Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Music Talk
Reload this Page >

Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

Music Talk Discuss music in all its forms: CD, MP3, DVD-A, SACD and of course live

Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

Old 12-30-09, 03:16 PM
  #1  
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
Received 63 Likes on 53 Posts
Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

I've always enjoyed the blues, but never seriously seeked it out. What are some good artists/albums to look for?

For those who have seen Black Snake Moan, this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I also like stuff like Clapton's cover of "Before You Accuse Me" and Nirvana's "In The Pines"

Thanks.
Old 12-30-09, 03:17 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Crosse, WI
Posts: 15,552
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

The first few Fleetwood Mac albums, before they went all-poppy, are great.
Old 01-01-10, 08:01 AM
  #3  
JAA
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,165
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
Re: Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

Two words, my friend . . . Elmore James.
Old 01-01-10, 04:56 PM
  #4  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
The Antipodean's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 6,636
Received 164 Likes on 117 Posts
Re: Where's a good place to start for someone looking for good blues music?

Howlin' Wolf - My absolute favorite, the man sounds like an elemental force.
Muddy Waters - The king of blues, arguably, and certainly a fine place to start.
John Lee Hooker - Less booming a voice than Wolf and Hooker but an amazing player.


start with this holy trinity and go from there --

Any of the Martin Scorsese "The Blues" discs from a few years back are good compliations. I also have a nice "Rough Guide to Blues" disc or a "Blues Gold" budget set that are all decent stuff.

Many blues fans divide blues into "Mississippi" blues and "Chicago" blues. It's a matter of opinion but Chicago blues tend to be more poppy and polished, i.e. Buddy Guy or Eric Clapton (I know he's not from Chicago obviously), whereas the Mississippi stuff is rawer, older and rougher sounding -- I prefer it myself but really it's all good.

The "Black Snake Moan" soundtrack is definitely Mississippi blues all the way through. There's an excellent label in Mississippi called Fat Possum that does a lot of more modern kind of garage-blues acts that sound in this vein, RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough etc. Check out any of their stuff too.

Oh and the Nirvana song is by Leadbelly, he's kind of country blues but any compilation by him is good too.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.