Ike Turner - 1958-1959

(Also known as "King Cobra : The Chicago Sessions")

Ever the hustler, Ike Turner found himself picking up some extra money on a road trip through Chicago recording for Cobra Records both as a bandleader and sideman. After contributing the sparkle to several Otis Rush classics (an alternate of one of them, "Keep On Loving Me Baby" is found here) and some early Buddy Guy sides, Ike Turner also recorded a handful of sides, scant few of them seeing release until now. This CD collects them all up, including surviving alternate versions, and is a delightful fly on the wall invite to a 1950's Chicago blues session.

A rare gem & must-have for all fans of R&B!

01 - Matchbox (Version B)
02 - (I Know) You Don't Love Me
03 - You Keep On Worrying Me
04 - Box Top
05 - I'm Gonna Forget About You
06 - Down And Out
07 - You've Got To Lose
08 - Walking Down The Aisle
09 - Matchbox (Version B) [Alternate Take]
10 - Tell Me Darling
11 - I'll Weep No More
12 - Keep On Lovin' Me Baby [Alternate Take]
13 - (I Know) You Don't Love Me [Alternate Take]
14 - You Keep On Worrying Me [Alternate Take]
15 - I'm Gonna Forget About You [Alternate Take]
16 - You've Got To Lose [Alternate Take]
17 - Walking Down The Aisle [Alternate Take]
18 - Tell Me Darling [Alternate Take]
19 - I'll Weep No More [Alternate Take]
20 - Matchbox (Version A)

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Lonesome Sundown - I'm A Mojo Man

Lonesome Sundown (his real name was Cornelius Green) had a little bit more Delta and Chicago blues in him than most of his Louisiana labelmates who recorded for producer J.D. Miller. Not that Sundown's sound isn't solidly in the so-called swamp blues tradition, but where Slim Harpo, Silas Hogan, and the other Excello artists worked from a laconic, Jimmy Reed-like shuffle, Sundown quickened the pace (at least for an Excello act) to a nastier level, and with Miller's reverb-laden production, ended up sounding a little bit like Jimmy Reed on speed, particularly on tracks like "Don't Go." Not that Lonesome Sundown couldn't do the patented Louisiana blues shuffle when he chose to, as his signature tune, "I'm A Mojo Man," shows, or even improve on the pattern, as with the loose-limbed and brilliant "I'm A Samplin' Man," but he seemed most at home doing more standard blues fare like the modern-sounding "My Home Is A Prison." This collection from Ace Records essentially reproduces the same set that is available from Excello Records, only with a different running order. Although Sundown made a comeback of sorts with a mid-'70s album from Alligator Records, these Excello sides are the ones you need.

1 - Gonna Stick To You Baby
2 - I'm A Mojo Man
3 - I Stood By
4 - Don't Go
5 - Lonely Lonely Me
6 - You Know I Love You
7 - Learn To Treat Me Better
8 - Lonesome Lonely Blues
9 - I'm Glad She's Mine
10 - Sundown Blues
11 - My Home Ain't Here
12 - What You Wanna Do For It
13 - I Woke Up Cryin' (Oh What A Dream)
14 - When I Had I Didn't Need (Now I Need, Don't Have A Dime)
15 - I'm A Samplin' Man
16 - Hoo Doo Woman Blues
17 - It's Easy When You Know How
18 - I Got A Broken Heart
19 - Don't Say A Word
20 - Lost Without Love
21 - Leave My Money Alone
22 - My Home Is A Prison
23 - Lonesome Whistler


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The Howlin' Wolf Story - The Secret History Of Rock & Roll

DVD Rip (2003)

The Howlin' Wolf Story was directed by Don McGlynn, director of Charles Mingus: Triumph Of The Underdog and many other prize-winning film biographies. It was produced by Joe Lauro, whose company, Historic Films, Inc., supplied much of the footage for Martin Scorsese's blues series on PBS. Their in-depth look at Wolf's life and music includes astounding, rare film footage and never-before-seen photos of Wolf stalking the stage at the 1964 American Folk Blues Festival, on the TV show "Shindig" in 1965, at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, and in the Chicago clubs in the '50s and '60s. It also includes entertaining and revealing new interviews with Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams, Billy Boy Arnold, Sam Lay, Paul Burlison, Wolf's stepdaughters Barbara and Bettye, Dick Shurman, and many other people who played with and knew Wolf in his heyday. This is the definitive documentary about the Wolf—the most complete, personal, and exciting look at the blues legend ever put to film! The DVD includes :

- 90-minute director's cut (30 minutes of additional footage not seen in theaters)

- Rare footage of Howlin' Wolf presented by the Rolling Stones on Shindig performing "How Many More Years?"

- First presentation of previously unknown or unavailable performance footage

- Drummer Sam Lay's rare, never-before-seen home movies of stars of the Chicago Blues clubs from the early '60s

- Newly discovered photos of Howlin' Wolf and his band

 - First filmed interview with Howlin' Wolf's family

 - Exclusive interviews with Hubert Sumlin, Billy Boy Arnold, Marshall Chess, and many others

 A legitimate reason for which I share this documentary on download is that the DVD isn't available in France, and only exists on Zone 1 (America). I think the anti-piracy authorities can't blame me for that, firstly because Howlin' Wolf was dead a long time ago and I'm sure he wouldn't care about all these bullshits, and secondly because if it was available on the good standard in Europe (Zone 2), I sure would have bought it quickly as a big fan of the Howlin' Wolf! A shame..

Enjoy the devil's music, and I'd be glad to have your point of view on the documentary & reply to you.

Ahou-ouuuuuuuuu!

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Neil Innes - How Sweet To Be An Idiot

Line-up :

Neil Innes - Vocals, guitar

Ollie Halsall - Lead guitar, organ

Andy Roberts - Rhythm guitar

Dave Richards - Bass

Mike Kelli - Drums

Backing vocals by The Mucrons

Neil Innes' first solo album is split between tongue-in-cheek parody and straight pop songs akin to the sort of things he did with his first post-Bonzos project, the World. Sometimes the line between the two is imperceptible, as in the Roy Wood-like '50s pastiche "Momma B." However, as in Innes' best Bonzo Dog Band material, even the sillest songs on How Sweet to Be an Idiot, "Topless-A-Go-Go" and the title track, which later became a standard of Innes' stage performances with Monty Python, are solidly melodic Beatlesque pop. Recorded in between albums by Innes' primary project at the time, the rock and poetry supergroup GRIMMS, the album features that group's Andy Roberts, as well as Ollie Halsall, who would become Innes' musical partner in the Rutles half of a decade later, playing bass and singing the Dirk McQuickly parts that Eric Idle would mime to in the All You Need Is Cash film. The playing, as expected, is terrific, but as with many albums of the mid-'70s, there's an unfortunate sterility to Innes' self-production. Everything is just slightly too clean and precise. There are times when this is effective, especially on straight pop songs like "Dream," "Song for Yvonne," and especially the Wings-like "This Love of Ours," but a little of the anarchist spirit of the Bonzos would go a long way.

(Stewart Mason - Allmusic)

01 - Prologue

02 - Momma Bee
03 - Immortal Invisible
04 - Topless-A-Go-Go
05 - Feel No Shame
06 - How Sweet To Be An Idiot
07 - Dream On
08 - L'Amour Perdu
09 - Song For Yvonne
10 - This Love Of Ours
11 - Singing A Song Is Easy


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