Some items are harder to review than others. The quality is borderline and you don't really know what to say either good or negative. Other times there's even a worse problem, the item is so good that you feel like you're coming across like some hired Public Relations hack because you do nothing but rave about how great it is.
B.B. King Blues Session falls into the last category, if I tell you how really phenomenal it is you're going to have a hard time believing me. Like when I say that watching Etta James and Dr. John singing a duet "I'd Rather Go Blind" is as close to a religious experience as I've had recently you'll probably wonder whether I need my med's adjusted.
Or when I talk about the feeling of awe that came over me when I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King, Albert King, and Eric Clapton line up together on stage playing blues guitar being akin to Moses and his burning bush you'll think I'm wandering into heresy. But think for a moment where this music comes from and you may just get what I'm talking about.
I've heard about devout Christians who get up and "Testify" about the impact of having Christ in their lives, and how powerful and emotional that can be to witness. Now if you put that spirit too music you get gospel. When you make the theme of that music secular, you get the blues.
But I don't think I've ever seen musicians so deeply involved in the blues before, so deep that it's being drawn right out of their souls, that they can be said to be testifying for the blues, until I'd seen the DVD of this concert done back in 1987. Sure the technical quality of the analog digital transfer is poor, with the picture jumpy in places, but that just makes it all the more real in some ways.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
Gypsyman, thoroughly wonderful review! Having only in the past couple years started my exploration and education of the blues I can completely connect with what you are saying.
I have often considered writing a piece about Etta James' "At Last." If you ask me that song (while not necessarily a blues standard) might be the most perfect single ever and none of the pop tarts of today have anywhere near the capacity to channel what Etta James does in that song (or "Blind" or any of the other songs in her canon). I have never seen her perform live but I do love to hear her sing.
Terrific review.
2 - El Bicho
Gypsyman,
Some times things are great and you have to let them be known. Anything less would be dishonest. With the artists involved I have no doubt at to the accuracy and authenticity of your claims.
I was lucky enough to see a concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA, that featured The Fabulous Thunderbirds, SRV and Double Trouble, and Santana. During the encore, Stevie and Jimmy joined Santana. Every song they played would have at least six guitar solos as they traded back and forth. I know that sounds excessive, but their combined talent allowed them to pull it off seamlessly and had the crowd clamoring for more. It was a marvelous experience to behold.
3 - Connie Phillips
Great review, Gypsyman. And, not in the least over the top as you seemed to be worried about.
4 - Victor Gonzalez
A must have video...let me say it again: A MUST HAVE VIDEO. Unfortunately the quality of the production is below standards. The disk looks like a blank one that you record in a computer, even the disk label peels off! Hopefully someone will re-edit it again before I die, so I can buy it again!