's 25th Century Quaker, Taj Mahal's (and an uncredited John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis and Roy Rodgers!) meandering boogie, Bank Robbery, and the free-love-inciting Can You Get That from Funkadelic are about as far away from straight trad-blues as you can get. The diversity is pleasant; it just means that you're not going to dig on every song here.
R.L. Burnside scores two spots, showing something of a before and after of the Mississippi legend and proving that this man was more powerful with just his voice and a beat-up guitar (Skinny Woman) than with a trove of samples (It's Bad You Know), Little Richard covers Creedence and makes it sound almost as good as the original, while Richard Berry & The Pharaohs' Have Love Will Travel and Levon & The Hawks' He Don't Love You (And He'll Break Your Heart) will make you yearn for a simpler time.
Find a new favourite tune (we recommend Blackrock's Black Rock Yeah Yeah) or relive an old favourite (maybe Buddy Guy & Junior Wells' Messin' With The Kid?) and be ready to change your mind about what you consider blues to be.
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