01. Will It Ever Change? - Luther Allison
02. One More Chance - Michael Burks
03. The Love You Lost on the Way - Roomful of Blues
04. Get to Gettin' - Albert Collins						play
05. No, No Baby - Son Seals
06. You Got Your Hooks in Me - Little Charlie & the Nightcats
07. Don't Cloud Up on Me - Lucky Peterson
08. You Know What My Body Needs - Lonnie Brooks Live
09. Stop What You're Doing - Long John Hunter
10. Lightning's Gonna Strike - Kenny Neal
11. Shady Lane - Elvin Bishop
12. Okie Dokee Stomp - W.C. Clark						play

This type of release from Alligator records, is good for two types of electric blues fans. The first type, is for the novice, just getting into electric blues. You can get an assortment of blues artists, with one small investment, and get to hear 12 "full" blues tunes. That's much better than hearing countless 30-second samplers. 30 seconds, at the start of an electric blues song, could just be some basic notes on a guitar, that may not even be, the actual beat and rhythm, that is the heart of the song. The second type, is for someone like Shaq, "The King Of The World Blues Reviewer". Good, new, electric blues, is very hard to find. And I spend, an enormous amount of time researching, new, and old electric blues. I bought this CD, with the same goal, that I bought, previous Alligator CD's of this genre. I felt, if I could find one artist, that I hadn't known about, or that I had heard about, but never got to hear much of, the ridiculously low purchase price was well spent. It's from CD's like this, that I "discovered", Luther Allison, Dave Hole, and Koko Taylor, among others. This CD, has a great song from Luther Allison (Will It Ever Change). A great one, from one of my six all-time favorite electric blues guitarist's, Albert Collins, (Get To Getting). It has one of the rockiness' songs, I've ever heard from Little Charlie & The Nightcats, (You Got Your Hooks In Me), it includes, a great Lonnie Brooks cut, (You Know What My Body Needs (Live)), and a guy I have never heard of Lucky Peterson, who has a song "Don't Cloud Up On Me", that is good enough, for me to practice, what I just preached to you, and investigate him further. --- Rick Shaq Goldstein "*SHAQ*" (Danville, Ca, USA)

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01. Last Dirty Deal - Coco Montoya
02. Route 90 - Johnny Winter
03. Golden Rule - Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials		play
04. Hound Dog Man - Stevie Ray Vaughan
05. Phone Line - Dave Hole
06. I'm Gonna Leave You - Guitar Shorty
07. The Next Miss Wrong - Tinsley Ellis Live
08. Run Myself out of Town - The Holmes Brothers
09. It's 2 A.M. - Shemekia Copeland
10. Rockin' Harder - Lee Rocker						play
11. 25 Miles - Johnny Sayles
12. Follow Your Heart - The Paladins

If completely raw, slightly unhinged electric blues is your thing, this Alligator sampler from its vast catalog is fine medicine to feed your fever. There are 12 tracks here from the likes of Johnny Winter, Coco Montoya, Tinsley Ellis, Shemekia Copeland, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Lonnie Mack, and Roy Buchanan, just to mention a few. The producers went from Australia (Dave Hole) to all four coastlines to to bring approximately 50 minutes of the raunchiest, stomping guitar freakout electric blues onto a single disc, with participants including the Holmes Brothers at their wildest; the music comes from the Deep South (Guitar Shorty and Copeland), from Chicago (Ellis and Lil' Ed), from Los Angeles (the Paladins and Lee Rocker), and from New York (Koko Taylor [who is from Chicago but lives in the Apple now] and Winter). This is the burn-down-the-house style of music that most modern blues fans crave, and this is a hefty dose for what ails you. ---Thom Jurek, AMG

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01. High Heel Sneakers - Junior Wells
02. Oreo Cookie Blues - Stevie Ray Vaughan
03. Stop Running 'Round - Carey Bell
04. Down in the Alley - Bob Margolin
05. Sloppy Drunk - Saffire The Uppity Blues Women
06. The Man Next Door – Koko Taylor
07. Railroad Bill - John Jackson
08. Evil on My Mind - Johnny Winter				play
09. Trouble in Mind - Cephas & Wiggins
10. So Tough with Me - Sonny Terry
11. Baby Bee - Kenny Neal
12. God Don't Ever Change - Corey Harris		play
13. The Dirty Dozens - Johnny Jones

