{"id":3349,"date":"2014-01-06T11:42:46","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T18:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/?p=3349"},"modified":"2014-01-06T12:29:33","modified_gmt":"2014-01-06T19:29:33","slug":"50-great-british-blues-recordings-%e2%80%93-part-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2014\/01\/06\/50-great-british-blues-recordings-%e2%80%93-part-6\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Great British Blues Recordings \u2013 Part 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

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26) Killing Floor \u2013 Killing Floor <\/em><\/strong>(1970\/2007)
\nKilling Floor<\/strong>\u2019s first LP was a raw, high energy effort, kind of garage band-bluesy in its sound. When I first heard it back in the early 1970s, I didn’t like it. It sounded too raw and unpolished for my young ears. In the passing years, however, it’s grown on me. I really like their version of \u201cWoman You Need Love\u201d (Willie<\/strong> Dixon<\/strong>\u2019s song for Muddy Waters <\/strong>was originally titled \u201cYou Need Love\u201d; most folks know it as Led Zeppelin<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cWhole Lotta Love\u201d). I also like \u201cCome Home Baby\u201d, \u201cMy Mind Can Ride Easy\u201d, \u201cKeep On Walking\u201d and \u201cLou\u2019s Blues\u201d.<\/p>\n

Keyboardist Lou Martin<\/strong> later joined Rory Gallagher<\/strong>\u2019s back-up band. Guitarist Michael (Mick) Clarke<\/strong> continues to play and record the blues. He has released a slew of solid blues CDs as the Mick Clarke Band<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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27) Led Zeppelin \u2013 The Complete Studio Recordings<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>(1993)
\nBlues classics get majestically transformed on vocal and instrumental workouts from Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones<\/strong> and John \u201cBonzo\u201d Bonham<\/strong> on nearly every Led Zeppelin<\/strong> LP. Don\u2019t pick up any Led Zeppelin CD issued prior to Jimmy Page\u2019s 1993 remastering.<\/p>\n

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On Led Zeppelin<\/em><\/strong> (1969) the band excels on Willie Dixon<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cYou Shook Me\u201d (a Muddy Waters<\/strong> hit) and \u201cI Can\u2019t Quit You Baby\u201d (Otis Rush<\/strong>\u2019s signature blues tune), as well as Howlin\u2019 Wolf<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cNo Place to Go\u201d (reworked by Zeppelin as \u201c \u201cHow Many More Times\u201d with a bit of Albert King<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cThe Hunter\u201d — written by Booker T & The MGs<\/strong> — thrown in for good measure, along with bits of The Weavers<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cKisses Sweeter Than Wine\u201d). The musical structure of \u201cHow Many More Times\u201d evolved out of the Page-era Yardbirds’<\/strong> live version of Howlin\u2019 Wolf<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cSmokestack Lightning\u201d.<\/p>\n

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On Led Zeppelin II <\/strong><\/em>(1969) there are more great reworking of blues classics, including \u201cThe Lemon Song\u201d (Howlin\u2019 Wolf<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cKilling Floor\u201d) and \u201cWhole Lotta Love\u201d (Willie Dixon<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cYou Need Love\u201d) and Sonny Boy Williamson<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cBring It On Home\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Led Zeppelin III<\/em><\/strong> (1970) has the Zep blues original \u201cSince I\u2019ve Been Loving You\u201d and a cover of Lead Belly<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cGallows Pole\u201d. \u201cHats Off to Roy Harper\u201d was obviously inspired by Mr. Harper but also includes lyrics from Bukka White<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cShake \u2018Em On Down\u201d. \u201cBron-Y-Aur Stomp\u201d was also recorded by Zeppelin as \u201cJennings Farm Blues\u201d.<\/p>\n

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On Led Zeppelin IV<\/em><\/strong> they cover Memphis Minnie<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cWhen the Levee Breaks\u201d. Some of \u201cBlack Dog\u201d was inspired by Peter Green<\/strong>\u2019s and Fleetwood Mac<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cOh Well\u201d.<\/p>\n

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No blues really on Houses of the Holy<\/strong> (1973) but on Physical Graffiti <\/strong><\/em>(1975) they cover Josh White<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cIn My Time of Dying\u201d which White originally recorded as \u201cJesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed\u201d, previously recorded by Charlie Patton<\/strong> as \u201cJesus Is A-Dying Bed Maker\u201d. The song was first released by Blind Willie Johnson <\/strong>as \u201cJesus Make Up My Dying Bed\u201d. The original recorded (but never released) version was by Reverend J. C. Burnett<\/strong> as \u201cJesus Is Going to Make Up Your Dying Bed\u201d. Bob Dylan<\/strong> recorded \u201cIn My Time of Dyin\u2019\u201d on his first LP (1962). \u201cBoogie With Stu\u201d began as Ritchie Valens<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cOoh, My Head\u201d. \u201cCustard Pie” has lyrics from “Drop Down Mama” by Sleepy John Estes<\/strong>, “Shake ‘Em on Down” by Bukka White<\/strong> and “I Want Some Of Your Pie” by Blind Boy Fuller<\/strong>. \u201cTrampled Underfoot\u201d was inspired by Robert Johnson<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cTerraplane Blues\u201d. Plant\u2019s original title for \u201cBlack Country Woman\u201d was \u201cNever Ending Doubting Woman Blues\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Presence <\/em><\/strong>(1976) contains the slow blues epic \u201cTea For One\u201d and Blind Willie Johnson<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cNobody\u2019s Fault But Mine\u201d. The blues influence in In Through the Out Door <\/em><\/strong>(1979) is extremely limited.<\/p>\n

