Men Are Like Street Cars - Women Blues Singers 1928 - 1969
There's no way you can squeeze four decades' worth of music onto two CDs and make it exhaustive; nonetheless,Men Are Like Streetcarsprovides an overview of an important and vibrant subgenre within the blues: female blues singers. This CD is an excellent sample of some of the blues' greatest divas, from pioneer belters like Billie Holiday and Victoria Spivey; to guitarist Memphis Minnie, who was more than capable of keeping up with the boys; to reigning queens like Koko Taylor and Etta James, who have continued recording and performing well into the '90s. Other highlights include Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," Margie Day's "Take Out Your False Teeth Daddy," and Irma Thomas's "Good to Me."--Genevieve Williams