Help a new blues fan

[mhstennis100]

Hey all, I've become interested in blues music. I borrowed a greatest hits album by Cream (blues-rock I guess), and loved it. Today I got Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I really like it so far. So I was hoping more knowledgeable blues fans could show me where to go from here. If you could name an artist and a few standout tracks of theirs, that would be great (or post a link to the song).

I'm going to assume some B.B. King is a must, but I can't decide where to start since he has so much material.

On a related note, the Cream album I borrowed had 5 songs from the album Disraeli Gears. Would it be worth purchasing the rest of that album?

 

[El Diablo]

Real blues is not about names you've heard on radio or TV, certainly not B.B. King, who plays a nice guitar but is to blues what Kenny G. is to jazz. Blues is about small club acts like Commander Cody, Littly Mikey and the Tornados, Pinetop Perkins, Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters and countless others. The curious irony of the blues is that it is about misery, and it is practically precluded by too much success.

 

[LuckyR]

Saying "blues" is kind of like saying "rock", it doesn't really mean anything. Most would describe Delta Blues very different from Led Zep, though they are both technically branches from this tree.

So is Cream your standard?

 

[TBobLP]

BB King is a great blues guitarist to check out...great tone, feel, use of notes outside your typical blues scale....he is certainly NOT the Kenny G of blues. make sure to check out some derek trucks

 

[Don S]

The Cream and SRV stuff you're getting into really should be called Blues rock. Rock is after all deeply rooted in the blues. For this type of spin off of the Blues, I recommend you check out:

1) Greg Koch, - check out his remake of Standing on Shakey Ground from his "Live on the Radio" Album
2)Old ZZ Top,
3)The Yardbirds,
4) Early Led Zep (I'm not talking Stairway to
Heaven and Whole Lotta Love and every other Zep song that's been played to death. I mean songs such as: Traveling Riverside Blues, gallows pole, You shook me etc... these are remakes of old blues songs)
5) Gary Moore
6) Peter Green (His solo stuff as well as his work with the original Fleetwood Mac) betcha didn't know Fleetwood Mac was originally a 60's British Blues Band did you? Peter Green Wrote Black Magic Woman BTW NOT Carlos Santana.


7) Little known band called Dr. Feelgood

For Old Traditional Blues, Look up
1) Muddy Waters
2) Elmore James
3)Howlin' Wolf
4) BB King was mentioned but don't forget about Albert King especially check out the live work he did with Stevie Ray Vaughn - "In Session"
If you're not hooked yet, go here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBdJkTDgbw&feature=player_embedded

In Session is an album too if you're interested, I think itunes has it. also, pick up Eric Clapton's album with Blind Faith

 

[El Diablo]

LuckyR
Blues actually does mean something very particular. Blues songs generally have their lyrics constructed in iambic pentameter, the same line structure used in much of Shakespeare (ten syllables, accent on the even number syllables); "my GIRL done CLEANED me OUT of HOUSE and HOME" for example, would be line structure in a blues song. Go to blues clubs and you'll find this structure is almost universally adhered to in the lyrics.

 

[Don S]

LuckyR
Blues actually does mean something very particular. Blues songs generally have their lyrics constructed in iambic pentameter, the same line structure used in much of Shakespeare (ten syllables, accent on the even number syllables); "my GIRL done CLEANED me OUT of HOUSE and HOME" for example, would be line structure in a blues song. Go to blues clubs and you'll find this structure is almost universally adhered to in the lyrics.

This is because the Blues are based on the I IV V (pronounced 1, 4, 5) chord progression. Like the C, F.& G chords. The C is the (1) chord, the F is the (4) chord and the G is the (5) chord. The Lyrics are built around these kinds of Chord Progressions.

 

[Dedans Penthouse]

So ya like the 'modern CREAM' --great band!- type 'whitey-type' -'blues' ???

(with total respect)

Note the snare drum 'drag' beat in "Born Under a Bad Sign" ... and then check out the "traditional-plodding" drums in "Sitting on Top of The World."

If you want to approach "da blues" from a "listening" point of view, there's a slew of blues-related sites that will steer you in the appropriate direction. Should you want to incorporate "da blues" into your life in a more "involved" capacity (i.e. playing), go check out the "live mic" openings in live-music venues in your neck of the woods or seek 'contacts' in your local music store's "muscian's classified" bulletin boards.

--urban legend?:
told (to former The Who drummer Keith Moon) by Jimmy Page, that "Zep" wanted to take their 'unknown act' and conquer the "US MARKET" with an electric blues-based style, Moon suppsedly, CYNICALLY remarked: "that'll go over like a 'lead zepplin' ... i.e. a lead balloon.

