Record Reviews

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ FATHERS & SONS CHESS 602438056224 (Barcode: 602438056224) ~ USA ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 1998 This is a reissue / remaster of the legendary 2LP Blues album released originally in 1969 by ChessFind albums on this label Records. The music was recorded by a core sextet, which included vocalist / guitarist Muddy WatersFind albums by this artist, pianist Otis SpannFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mike BloomfieldFind albums by this artist, harmonica player Paul ButterfieldFind albums by this artist, bassist Donald DunnFind albums by this artist and drummer Sam LeyFind albums by this artist. Several additional musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents ten studio tracks, which appeared on the first LP, six live tracks, which appeared on the second LP and one bonus unreleased studio track, altogether seventeen tracks. Most of the music (ten tracks) was written by Muddy Waters (a.k.a. McKinley MorganfieldFind albums by this artist), three by Willie DixonFind albums by this artist and the rest by other songwriters. The “Fathers & Sons” title refers of course to the meeting between the Godfathers of modern electric Blues, like Waters, and the young white American Blues disciples, like Bloomfield and Butterfield, who embraced the Blues tradition and transported into the next level of Blues-Rock. The music is all classic Blues / Blues-Rock at its absolute best, and although it does not introduce anything previously unheard, it remains an icon of the time and the genre, played by the best musicians on the scene at the time. Overall, this is an absolute classic, which lost nothing from its impact and beauty over time. The performances are all stellar and the music is as genuine as it can be. Bloomfield, a Jewish boy from Chicago, became in time the greatest American Blues guitar player and his tragically premature death in 1981 devastated us, the Blues lovers, at the time, as he proved to be irreplaceable. In fact, Waters, Bloomfield, Spann and Butterfield were dead by 1987, so a reunion of “Fathers & Sons” never happened and this is the only document of their work. For electric Blues lovers this album is a timeless icon!

Updated: 11/07/2025Posted: 11/07/2025

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

RORY GALLAGHER ~ CHECK SHIRT WIZARD: LIVE IN `77 CHESS 602508369469 (Barcode: 602508369469) ~ IRELAND ~ Blues-Rock This us a superb archival release presenting previously unreleased live concerts by Irish Blues-Rock superstar vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Rory GallagherFind albums by this artist, captured during his tour supporting the release of the "Calling CardFind albums with this title" album. The music was recorded by a quartet which also included keyboardist Lou MartinFind albums by this artist, bassist Gerry McAvoyFind albums by this artist and drummer Rod de`AthFind albums by this artist. The 2CD set presents twenty songs, mostly originals written by Gallagher, covering the material from the new album, but also some of his concert favorites. Starting with his brief but brilliant stint as the bandleader of Taste in the 1960s, and then throughout the solo career in the 1970s and 1980s Gallagher was the champion of the electric guitar and undoubtedly wrote a significant chapter of the Rock history with his stellar talent, as evident on his recorded legacy. He was first and foremost a stage beast and his live recordings are by far more characteristic of his energy and instrumental virtuosity. This album offers a most significant chunk of his superb showmanship during a relatively undocumented period of his career. In retrospect Gallagher was one of the great European / white Blues guitar heroes, who took the idiom a step further as far as instrumental virtuosity is concerned and proudly joined the ranks of Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist, Peter GreenFind albums by this artist, Jeff BackFind albums by this artist, Jimmy PageFind albums by this artist and others, who transformed the Blues into a new dimension. For the countless guitar freaks, Blues enthusiast and general Classic Rock connoisseurs, this is a brilliant piece of history and an absolute must in any decent record collection.

Updated: 11/05/2020Posted: 11/05/2020

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend