From: mzickar@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Mike Zickar)
Subject: Top 50 Blues CDs
Organization: UIUC Department of Psychology
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 22:51:05 GMT

In the past weeks there have been several requests for lists of
"must have" blues CDs.  About 2 years ago CD Review published a
list of "The Definitive Blues Library."  I thought it would be
interesting and possibly useful to some.  Remember in the past two
years there have been an incredible amount of reissues so this list
will undoubtedly have changed some.  I have listed my own comments
after CDs I own.

BLUES PIONEERS
1.  Charley Patton, Founder of the Delta Blues, Yazoo
2.  Blind Lemon Jefferson, King of the Country Blues, Yazoo
3.  Blind Blake, Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Picker, Yazoo
4.  Lonnie Johnson, Steppin' on the Blues, Columbia
5.  Big Bill Broonzy, Good Time Tonight, Columbia  (*  A fine collection
     of one on the blues finest songwriters *)
6.  Leroy Carr, Blues Before Sunrise, Portrait
7.  Bessie Smith, Columbia Jazz Masterpieces, Columbia (*  Substitute
     the Complete Recordings now *)
DELTA BLUES
8.  Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings, Columbia (* 'Nuff Said*)
9.  Fred McDowell, Mississippi Delta Blues, Arhoolie
10. Skip James, Today!, Vanguard
11. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Mean ol' Frisco, Collectables
12. Muddy Waters, Folk Singer, Chess/MCA
TEXAS BLUES
13. Leadbelly, Alabama Bound, RCA (* Possibly substitue Rounder's
     3 CD Smithsonian Recordings which are fascinating *)
14. Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins, Texas Blues, Arhoolie  (* This CD is an
     ok collection but is uneven.  There are several recent Lightnin'
     reissues which are probably better.  Gold Star Recording (Arhoolie)
     are really good and the Prestige Box would be good if you have $$$*)
15. Mance Lipscomb, Texas Songster, Arhoolie
16. T-Bone Walker, T-Bone Blues, Atlantic (* A lot of reissues in the
     past year.  Is this still the best? *)
17. Freddie King, Getting Ready . . ., Shelter
18. Muddy Waters, The Chess Box, Chess/MCA
19. Willie Dixon, Chess Box, Chess/MCA
20. Howlin' Wolf, Real Folk Blues & More R. F. B., Chess/MCA (* Of
     course, the Chess Box *)
21. John Lee Hooker, The Hook--20 Years of Hits & Hot Boogie,
     Chameleon.  (*  Many reissues.  How about the Rhino Comilation?
     I personally like Real Folk Blues. *)
22. Elmore James, Golden Classics-Guitars in Orbit, Collectables.
     (* Maybe the Capricorn box ? *)
23. Little Walter, The Best of Little Walter, Chess/MCA
24. Sonny Boy Williamson, King Biscuit Time, Arhoolie
25. Otis Spann, Walkin' The Blues, Candid
26. Bo Diddley, The Chess Box, Chess/MCA
27. Big Mama Thorton, Ball'N'Chain, Arhoolie
MODERN URBAN BLUES
28. B.B. King, Live at the Regal, MCA. (* MUST HAVE *)
29. Albert King, King of the Blues Guitar, Atlantic (* Is this better
     than the recent Stax reissues?*)
30. Junior Wells, Hoodoo Man Blues, Delmark
31. Otis Rush, Right Place, Wrong Time, Hightone
32. Buddy Guy, I Was Walking Through the Woods, Chess/MCA
33. Buddy Guy, This Is Buddy Guy!, Vanguard
34. Janis Joplin, Greatist Hits, Columbia
35. Johnny Winter, Nothin But the Blues, Blues Sky
36. Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues, Alligator
37. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Texas Flood, Epic
38. Willie Dixon, Hidden Charms, Bug/Capitol
39. Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland, Showdown, Alligator.
40. The Kinsey Report, Midnight Drive, Alligator
41. Stevie Ray Vaughan & D. T., In Step, Epicd
COLLECTIONS & ANTHOLOGIES
42. Chicago-The Blues Today! Vols. 1-3, Vanguard
43. Atlantic Blues (Vocalists, Piano, Guitar, Chicago), Atlantic
44. Legends of the Blues Vol. I, Columbia
45. Skip James, Blind Willie McTell, Bukka White, Three Shades of Blues,
     Biograph.
46. News & the Blues--Telling It Like It Is, Columbia
47. The Slide Guitar-Bottles, Knives, and Steel, Columbia
48. Great Bluesmen/Newport, Vanguard
49. The Great Bluesmen, Vanguard
50. Memphis Slim, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Blues in the
     Mississippi Night, Rykodisc

There is a lot that is missing from this list.  Maybe we could use this
list as a springboard for future discussion.  What CDs deserve to be on
here?  Which ones are really essential?  Which CDs have been reissued
lately that are better selections than the one's listed for particular
artists?

Really Got the Blues,
Mike Zickar
mzickar@s.psych.uiuc.edu