Beyond/prior to "Cream" ....there's some "old school" types you may want to check out, e.g., in the "King family" besides BB:

Freddie King and Albert King.....let alone 'old school' faves along the lines of Champion Jack DuPree, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Mississippi Jack Colquet (I can't spell to save my life),..did I say "King?: .....Evelyn Champagine King!....lol.......THEY are ALL "out there" .... check 'em out~! (smile-enjoy)...

But may I also (respectfully) suggest variations of da blues:

Modern: Queens of The Stone Age: "I Wanna Get Wit' You"

Your call. Love that ya got into it.....so much "core-vibe" esssence....

Semi-modern Led Zepplin III: "Since I've Been Lovin' You" (ouch!); tortured soul...

Classic: Ella Fitzgerald (maybe the greatest 'pure' voice?.....) "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" : God's female siren.....

 

[racquetlab]

Rent THIS:

http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Scorsese-Presents-Blues-Musical/dp/B0000CBHOI

 

[Z-Man]

Robert Johnson. The recordings are scratchy, but they'll blow you away. If you're familiar with 60s blues rock, you'll recognize a lot of familiar songs, lyrics, and licks. I also like John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Freddy King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Otis Rush, and of course Muddy Waters. You can find all of these guys on several compilation CDs. But start with Robert Johnson. He's the man. Sold his soul to the devil...

 

[Don S]

Funny how it took a bunch of young british kids in the 60's to reintroduce us to our own music isn't it?

 

[Ken Honecker]

Welcome to the Blues! I straggled into them about 15 years ago and now have a hard time listening to much Rock. I was surprised to learn how much of the stuff I liked in Rock had been borrowed from the Blues world.

Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, and Little Charlie and the Nightcats all have a lot of amplified harmonica which I happen to like with the later singing tongue in cheek something fierce. Bill Lee Riley's Shade Tree Blues is sort of sitting on your porch slow blues.

Fenton Robinson is my favorite blues guitar player. Also check out the first 3 albums by Keb Mo' for a slow country sound.

If you like the ladies Saffire the Uppity Blues Woman have a lot of fun on their songs. If you want a country blues sound check out Debbie Davies. Billie Holiday's Complete Decca Recordings is a 2 disc set with a very traditional sound as is Dinah Washington's Compact Jazz CD. Lisa Ekdahl has a little girl voice that I like but might not be most peoples cup of tea.

 

[neverstopplaying]

Hey all, I've become interested in blues music. I borrowed a greatest hits album by Cream (blues-rock I guess), and loved it. Today I got Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I really like it so far. So I was hoping more knowledgeable blues fans could show me where to go from here. If you could name an artist and a few standout tracks of theirs, that would be great (or post a link to the song).

I'm going to assume some B.B. King is a must, but I can't decide where to start since he has so much material.

On a related note, the Cream album I borrowed had 5 songs from the album Disraeli Gears. Would it be worth purchasing the rest of that album?

If you're a fan of SRV, I suggest you get some Albert King compilations. He was a major influence on SRV and you will see that Stevie used a lot of his licks; so did just about ever other rock-blues guitarist of the 60s. For great vocals, I would suggest Muddy Waters. Both these artists were part of the great Chicago blues sound, which was the direct predecessor to the white rock-blues of the 60s.

If you're looking for the rock-blues sound, listen to some Johnny Winter - Scorching Blues is a great album.

 

[albino smurf]

Dig into the delta blues stuff. It is a musical history lesson of the US and the south since abolition. All of the rest is just an emulation of what they created.

I can't believe there are not more John Lee Hooker suggestions. John Lee Hooker = G.O.A.T. Slap that in the player and drive around rural Mississippi and see if it fits together.

 

[LuckyR]

LuckyR
Blues actually does mean something very particular. Blues songs generally have their lyrics constructed in iambic pentameter, the same line structure used in much of Shakespeare (ten syllables, accent on the even number syllables); "my GIRL done CLEANED me OUT of HOUSE and HOME" for example, would be line structure in a blues song. Go to blues clubs and you'll find this structure is almost universally adhered to in the lyrics.

This is of course true, duh, but my point is that there is an extremely varied collection of music loosely called "the Blues". Musical types that the casual music listener would never group together by sound.

 

[ZhengJieisagoddess]

Hey all, I've become interested in blues music. I borrowed a greatest hits album by Cream (blues-rock I guess), and loved it. Today I got Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I really like it so far. So I was hoping more knowledgeable blues fans could show me where to go from here. If you could name an artist and a few standout tracks of theirs, that would be great (or post a link to the song).

I'm going to assume some B.B. King is a must, but I can't decide where to start since he has so much material.

On a related note, the Cream album I borrowed had 5 songs from the album Disraeli Gears. Would it be worth purchasing the rest of that album?

Start with Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues. Get some Sun House, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker is a must if you love guitar. Howlin' Wolf, BB KIng has a nice box set out there that is great.
But you must get the Robert Johnson CDs. And don't forget Eric Clapton's Crossroads.
Johnson is where the legend of the blues really begins. Look him up and see what I mean...