Must have Blues vinyl?

Vapor Audio · « **on:** 4 Jul 2013, 01:26 am »

I've finally got into vinyl, but my Blues selection is sorely lacking. I'm thinking a trip to the local record store is in order for Friday. How about some suggestions to help me get my collection in order. I have thousands of blues albums on my music server, so just looking for some vinyl of exceptional recording quality.

WireNut · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 01:32 am »

Quote from: Vapor Audio on 4 Jul 2013, 01:26 am

I've finally got into vinyl, but my Blues selection is sorely lacking. I'm thinking a trip to the local record store is in order for Friday. How about some suggestions to help me get my collection in order. I have thousands of blues albums on my music server, so just looking for some vinyl of exceptional recording quality.

Robin Trower
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Buddy Guy
Eric Clapton
Joe Bonamassa
COCO Montoya
Gary Moore
Jonny Lang
Kenny Wayne Shepard
Jay Jesse Johnson

JackD · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 01:47 am »

Luther Allison
Albert Collins
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Albert, Freddie & BB King
Otis Rush
Otis Spann
Johnny Copeland
James Cotton

WGH · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 01:48 am »

#1 to look for: The Healer - John Lee Hooker

Vapor Audio · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 02:07 am »

Quote from: WireNut on 4 Jul 2013, 01:32 am

Robin Trower
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Buddy Guy
Eric Clapton
Joe Bonamassa
COCO Montoya
Gary Moore
Jonny Lang
Kenny Wayne Shepard
Jay Jesse Johnson

Hey guys, I know Blues pretty well ... what I'm hoping for are some 'special' examples of Blues on vinyl so that I can narrow my focus somewhat while shopping Friday. Otherwise I'll be there for hours flipping through the racks, wondering if they're decent recordings or not

Vapor Audio · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 02:11 am »

Quote from: WGH on 4 Jul 2013, 01:48 am

#1 to look for: The Healer - John Lee Hooker

I do love John Lee Hooker

jsaliga · « **Reply #6 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 02:20 am »

Quote from: Vapor Audio on 4 Jul 2013, 01:26 am

I've finally got into vinyl, but my Blues selection is sorely lacking. I'm thinking a trip to the local record store is in order for Friday. How about some suggestions to help me get my collection in order. I have thousands of blues albums on my music server, so just looking for some vinyl of exceptional recording quality.

Judging from the responses I wonder if people are reading your post. From what I gather you are looking for specific album recommendations on vinyl that meet your criteria of exceptional recording quality. Since you mentioned that you have thousands of blues albums on your music server I think it goes without saying that you are very familiar with the key artists in the genre.

Here are some specific albums I can recommend:

Jimi Hendrix - Blues (This double LP is issued on 180g vinyl. Don't know if it is still in print but it is well worth hunting down)
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (Analogue Productions 45RPM 180g vinyl reissue). Buddy Guy is the guitarist on this album
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (Classic Records 200g vinyl reissue). If you can find a copy of this buy it. I believe that its coming out again on Quality Records Pressings 200g vinyl from Acoustic Sounds).
Stevie Ray Vaughan's studio albums have been reissued by Epic on 180g vinyl and I believe that Analogue Productions is coming out with 180g LPs cut at 45RPM as well.

--Jerome

WGH · « **Reply #7 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 03:47 am »

Check out the first 3 Bonnie Raitt albums, they should be easy to find. Besides having terrific songs the sound is warm and analog. Bonnie's first 6 albums have Freebo on bass and tuba with the tuba featured predominately on her first albums.

Bonnie Raitt is the self-titled debut album released in 1971. A straight-blues affair, it was recorded at an empty summer camp on Enchanted Island, about 30 miles west of Minneapolis on Lake Minnetonka. "We recorded live on four tracks because we wanted a more spontaneous and natural feeling in the music", Raitt wrote in the album's liner notes, "a feeling often sacrificed when the musicians know they can overdub their part on a separate track until it's perfect."

Give It Up

Takin' My Time

Vapor Audio · « **Reply #8 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 05:04 am »

Appreciate the suggestion, but I'm not a big Bonnie Raitt fan ... she's a bit too melodic for my taste. I like a bit more edge.

How about narrow it down, what would be a few killer pressings for Dirty Delta Blues?

dangerbird · « **Reply #9 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 01:04 pm »

Keb Mo

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-45826-keb-mo-keb-mo-numbered-limited-edition-180g-lp.aspx

Triode Pete · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 02:07 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 4 Jul 2013, 02:20 am

Judging from the responses I wonder if people are reading your post. From what I gather you are looking for specific album recommendations on vinyl that meet your criteria of exceptional recording quality. Since you mentioned that you have thousands of blues albums on your music server I think it goes without saying that you are very familiar with the key artists in the genre.

