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15 October 2003
Various Artists, The Best of Blues Classics (MCA)
With the current deluge of blues compilations hitting the marketplace led by the impressive Blues Kingpin series (The Right Stuff/EMI) and film maven Martin Scorsese's ambitious Presents the Blues project, MCA faces stiff competition with its current offering. Little more than a generic blues sampler, the new CD includes obligatory tracks by pioneers such as John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and BB King. Other featured artists include Koko Taylor and Bobby "Blue" Bland, with a surprise appearance by modern day bluesman Robert Cray. The disc is wholly unspectacular, seemingly thrown together in an effort to cover as many bases as possible by featuring a dozen "classic" tunes by legendary blues artists. Unfortunately for MCA, true blues aficionados already have every one of these songs in triplicate, and are looking for products that are significantly more enlightening. Compared with the aforementioned Kingpin and Scorsese packages, the MCA entry is not even close, and is basically a redundant waste of time.
— Adam Williams
.: posted by Editor 10:55 AM
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