I've been looking to expand my music library a bit and am interested in one of the significant roots of metal - the blues. I've been listening to the local jazz/blues radio station a little bit, but, while some was quite good, nothing I've heard really stood out.

So, does anybody here listen to the blues? Any recommended acts a metalhead may get into?

Blues acts a metalhead could get into? Uh, probably not. (well, perhaps the Jimi Hendrix blues album)

Blues acts a music fan could get into...

B.B. King

Albert King

Albert Collins

Buddy Guy

John Lee Hooker

Robert Johnson

Stevie Ray Vaughn


Any of those are good places to start... although SRV stands out as more of a guitar shredder than the others (and he was born 25-30+ years later, and is, well, white...) Albert King is my favorite, although John Lee Hooker is the master of rhythym and big beat. The dual-disc Rhino collections of AK or JLH will serve you real well.

Perhaps rent the Blues Brothers (Belushi and Akroyd) movie... that's also a great primer thanks to the numerous guest appearances by musicans.

I'm glad a thread was made about this because blues is my favorite genre next to metal.

Muddy Waters is my favorite blues musician. The music is ridiculously simple, yet effective. BB King is good too, but you have to be careful in selecting songs by these super-famous blues musicians because people like to fuck them up by changing them. I just got Muddy Water's "Essential Collection" and they completely butchered the song Mannish Boy.

Anyways, if you're looking into blues, check out the live stuff. It's by far the best because it has an awesome atmosphere. I love it when I hear individuals from the crowd shouting in between the beats.

And for modern blues, I guess Popa Chubby and Guitar Shorty are pretty good but I haven't heard much from them.

"The blues had a baby and they named the baby rock n' roll" - Muddy Waters

I swear some blues songs have more guitar solos than some metal songs. They'll sing a line or two, do a nifty guitar solo, sing some more, another solo, and on and on.

I am extremely unfamiliar with his works, but I had the honor of meeting Hubert Sumlin while working at a local blues fest last weekend. I'd never heard of him before to be honest, but apparently the man is legendary and after seeing him perform I can understand why. To quote one of the other musicians who played that day "(He is) the fucking man! ... Led Zeppelin stole his shit!"

He's also an incredibly nice guy. For someone who was so influencial, he's such a human, down-to-earth kind of person. I was working on breaking down for the day when he finished his set and I was right there when he came down off the stage and he thanked me for helping out and asked how I liked the show, and thanked me again when I said how incredible it was (which was an understatement).

I'm trying to look into him a little more and I suggest you do as well. I know he's worked a lot with Howlin' Wolf and I believe he's done a bit with Muddy Waters as well.

Hehe, funny story from his website...

Quote:
When Hubert was about 10, he sneaked out to the local juke joint and stood on a pile of Coca Cola crates to see Howlin' Wolf. Drawn in by the music, he fell through the window and landed right on the stage. The club owner tried to throw out the underage boy, but Wolf insisted that Hubert stay and sit on the stage while he played. He later took Hubert home to his Mama and asked that he not be punished.

Stevie ray vaughan as someone mentioned before is a rather modern blues man, he combines "original" blues like bbking muddy waters blah blah with the more powerful blues played by the bands who popped up during the blues craze a couple of decades ago eg the rolling stones.
He's my abs fav blues man.

Written by BitterCOld on 08.07.2006 at 12:34

Blues acts a metalhead could get into? Uh, probably not. (well, perhaps the Jimi Hendrix blues album)

Blues acts a music fan could get into...

B.B. King

Albert King

Albert Collins

Buddy Guy

John Lee Hooker

Robert Johnson

Stevie Ray Vaughn


Any of those are good places to start... although SRV stands out as more of a guitar shredder than the others (and he was born 25-30+ years later, and is, well, white...) Albert King is my favorite, although John Lee Hooker is the master of rhythym and big beat. The dual-disc Rhino collections of AK or JLH will serve you real well.

Perhaps rent the Blues Brothers (Belushi and Akroyd) movie... that's also a great primer thanks to the numerous guest appearances by musicans.

Good choose my friied but what you say about Hunney Boy Williamson and Doug Macloud, I think thay are great and I like listen them I get Doug macloud CD and there are great guitars, and yeah great stuff

What was the name Missispi Jack

I just listed those I was familiar with... it is by no means a comprehensive list, just a very short primer.

