That's how you might know of Otis Rush. How did I discover Otis Rush? It is a long story. Here is the short version. A lot of the rock music I have enjoyed over the years has had a strong blues flavor. I had always had a curiosity about the blues but was intimidated by the process of trying to sort through it all. It seemed an impossible task. A few years ago I went through a six-month period where I was listening to the Rolling Stones night and day. The early Stones records were filled with covers of Chuck Berry songs and old blues numbers. My love of those songs gave me a place to start when it came to discovering the blues. I started with the Chicago Blues sound made famous by Chess Records.
One of my first blues purchases was the Chess Blues box set. There were a few names I recognized like Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. Otis Rush was another name I recognized even if I could not place any of his work. His lone inclusion on this fabulous box set, "So Many Roads, So Many Trains," grabbed my attention and I knew I wanted to hear more.
I could not have chosen a much tougher task. Because Rush had the misfortune of signing with every half-assed label (major and independent) under the sun, a lot of Rush's music is out of print and/or damn hard to find. Of the easily accessible titles, AMG (a wonderful resource for the musically inclined) seemed to think most highly of The Essential Otis Rush: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958 and Right Place, Wrong Time.
My first Otis-specific purchase was The Essential Otis Rush: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958. This two-year period was in many ways Rush's commercial peak as an artist. Some have suggested it was also his creative peak. While this era is not my favorite of his career there is no denying he recorded some of his defining work during this period and it can be found on this collection.
"I Can't Quit You Baby" was the first single issued by the Cobra label and it went to #6 on the R&B charts. Not bad for a beginner. Due to the recording constraints of the time, Rush's guitar mastery can only be heard in small bits. When Rush began his recording career, albums were not the norm for blues artists. Blues artists had to think in terms of singles. That meant recording two songs at a time and they had to fit on a 45rpm vinyl single. Songs had to be efficient. Even if a blues artist did get to record a longer song, radio play was still very strict about song length. If you wanted to sell records you had to get on the radio and if you wanted on the radio you better make that song short and snappy.
Article comments
1 - DuaneFan
Well, ef, ef, effity ef. I guess that sums it the ef up, doesn't it?
2 - Mat Brewster
Wow. That was so freaking long, I had to take a bathroom break in the middle.
But it does have some really cool stuff in it. Nicely done, Mr DJ
3 - DJRadiohead
Brewster, thank you. Thank you for making it through the thing (I wholly understand the need for a good, cleansing shit somewhere after Cobra records disbanded) and thanks for commenting. I had no idea I was going to go this long when the piece started. This was one of those where I was just along for the ride, too.
And Duane... I couldn't have said it better myself.
4 - DJRadiohead
I did a search on GoogleNews for "Otis Rush" and this story came up tops. Maybe the fictional Samantha Mathis character will show the man himself. I hope he likes it.
Now, if I can just get those people to send me the DVD so I can review it.
5 - Mark Saleski
ah yea! great take on Otis Rush. i don't have any of his recordings, but must say, the can can put together a tune. the first one i ever heard was the Geils version of "Homework" (from Full House).
makes me want to go home and plug in the guitar.
6 - DJRadiohead
Thanks, Mark. Glad you made it through. Was it a one bathroom break or a two-shitter for you? Wait... don't answer that.
Essential and Right Place... are really good places to start if you are at all curious. Honestly, knowing what little I have come to know of your tastes, I have a feeling you would find Right Place... a more fulfilling, enjoyable listen. It's just a hunch.
7 - Mark Saleski
remember, one of my favorite writers is Kerouac...so it did't seem so long to me.
i will definitely check out some Otis Rush.
8 - DJRadiohead
Well, I could have kept yammering for another 1,000 words or so. I'll try harder the next time.
Re-reading these comments and this column has caused me to again reach for Right Place... myself. Time well spent.
9 - DJRadiohead
I got excited when there was a package in the mail... turns out to have not been Otis. It was another CD I will be reviewing. Still. I wanted to watch Otis.
10 - DJRadiohead
UPDATE: The CD/DVD arrived today. My review will be surfacing soon. Some Otis tonight. Not a bad way to spend an evening.
11 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
DJ, that was beautiful. Beautiful. i dunno that i've ever heard a note this fella played, and to be honest, electric blues carry on's were never my bag. To paraphrase Sun House; the blues are about that snarl in your gut when bad shit's goin down.
I like it when they sound like that, too. And for the most part, i've only ever really heard that from acoustic blues malarkey.
But that's got nothing to do with the wonders of this piece, or maybe it has everything to do with it. I never heard a note and doubt i'd even like it if i did, and yet entranced, i was.
and those last couple lines were perfect. There's a lotta perfect lines in there, mind. But those last two - they were perfectly perfect.
12 - DJRadiohead
Duke, I know what you mean about the acoustic blues and the very guttural stuff. Some of Otis' work, despite being all electric blues, has been described as hair raising in that sort of sense. Certainly not all of it. What I think is if you listened to a few of his records you would be disinterested in a good chunk but there would be a song or two that you'd want to take with you. And on that acoustic blues subject- if you haven't taken Brother Saleski and my advice to get Muddy Waters' Folk Singer album you should not let one more day of your life pass without it.
I had to go back and re-read the last couple of lines to see which were the perfectly perfect. Thanks for that, Duke, and thanks for reading this. This one was a lot of fun. I don't write "dream" sequences often.