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The Led Zep grab bag Coda<\/em><\/strong> (1982) opens with \u201cWe\u2019re Gonna Groove\u201d, a version of Ben E. King<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cGroovin\u2019\u201d (also covered by Manfred Mann<\/strong>). There\u2019s a live version of the Willie Dixon<\/strong>-penned Otis Rush<\/strong> hit \u201cI Can\u2019t Quit You Baby\u201d on Coda<\/em> as well.<\/p>\n

A final reminder: don\u2019t pick up any Led Zep CD issued prior to Jimmy Page\u2019s 1993 remastering.<\/p>\n

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28) Love Sculpture \u2013 Blues Helping<\/em> <\/strong>(1968\/1991)
\nThe first Love Sculpture<\/strong> LP showcased classic blues tracks as played by Dave Edmunds<\/strong> and friends. Their take on Freddie King<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cThe Stumble\u201d and Willie Dixon<\/strong>\u2019s hit for Koko Taylor<\/strong>, \u201cWang Dang Doodle\u201d, are highlights.<\/p>\n

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The Early Edmunds (front cover)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Early Edmunds <\/em><\/strong>(1991) is a 2-disc 40-track set that contains all of Dave’s 1967\u20131971 recordings, including his two Love Sculpture LPs, his first solo album and several rare singles. Other recommended blues cuts: Slim Harpo<\/strong>‘s \u201cShake Your Hips\u201d, Edmunds’ \u201cBlues Helping\u201d, Lazy Lester<\/strong>‘s \u201c(I Am) A Lover Not a Fighter\u201d and Bob Dylan<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cOutlaw Blues\u201d.<\/p>\n

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29) Manfred Man \u2013 Down The Road Apiece \u2013 Their EMI Recordings 1963\u20131966<\/em><\/strong> (2007)
\nThis 4-CD set includes all the cuts from their earthy 1964 blues masterpiece, The Five Faces of Manfred Mann <\/strong><\/em>(which is also available by itself on CD).<\/p>\n

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If you just want their first album, the Japanese version of Five Faces<\/em> is best, as it has all of the American and UK tracks of the LP in mono and stereo, plus bonus tracks for a total of 27 songs on one great CD. I consider this one of the greatest British blues LPs ever recorded. Their version of \u201cSmokestack Lightning\u201d is my favorite version of that Howlin\u2019 Wolf <\/strong>song. Other standouts from Five Faces <\/em>include \u201cDown the Road Apiece\u201d (a hit for both the Will Bradley Trio<\/strong> and Amos<\/strong> Milburn<\/strong>), Muddy Waters<\/strong>‘ \u201cI\u2019m Your Hoochie Coochie Man\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ve Got My Mojo Working\u201d, Bo Diddley<\/strong>‘s \u201cBring It to Jerome\u201d, Paul Jones<\/strong>‘ \u201cDon\u2019t Ask Me What I Say\u201d and the band composition \u201cWhat You Gonna Do\u201d.<\/p>\n

The band cut way back on their blues numbers after that first LP but don\u2019t miss their versions of Bobby Parker<\/strong>‘s \u201cWatch Your Step\u201d, T-Bone Walker<\/strong>‘s \u201cStormy Monday Blues\u201d and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins<\/strong>‘ \u201cI Put a Spell on You\u201d from their later LPs.<\/p>\n

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30) Steve Marriott & The DTs \u2013 Sing The Blues Live <\/em><\/strong>(2000)
\nThis late career live recording by Steve Marriott is a decent representation of his pub rocking blues band days near the end of his life. Besides his raw, unmistakable (and, by now, fried; his high range burnt out from decades of pushing himself to the limit. \u201cAll or Nothing\u201d, indeed!) vocals, savor his crisp, crunchy and spare-but-powerful Steve Cropper<\/strong>-ish guitar work. Stevie excels on Bobby Parker<\/strong>‘s \u201cWatch Your Step\u201d, \u201cMy Baby\u201d (Little Walter<\/strong>‘s “My Babe”), \u201cTake a Look at Yourself\u201d (Bo Diddley<\/strong>‘s \u201cBefore You Accuse Me\u201d), Rufus Thomas<\/strong>‘ \u201cWalking the Dog\u201d and Eddie Boyd<\/strong>‘s \u201cFive Long Years\u201d.<\/p>\n

