Pure Blues: 20 Essential Blues Recordings
Various Artists
UTV
Is it possible to fit about 30 years of music on a single CD? It is if you’re referring to the latest blues compilation, Pure Blues. This is a most essential buy for anybody who wants a good introduction to the blues without buying twenty different albums; it’s a very basic and classic compilation featuring some of the greatest faces to ever grace the presence of the blues. In true style, subject matter ranges from floods to long lost loves, but in a way that makes even the most devastating events seem beautiful and heartfelt. Young Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepard, ’80s trailblazer Robert Cray, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like The Allman Brothers Band, Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and John Lee Hooker all make an appearance on this collection of soul and emotion. Jam-packed with blues hits, it’s worth every penny you could pay for it. Go on, there’s nothing like the blues to cure your blues.
UTV Records, Universal Music Company, 2220 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404; http://www.universalrecords.com