Written by BitterCOld on 16.08.2006 at 01:22

I just listed those I was familiar with... it is by no means a comprehensive list, just a very short primer.

Agrei Blues are like Mississipi river its unique and amazing and all artists are in USA and moustly records are hard to get. I saw one movie about Blues ''Only Devil To Pay'' it was about 60ties Missiipi and quat good
Good blues radio are in radio365

Muddy Waters, Son House, Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, BB King.

They are all legends and worth checking out (im sure most of you know BB King though...and I see Muddy was already mentioned.

Good Blues would be stuff like Muddy waters, T-bone walker, Danny Gatton, and Miles Davis.

I thought Miles Davis was a jazz musician...

Written by Dangerboner on 16.02.2007 at 05:29

I thought Miles Davis was a jazz musician...

actually yeah he is but I was thinking about him when I made the post so.....oops?

Written by Arian Totalis on 10.02.2007 at 17:43

Good Blues would be stuff like Muddy waters, T-bone walker, Danny Gatton, and Miles Davis.

Hahahahhaa man good musicians but Miles Davis well jezz but not that jazz what I like I like more avangard, traditional jazz just now something like Cicil Tailor

I don't suppose you guy's can recommend anything that sound's like Downs' song "Where I'm Going" eh? I just really like the guitar and background noise, which I think is possible one of those guitar-like, or rather it is a string instrument and it lay's with the string's facing up. It just sound's very dark, and depressive, yet beautiful in it's own way.

Written by Dangerboner on 09.07.2006 at 02:08

I'm glad a thread was made about this because blues is my favorite genre next to metal.



Me Too!...I started with blues and migrated to metal over the years but I always find myself dirfting back to the blues or even mixing it with other music. The funny part is there are as many genre with blues as with metal. Chicago blues, Delta Blues, Texas blues, New Orleans blues...the list goes on and each is different as some have a jazz influence, some are more swing and so on. Not all blues tunes are sad as a matter of fact many older blues were very snappy uptempo but verbally raunchy style with titles like "Sam-the Hotdog Man" or "Shave 'Em Dry"

If you are just starting to get into the blues but still want some great guitar work you should look into Gary Moore, Dave Meniketti, Johnny Winter (or even Edgar Winters for that matter), Luther Allison, Robert Cray or Kenny Wayne Shepherd. You can still hold onto the bluey rock styles with Climax Blues Band or the Paul Butterfield band. There are many bands that have a version of a blues tune recorded, i.e. "Cry me a River" was done by Aerosmith as well as many blues artist that have done tribute songs of rock groups like Led Zeplin.

If you are looking expand yourself more then you need to look farther back as the blues started in the 1900's utilizing a guitar and a soap box. Women vocalist around 1910 i.e. Bessy Smith, Barrel House Annie or Memphis Minni added to the true meaning and feeling of the blues. Then you can move up to Robert Johnson (he could make one guitar sound like two), Muddy Waters , T-bone Walker (the first to use an electric guitar with the blues), James Cotton, Jimmy Witherspoon, or Big Mama Thorton.


What style are you looking for? Maybe you should look into the 25th Aniversery Edition from Alligator Records...something that will give you a double disc with multiple styles. It might help you narrow the field some.

Written by Bitter Dawn on 16.03.2007 at 06:52

I don't suppose you guy's can recommend anything that sound's like Downs' song "Where I'm Going" eh? I just really like the guitar and background noise, which I think is possible one of those guitar-like, or rather it is a string instrument and it lay's with the string's facing up. It just sound's very dark, and depressive, yet beautiful in it's own way.

You should check out Corrosion of Conformity. I'm not sure if you've heard them, but they play pretty much the same music as Down, and they have some of the same members. I recommend Deliverence and In The Arms of God.

Public Domain...you gotta love it...free MP3 downloads from this site with old time blues...root stock right here

http://www.publicdomain4u.com/

I have heard of CoC, and I am fairly certain I've heard some of their stuff before but I imagine I should properly check it out. So far I like other band's associated with Down and SJR.

I also found out that I think the kind of blue's I like is called "Delta blue's" and there was a really famous guy named Robert Johnson who played it, I imagine the sub genre was named delta blues after him because he was from the delta of Mississippi.

yeah man, Robert Johnson is great. If you like him, you'll most likely enjoy most of the musicians already mentioned on this thread, such as Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, etc.