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If you don\u2019t mind hearing more rock than blues, pick up Steve Marriott \u2013 Dingwalls 6.7.84. <\/strong><\/em>It\u2019s an outstanding Packet of Three <\/strong>set with much better recording and performances from around the same time. If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ll love the entire CD. The blues tracks here are \u201cFive Long Years\u201d, the Ashford-Simpson<\/strong>-penned Ray Charles<\/strong> song \u201cI Don\u2019t Need No Doctor\u201d and \u201cWalkin\u2019 the Dog\u201d but Stevie\u2019s rockers are great as well.<\/p>\n

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I highly recommend Stevie\u2019s live DVD Steve Marriott Live<\/em><\/strong> (2001; a.k.a. Steve Marriott Live From London<\/em><\/strong>). It\u2019s the same show (and interview) that\u2019s on the legitimate Japanese laser disc release Steve Marriott \u2013 Tin Soldier Live at London<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

More to Come — Keep On Bluesin’!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

26) Killing Floor \u2013 Killing Floor (1970\/2007) Killing Floor\u2019s first LP was a raw, high energy effort, kind of garage band-bluesy in its sound. When I first heard it back in the early 1970s, I didn’t like it. It sounded too raw and unpolished for my young ears. In the passing years, however, it’s grown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misc"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8TM5S-S1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3307,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2013\/12\/03\/50-great-british-blues-recordings-%e2%80%93-part-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":0},"title":"50 Great British Blues Recordings \u2013 Part 4","author":"Bill","date":"December 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"16) Long John Baldry \u2013 John Baldry Boogie Woogie \u2013 The Warner Bros. Recordings (1971-1972\/2005) This fantastic 2-CD set includes both of Long John Baldry\u2019s LPs for Warner Bros, supplemented by 10 bonus tracks and 3 radio spots. Rod Stewart and Elton John each produced a side per album, calling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/LongJohn-450x394.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3453,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2014\/03\/10\/50-great-british-blues-recordings-%e2%80%93-part-8\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":1},"title":"50 Great British Blues Recordings \u2013 Part 8","author":"Bill","date":"March 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"36) Duffy Power \u2013 Leapers and Sleepers (2004) This 34 track 2-CD set covers blues soloist Duffy Powers\u2019 career and Parlophone recordings from 1962-1967. Duffy\u2019s aggressive \u201cShake Rattle and Roll\u201d features wild organ by Graham Bond, Jack Bruce on bass, Ginger Baker on drums and a subdued John McLaughlin on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Duffy1-450x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4546,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2015\/01\/19\/legends-of-the-british-blues-%e2%80%93-volume-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":2},"title":"Legends of the British Blues \u2013 Volume 2","author":"Bill","date":"January 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This home-made two-hour CD I made is the second collection of my favorite British blues recordings. It was the Brits who turned me (and millions of others from my generation) on to our very own homegrown genre of music: The Blues. Crank it up! 1) The UK blues super-group The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/BritishBlues2CDCoverBlog-450x457.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4504,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2015\/01\/06\/legends-of-the-british-blues-volume-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":3},"title":"Legends of the British Blues – Volume 1","author":"Bill","date":"January 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently compiled a two-hour CD of my favorite British blues tracks. Then, I drew a cover for this collection (see above) and burned a CD for my own listening pleasure. Here's the track list (plus commentary; think of these as liner notes): 1-2) Water and Junior\u2019s Wailing are the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/LegendsBritishBluesBookCoverBlog-450x456.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3578,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2014\/05\/02\/50-great-british-blues-recordings-%e2%80%93-part-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":4},"title":"50 Great British Blues Recordings \u2013 Part 10","author":"Bill","date":"May 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"46) Kim Simmonds appears to have never lost his love for the blues with Struck by Lightning (2004; \u201cStruck by Lightning\u201d, NRBQ\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t No Free\u201d, \u201cTalking \u2018Bout New Orleans\u201d and the reprise of \u201cStruck by Lightning\u201d all stand out) and his two solo acoustic blues CDs Solitaire (1997; best tracks:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/SimmondsLightning-450x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4650,"url":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/2015\/05\/15\/b-b-king-1925-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":3349,"position":5},"title":"B.B. King 1925 \u2013 2015","author":"Bill","date":"May 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the all time blues greats, Mr. B.B. King, has passed away yesterday after living a long, influential life in music. Here's a slightly revised version of the bio I wrote for B.B. in my book Legends of the Blues (if you don't have this book by now, what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc."","block_context":{"text":"Misc.","link":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BBKingBlog","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/BBKingBlog-450x601.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3349"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3376,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3349\/revisions\/3376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.williamstout.com\/news\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}