I discovered so many great artist from this disc. I have purchased almost all of their cds based on what I heard here. --- Todd A. Hooper, amazon.com

Alligator Records shows a different side of its house-rocking face on this 13-cut collection of acoustic blues. While Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Bukka White don't appear here, other performers -- some of whom one normally associates with overdriven electricity -- are. Buddy Guy is present, as is Stevie Ray Vaughan. Koko Taylor's "The Man Next Door" is here and it's one of her greatest performances on record. In addition, Johnny Winter, who was no stranger to a National Steel string bottleneck earlier in his career, returns to give it another go, and the true roots doctor Corey Harris is here with "God Don't Ever Change," and Carey and Lurrie Bell with "Stop Running Around." Guy's "Hi Heel Sneakers" is terrific as is Winter's "Evil on My Mind." But it's those that are normally associated with the acoustic blues like Harris, Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women, Cephas & Wiggins, John Jackson and the legendary Sonny Terry who come off best, bringing the true rhythm and mystery with them into their songs. This is a hip collection that will make the feet shuffle and the backbone slip. And it's sold for a song, so why not? ---Thom Jurek, allmusic.com

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01. It's My Life, Baby - Johnny Winter
02. Never Miss Your Water - Lil' Ed And The Blues Imperials
03. She's Fine - Bonnie Raitt
04. Give Me Back My Wig - Luther Allison
05. I'm Gone - Elvin Bishop
06. The Same Thing - Bob Margolin
07. Taylor's Rock - Sonny Landreth						play
08. When the Church Burned Down - Kinsey Report
09. She's Gone - Michael Hill's Blues Mob
10. Jack O'Diamonds - Corey Harris						play
11. The Sun Is Shining - Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers
12. Out of Here - Dave Hole

Alligator has a justifiable reputation as one of the premier blues labels, and it draws on its recorded resources for this compilation. There's certainly no doubting the quality of the players and the music here, from Johnny Winter to the late Hound Dog Taylor, whose raw style sears the ears on Elmore James' "The Sun Is Shining." An older Corey Harris track reminds people that he's a remarkable acoustic slide player, and Sonny Landreth's "Taylor's Rock," from a Hound Dog Taylor tribute, features him playing no less than four parts, and still injecting plenty of grease. Australian Dave Hole remains a bit of a secret, but on the basis of this, deserves wider exposure. And if there's an odd man out here, it's A.C. Reed, who doesn't even play guitar. But he's joined by someone who does, Bonnie Raitt, and she lays down some wonderful work on "She's Fine." Elsewhere, there's Elvin Bishop, Luther Allison, and Lil' Ed among the suspects, with everyone making sure that the listener has a rockin' good time and confirming that the art of slide guitar is alive and well. --- Chris Nickson, allmusic.com

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01. She Walks Right In - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown		play
02. Lion's Den - Johnny Copeland
03. Both Ends of the Road - Long John Hunter
04. Midnight Hour Blues - W.C. Clark
05. Those Lonely, Lonely Nights - Katie Webster
06. Street Walkin' Woman - Phillip Walker
07. Tin Pan Alley - Johnny Winter
08. 450 Pound Woman - Floyd Dixon				play
09. Richest Man - C.J. Chenier
10. Standing on Shaky Ground - Delbert McClinton
11. I'm Coming Down With the Blues - Marcia Ball
12. Too Many Dirty Dishes - Albert Collins

Opening with the ageless Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's "She Walks Right In" and continuing through the ferocious duel guitars of Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins on "Lion's Den," the Fats Domino-like stroll of Katie Webster and Lonnie Brooks on "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights," and the funky "Standing on Shaky Ground" by Delbert McClinton, this sampler of Texas players on the Alligator Records roster shows a surprising diversity of approaches to contemporary blues. An obvious highlight here is "Richest Man" by East Texan C.J. Chenier, a slow, simmering ballad that hints at zydeco with its well-placed horns and accordions, but ends up being pure blues when all is said and done. All in all, this is a decent sampler of Alligator's wares, with enough sameness to feel like the tracks belong together, and enough difference to keep things fresh. --- Steve Leggett, AMG