Here are some specific albums I can recommend:

Jimi Hendrix - Blues (This double LP is issued on 180g vinyl. Don't know if it is still in print but it is well worth hunting down)
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (Analogue Productions 45RPM 180g vinyl reissue). Buddy Guy is the guitarist on this album
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (Classic Records 200g vinyl reissue). If you can find a copy of this buy it. I believe that its coming out again on Quality Records Pressings 200g vinyl from Acoustic Sounds).
Stevie Ray Vaughan's studio albums have been reissued by Epic on 180g vinyl and I believe that Analogue Productions is coming out with 180g LPs cut at 45RPM as well.

--Jerome

Can't go wrong with any of Jerome's suggestions - definitely in my Top Ten!

The Steve Ray Vaughn, "Couldn't Stand The Weather" LP is superb... "Tin Pan Alley" is one of my favorites. FWIW, I preferred the original LP over the Mo-Fi reissue. The Mo-Fi sonics were great but the original LP had more a bluesy "Rawness" in the recording. The Mo-Fi was "cleaned-up" too much IMHO...

Also, John Lee Hooker's LP "It Serve You Right to Suffer", A Speakers Corner reissue, shines nicely...

A very well recorded, audiophile blues record is Eric Bibb's LP, "Just Like Love", an Opus 3 recording made in Germany.

Finally, a little raw sounding but gets my foot tapping is Muddy Waters "Hard Again", Friday Music LP reissue.

My $0.02,
Pete

dminches · « **Reply #11 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 02:22 pm »

Quote from: dangerbird on 4 Jul 2013, 01:04 pm

Keb Mo

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-45826-keb-mo-keb-mo-numbered-limited-edition-180g-lp.aspx

+1

WGH · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 04:39 pm »

Quote from: Vapor Audio on 4 Jul 2013, 05:04 am

I like a bit more edge.

OK, more edge. All my albums are still boxed up from the move so I'm unsure about the sound quality but the Winter brothers just have to be in your vinyl collection.
This is about as dirty as delta blues gets with songs by Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, and B.B. King.

Johnny Winter

Edgar Winter - They Only Come Out At Night

Cue up "Frankenstein" and crank it up!

Devil Doc · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 04:50 pm »

Edge you say?

Or anything else by him you can find.

Doc

SteveFord · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Jul 2013, 08:17 pm »

The releases on Alligator Records always sound good.
Johnny Winter did a couple there, I think Son Seals and Albert Collins did as well.
Not on Alligator but the 180gm Johnny Winter albums sound really good, too.

trackball02 · « **Reply #15 on:** 5 Jul 2013, 05:08 am »

Check out this link:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57589377-47/the-audiophiliacs-top-lps-for-testing-speakers/

Keb Mo should be on your short list, as previously mentioned.

neobop · « **Reply #16 on:** 5 Jul 2013, 11:37 am »

Quote from: Vapor Audio on 4 Jul 2013, 05:04 am

Appreciate the suggestion, but I'm not a big Bonnie Raitt fan ... she's a bit too melodic for my taste. I like a bit more edge.

How about narrow it down, what would be a few killer pressings for Dirty Delta Blues?

In the '50s and '60s Chess Records compiled cuts mostly from their subsidiary Checker, and issued some killer albums.
Authentic blues guys like Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson (II), Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf migrated North from the Mississippi - Delta area and defined the Chicago/Detroit blues. They all recorded for Chess. Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim and Bo Diddley also recorded for Chess, but I'm not sure if Chess made these albums for them.

These original Chess issues and reissues with grey covers are classics and sound great, although it might be hard to find them in good condition. There were also Japanese pressings of some of these, which I assume are excellent.
neo

For those unfamiliar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duRp_avXtMM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZoFy1CCgAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCq_1EfrYN0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgCpw--3Lyc

If you can find one of these LPs the SQ is much better.

jsaliga · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Jul 2013, 12:01 am »

In addition to my earlier recommendations I would also suggest the first three albums by the Black Keys: The Big Come Up, Thickfreakness, and Rubber Factory. They are available on 180g vinyl from Soundstage Direct.

--Jerome

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Jul 2013, 01:26 am »

Quote from: Vapor Audio on 4 Jul 2013, 01:26 am

I've finally got into vinyl, but my Blues selection is sorely lacking. I'm thinking a trip to the local record store is in order for Friday. How about some suggestions to help me get my collection in order. I have thousands of blues albums on my music server, so just looking for some vinyl of exceptional recording quality.

Rock recordings are famous for its low cost and poor sound, I suspect with blues the trash is the same.

Johnny Winter is blues rock, I already listen this SACD and the sound is great.
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/729

Devil Doc · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Jul 2013, 09:19 am »

I know, it's only Rock and Roll, but I like it, like it, yes I do.

Doc