Hide Away: The Best of Freddy King
Freddie King is a legend for some very good reasons. First, his clean single-string solos virtually define the modern Texas blues sound (although King himself honed his chops in Chicago). His playing was electric and country, skillful yet simple. Second, he had an uncanny knack for melodic invention. You can listen to a Freddie King solo once and whistle it the rest of the day. Last but not least, he was a remarkably expressive singer, soaring to a falsetto even more powerful than that of B.B. King. All this brilliance is here in one tidy package. You'll get the impassioned soul of "Have You Ever Loved a Woman." You'll get rumbling classics like "I'm Tore Down" and "Going Down." And best of all, you'll take your baby steps toward arena blues stardom listening to instrumentals like "San-Ho-Zay," "The Stumble," and "In the Open"--the songs that made Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan bequeath their souls to the unholy guitar. But bear in mind, if all those guitar heroes were so influenced by Freddie King, why is it that they don't sound anywhere near as great as him? Find out for yourself. And remember, the highest pitched string is the one closest to the floor.--Ken Hohman