Where can I get this guy mp3, sounds whatever
http://www.myspace.com/son_house

Written by Bitter Dawn on 16.03.2007 at 06:52

I don't suppose you guy's can recommend anything that sound's like Downs' song "Where I'm Going" eh? I just really like the guitar and background noise, which I think is possible one of those guitar-like, or rather it is a string instrument and it lay's with the string's facing up. It just sound's very dark, and depressive, yet beautiful in it's own way.

I thought of another recommendation for you besides CoC...check out Danzig II: Lucifuge. That album is very bluesy and it's the best Danzig album to date.

Thanks pyroleprechaun. I quite like Danzig actually, although I can recall his 777 album not being so great, but it's been a long time since I've listened to any full album's.

Check this band out
http://www.myspace.com/thesumnerbrothers

Amazing

Written by Bad English on 19.03.2007 at 11:19

Where can I get this guy mp3, sounds whatever
http://www.myspace.com/son_house

Oh dude, I missed this earlier. That guy is my current favorite blues musician. I've noticed that pre-WWII blues is the best, which just so happens to be his era. As for your question, you can buy a compilation/discography album by him at practically any CD store, or online for cheap. But, if you insist on downloading then just type it into google.

Written by BitterCOld on 08.07.2006 at 12:34

Blues acts a metalhead could get into? Uh, probably not. (well, perhaps the Jimi Hendrix blues album)

Blues acts a music fan could get into...

B.B. King

Albert King

Albert Collins

Buddy Guy

John Lee Hooker

Robert Johnson

Stevie Ray Vaughn


Any of those are good places to start... although SRV stands out as more of a guitar shredder than the others (and he was born 25-30+ years later, and is, well, white...) Albert King is my favorite, although John Lee Hooker is the master of rhythym and big beat. The dual-disc Rhino collections of AK or JLH will serve you real well.

Perhaps rent the Blues Brothers (Belushi and Akroyd) movie... that's also a great primer thanks to the numerous guest appearances by musicans.

Took it right from my mouth, lol.

Like I said before, I prefer the really old blues stuff, and I've recently come across Sonny Boy Williamson, who is said to have influenced famous blues musicians such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He does some pretty cool harmonica shit, and it works well with his steel guitar.

Check out a Jimi Hendrix album called Blues ! It was released in '94 as a bunch of unreleased blues recordings of his. There are apparently some cover songs of blues artists too. Impressive.

check Sonny Boy Williams. he is just amazing. he's the best harmonica player amongst the blues musicians, but he plays the guitar as well,

Written by Damnated on 23.01.2008 at 01:29

check Sonny Boy Williams. he is just amazing. he's the best harmonica player amongst the blues musicians, but he plays the guitar as well,

I agree man, iMO onmly fiew artists can play simmilar, werry great musiciac

I am also glad someone started this topic. Blues, to me, is the most personal of all genres.

Written by BitterCOld on 08.07.2006 at 12:34

Blues acts a metalhead could get into? Uh, probably not. (well, perhaps the Jimi Hendrix blues album)

Blues acts a music fan could get into...

B.B. King

Albert King

Albert Collins

Buddy Guy

John Lee Hooker

Robert Johnson

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Excellent list, but I would also strongly recommend R.L. Burnside. He was an electric Delta blues player from Mississippi, and is in my mind the most unfairly unrecognized musician in the genre. His voice had the timbre of later John Lee Hooker, and his guitar had a real fuzzy quality that's not typical of Delta Blues. He unfortunatley passed away last year, but he left behind a lot of great music. For a good introduction, check out his album "Ass Pocket Full of Whiskey."

If you have difficulty obtaining the actual CD, a lot of his stuff is available for legal download from emusic.com (a subscription mp3 service) - if nothing else, you can get 50 free downloads as a trial.

As for the list above, I have seen B.B. King and Buddy Guy both perform several times, and their musicianship is amazing. Even more impressive, though, is their stage presence. I agree with pyroleprechaun when he suggested looking into the live stuff. As I mentioned, blues is a very personal form of music, and the experience is multiplied several-fold when it is performed live. Blues musicians tend to really excel in establishing a connection with an audience, almost creating an atmosphere like you are all getting together at someone's house and talking about life over a beer.