Albert King: Favorite Album?

[Saint Johnny B]

Ok, I know we have some guys here who really appreciate the blues, so which Albert King Album do you like the best?

[Gabriel E.]

I've always liked Live Wire/Blues Power. It's him backed by Booker T. & the MGs.

[michael saulnier]

I've got a number of Albert King albums and most of them are great.

 

But my personal favorite is the live cd he did with SRV, Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughn - In Session

 

There's great playing by both guys, and between each track they talk... about how they first met, how SRV is going to "carry on" the blues tradition and more...

 

One highlight is the opening track, a 9 minute version of Stormy Monday.

 

Yeah baby.

 

guitplayer

[Saint Johnny B]

Gab,

 

Live Wire Blues Power, got that one, recorded live at the Fillmore in SF.

 

Have to check out the SRV and AK duet thing, that sounds like a winner.

 

I was also looking for the one that had the Bar-Kays backing him up and it had a song I think it was called "I'll be Doggone." I heard the song on the radio and liked the part were Albert says,

 

"Now, Albert King and the Bar-Kays can be just as funky as James Brown. Do you want me to take it to the bridge?"

 

And the crowd hollers back, "Yeah."

 

Who knows which album this is from?

[Saint Johnny B]

Bump for anyone who can help me with and answer. Thanks.

[yamsa2000]

Blues at Sunrise - live at Montreux is great. Features his 'son' Donald Kinsey (Bob Marley and the Wailers, Kinsey Report).

[Compact Diss]

I have something called "The Albert King Collection", some type of bootleg series, they cover a lot of different artists, besided this one(double CD) I have the SRV one. I like this one better. I can't give you a label, the only thing on the box is --deleted it, was a bad link--

hope it helps

[Blue Strat]

Johnny,

 

Your signature line(s) are longer than most people's posts!

 

I don't know much about Albert King, except that I like what I have heard of his music. I can probably tell you more about his gear than his music.

[JAY G.]

Johnny B. - Albert King's "I'll Be Doggone" is from the "I'll Play The Blues For You" album.

"I'll Be Doggone" was also done by Marvin Gaye back in the seventies.

[JAY G.]

(Correction) - Marvin Gaye did "I'll Be Doggone" in the sixties.

Albert King did his version of the song around 1972.

[Mr. Downchild]

Another big-up for Live Wire!

 

We have a singer/songwriter here named Jerry Beach, who's a patriarch of the scene. One night I was watching him at a gig and he goes "I'm going to play another one of my old songs now" and started into 'I'll Play the Blues for you' I thought he was being sacriligious claiming 'Albert's song' but a glance at the credits on the Albert King album set me straight.

 

Hmmm.... I'll bet Jerry's got some great Albert King stories. Now I gotta ask him!

[Corner Pocket]

Nobody mentioned "Blues for Elvis" originally released as "The King plays the King's Things", or something like that. Albert King, backed by The MG's, playing Elvis tunes. It has a very large "neato" factor.

 

Paul

[Saint Johnny B]

Blues,

 

From what I know of Albert King he used a right-handed Gibson Flying V and he then played it left-handed. In other words he played it upside down with the little E string on top. Then he ran it into an old pre-CBS blackface Fender Twin, used the treble pick-up, and lots of treble on the amp with some reverb. That was it, just an amp and guitar. One night at the old Fillmore Auditorium in SF, another guy was on the bill named Jimi Hendrix, Hendrix did "Red House" from then on with the white flying v that Albert gave him. Albert plays with guts, IMHO.

 

JAY, thanks, I think the Abert King Album I'm looking for is called "I'll Play the Blues For You."

 

My sincere thanks to everyone else who was kind enough to post.

[JAY G.]

Mr. Downchild;

Albert King recorded "I'll Play The Blues For You" after B.B. King recorded "The Thrill Is Gone" and the two songs are very similar. So, the two songs are often confused.

If you check out both songs you will see that the changes and parts of the melody are similar.

[JAY G.]

Albert King also recorded a song titled "THE FEELING" which is also very similar to B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone"

[AlChuck]

The classic in my book is Born Under a Bad Sign

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311101059240664&sql=Ay0jw7iojg7xr

 

The Elvis album was originally called King Does the King's Thing, retitled as Blues for Elvis - King Does the King's Things... it's a good one, also backed by the MGs.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311101059240664&sql=A24j4eal04xh7

[Sylver]

I have to say that the SRV and Albert King "In Session" is one of my favorite albums.

 

It's how the blues was meant to be played, and I think the real genius of both artists comes through clearly.

 

It may be the best blues album of all time.

 

It may be the best album of all time.

[Mr. Downchild]

Originally posted by JAY G.:

Mr. Downchild;

Albert King recorded "I'll Play The Blues For You" after B.B. King recorded "The Thrill Is Gone" and the two songs are very similar. So, the two songs are often confused.

If you check out both songs you will see that the changes and parts of the melody are similar.

Yes, I can definetely hear similarities in that they're both in minor keys and similar tempos (actually, very many blues numbers use recycled ideas), but the lyrical content of both are from two totally different directions. My short take on both of these classics? B.B. laments the loss of a fullfilling relationship, and Albert is peddling the medicine! Personally, I liked the more stripped down arrangement of the Bar-Kays backing Albert than the more elaborate 'stringy' arrangement of the B.B record.

[JAY G.]

Mr. Downchild

Yes, I agree with you - many blues songs are closely related..

The other song that Albert recorded, "The Feeling" is more of a match for B.B. King's, "The Thrill Is Gone"

The lyrics are even based on the same subject! "The Feelin is Gone." (But I don't know if Albert did this one before or after B.B. recorded "The Trill Is Gone".)

You may not have heard that song. I have it on a CD set called "The Ultimate Collection". It's a 2 CD set with many of Alberts early recordings on it.

[yamsa2000]

Not my favourite, but worth a listen is Jammed Together - Albert King,Steve Cropper and Pop Staples.Recorded in '69 - three very distinct styles, has some great moments, other times they seem to get in each others way a bit.Backing band isn't credited but Isaac Hayes and Al Jackson get a mention as producers - sounds like the MG's were the backing band. Steve even sings lead vocal on one song.

Can someone settle this once and for all please ? I have heard Albert's Crosscut Saw and I know that this is the exact same solo that Clapton ripped off for Strange Brew, however some sources claim it was Albert's song Personal Manager that has the Clapton Strange Brew solo.I haven't heard Personal Manager, maybe Albert used the same solo for two different songs or something???? Can someone please verify which song Clapton ripped off?

[JAY G.]

Hello gotMYgrits, since you've heard "CrossCut Saw", you know it's kind of an up tempo song. "Personal Manager" is a slower blues and the solo's that Albert plays on these two songs are not the same at all. If you want I can send an mp3 of the song to you. If so just give me an e-mail address to send it to.

[yamsa2000]

Thanks Jay - I'm certain it's Crosscut Saw.No need to send it but nice of you to offer.

[The Lone Chicken]

The only Albert King album I ever had (and it's been many years since it came up missing) was a double-LP live album that came out sometime in the mid 1970's and featured Rory Gallagher on some of the cuts--I don't recall what it was called, but I do recall that it had some fantastic guitar work from both Albert and Rory on it.