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01. Riding the Blinds - Lonnie Mack
02. Tired Man - Albert Collins
03. Cherry Red Wine - Luther Allison
04. Going Back to Iuka - Koko Taylor
05. My Dog - Elvin Bishop						play
06. Eyes Like a Cat - Little Charlie & the Nightcats
07. Dump That Chump - Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women
08. Born With the Blues - Lonnie Brooks
09. Born in Chicago - James Cotton				play
10. Call My Job - Son Seals
11. Gonig Back to Louisiana - Delbert McClinton
12. Short Fuse Blues - Dave Hole
13. Dust My Broom - Hound Dog Taylor

Blues, like jazz, is often at its most striking in a live setting, where the interplay between the musicians and the feedback from the audience serves to push things to a high edge. This explosive collection from Alligator Records gathers 13 live tracks from an assortment of players, and there really isn't a slack cut here. Koko Taylor's "Going Back to Iuka" lyrically deals with a kind of resigned retreat back home, but Taylor delivers the song with such sass that it sounds more like a powerfully triumphant statement. Delbert McClinton pulls off the same trick with "Going Back to Louisiana," and in a different way, so does Son Seals as he turns desperation into a moral victory in "Call My Job." The closing track is the absolute steamroller, though, as the late Hound Dog Taylor blasts his way through a loose-kneed version of Robert Johnson's (by way of Elmore James) "Dust My Broom" with all the subtlety of a locomotive headed for a cliff with a drunk and passed-out brakeman and the throttle stuck wide open. --- Steve Leggett, allmusic.com

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01. Make My Getaway - Charlie Musselwhite
02. Have Mercy - Carey Bell
03. Shake the Boogie - Billy Boy Arnold			play
04. Sonny's Woopin' the Doop - Sonny Terry
05. Broke and Hungry - Junior Wells
06. Thank You Baby - Delbert McClinton
07. Burn Your Bridges - Phil Wiggins
08. Coastin' Hank - Little Chartlie
09. Superharp - James Cotton
10. Lonesome Stranger - Carey Bell
11. One More Mile to Go - Suger Blue
12. Blowin' Like Hell - William Clarke			play

One of three simultaneously released budget-priced Alligator blues compilations (the other two are Crucial Guitar Blues and Crucial Chicago Blues), Crucial Harmonica Blues is a 12-track anthology of the Chicago-based label's most popular and legendary harp artists. The track list reads like a who's who of harmonica with James Cotton, Big Walter Horton, Charlie Musselwhite, Carey Bell, Billy Boy Arnold, and Sonny Terry all contributing a track apiece. The tunes cover the years from 1972-2002 (practically spanning the label's existence) as well as a variety of blues settings. Acoustic Piedmont style is handled by Cephas & Wiggins with an instrumental showcase called "Burn Your Bridges" that proves non-amplified playing can be just as fiery as the electric approach favored by the majority of these artists. Those who enjoy speed over emotion can latch onto Sugar Blue's lip-shredding attack on "One More Mile to Go," or William Clarke's husky playing on the appropriately titled "Blowin' Like Hell." A jazzier West Coast style is exemplified by Little Charlie & the Nightcats' "Coastin' Hank," a showpiece for the great Rick Estrin. "Broke and Hungry" from the label's 1990 Harp Attack! showcase features both Junior Wells and Billy Branch. Liner notes only advertise the albums these tunes are culled from and the lack of personnel is a significant omission even if this is a budget-priced release. As a sampler though, this is an effective way to taste the label's harp roster and should introduce all but hardcore fans to names they might not have known before. ---Hal Horowitz, allmusic.com

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01. All The King's Horses - Luther Allison
02. Heartless - Michael Burks
03. Same Old Thing - Coco Montoya
04. Lights Are On But Nobody's Home - Albert Collins
05. Percolatin' - Little Charlie & The Nightcats
06. To the Devil For A Dime - Tinsley Ellis
07. Country Boogie - Roy Buchanan
08. I Can't Hear Nothing But The Blues - Son Seals
09. Phone Line - Dave Hole								play
10. Double Whammy - Lonnie Mack-Stevie Ray Vaughan		play
11. I Smell Trouble - Johnny Winter
12. Pressure Cooker - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

One of three simultaneously released, budget-priced Alligator blues compilations (the other two are Crucial Chicago Blues and Crucial Harmonica Blues), Crucial Guitar Blues is a 12-track, hour-long anthology of some of the hottest guitarists in the label's extensive catalog. Although the word "electric" is not featured in the title, this is definitely a plugged-in affair. Kicking off with Luther Allison's intense "All the King's Horses," the track list of Albert Collins ("Lights Are on but Nobody's Home"), Johnny Winter ("I Smell Trouble"), Roy Buchanan ("Country Boogie"), and Son Seals ("I Can't Hear Nothing but the Blues") is a roller-coaster ride through Alligator's marquee names. Lonnie Mack with Stevie Ray Vaughan charging through a breathless, self-explanatory "Double Whammy" adds even more firepower, and even the pace-changing, jaunty swing of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's instrumental "Pressure Cooker" that closes the disc maintains the fast-fret theme that is the album's calling card. Little Charlie & the Nightcats add some West Coast groove with their instrumental "Percolatin'," but generally tougher blues like Tinsley Ellis' "The Devil for a Dime" dominate. Oddly, there are no tracks from Alligator's two most celebrated guitar albums, Lone Star Shootout and the Grammy-winning Showdown with Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland slinging it out. Unfortunately, liner notes are MIA, as are detailed personnel listings for each track. Blurbs describing the albums the songs are picked from are more advertisements than informative, but that doesn't diminish the non-stop power and excitement of this excellent set. ---Hal Horowitz, allmusic.com

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01. Low Down And Dirty - Luther Allison
02. Ernestine - Koko Taylor
03. Somebody Changed the Lock - Junior Wells
04. Take Five - Hound Dog Taylor						play
05. Cotton Picking Blues - Son Seals
06. Let Me Stir in Your Pot - Carey Bell
07. Mama, Talk to Your Daughter - Magic Slim
08. Cold Lonely Nights - Lonnie Brooks
09. Take It Easy, Baby - Pinetop Perkins
10. My Mind Is Gone - Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials		play
11. 23 Hours Too Long - James Cotton
12. I Hear Some Blues Downstairs - Fenton Robinson

One of three simultaneously released, budget-priced Alligator blues compilations (the other two are Crucial Guitar Blues and Crucial Harmonica Blues), Crucial Chicago Blues is a 12-track anthology of the Chicago-based label's hometown artists. Harp players such as Carey Bell, James Cotton, and Junior Wells share space with guitarists Fenton Robinson, Magic Slim, Son Seals, and Lonnie Brooks, who nearly steals the show with his solo on a live "Cold Lonely Nights." Muddy Water's pianist, Pinetop Perkins, is the only keyboard entry and oldest performer. In fact, the album should put "contemporary" in its title, since the classic blues performers most fans associate with Chicago -- such as Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf -- were never Alligator artists and hence are not included. Regardless, this is a formidable lineup, with the tough Chicago guitar sound well-represented by Magic Slim and Luther Allison. Both Little Ed & the Blues Imperials and Hound Dog Taylor (the label's first signing) tear into slide-guitar boogie, with the latter's "Take Five" a sizzling example of the kind of unbridled, house-rocking music that Alligator staked its early reputation on. At 50 minutes, though, this is on the short side for a sampler. That, along with the lack of liner notes (other than mini-advertisements for the albums these cuts are from) and specific track information are in keeping with the budget price. Still, it's difficult for blues fans not to enjoy all of what is here. Both purists and new listeners will find this a worthy collection of some of Chicago's and Alligator's most essential artists. ---Hal Horowitz, AMG

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