Here's a title for Stax fans to mark on their calendars: a reissue of Albert King's I'll Play the Blues for You (1972), expanded with four bonus tracks in anticipation of the album's 40th anniversary.
King was already revered for his work with Stax Records, which he had been signed to since 1966. It was a boom period for the Memphis label, with Otis Redding earning high marks for his crossover performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival and Sam & Dave entering the pop charts with some timeless singles. On I'll Play the Blues for You, King worked with a different set of musicians than usual, partially out of necessity (most of the members of his band before 1967 were members of The Bar-Kays, and perished in the same plane crash that took Redding's life). The new Bar-Kays and Isaac Hayes' backing band The Movement, including bassist James Alexander and drummer Willie Hall, joined King on these decidedly funkier sessions, as did The Memphis Horns.
What followed was, according to music journalist Bill Dahl's liner notes in the new reissue, "a typically brilliant mixture of pile-driving blues and hot Memphis soul grooves...one of Albert's best long-players." The disc featured a number of extended jams, including the two-part title track, which would become one of King's signature numbers, as well as a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I'll Be Doggone" and the standard "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home."
This new disc, part of Stax's ongoing reissue and remaster campaign, features four bonus tracks released for the first time anywhere, including alternate takes of "I'll Play the Blues for You" and "Don't Burn Down the Bridge" and two entirely unreleased compositions. It's out May 22 and can be ordered here.
Albert King, I'll Play the Blues for You (originally released as Stax STS-3009, 1972 - reissued Stax/Concord, 2012)
- I'll Play the Blues for You (Parts 1 & 2)
- Little Brother (Make a Way)
- Breaking Up Somebody's Home
- High Cost of Loving
- I'll Be Doggone
- Answer to the Laundromat Blues
- Don't Burn Down the Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)
- Angel of Mercy
- Don't Burn Down the Bridge (Alternate)
- I'll Play the Blues for You (Alternate)
- I Need a Love
- Albert's Stomp
Tracks 9-12 previously unreleased.
Always on the lookout for great blues albums, but it's often hard to know what albums are best to get. This might be worth a shot though! Albert King's one of the greats.
B.B., and in another week Freddie, is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Why isn't Albert? He's been as influential as anyone. His session with Stevie Ray Vaughan (another guy who's still not in the Hall either) is fantastic. I only wish the CD had all the songs that are on the video.
"Born Under a Bad Sign" is reason alone to put Albert in the Hall.
Albert King is not in the HOF because Jan Wenner is a weiner. Literally one man keeps dozens of deserving artists (of about every genre) out due to his own biases, while filling the Hall with his favorites, including plenty of irrevalent rap and disco stars. These fools have nothing to do with R&R, except for murdering it! Wenner is single-handedly turning it into the Hall Of Shame. And leaving out greats from the Monkees to Arthur Alexander to Grand Funk Railroad to the Mighty Mighty Dells to Badfinger to the J. Geils Band to Big Joe Houston to Pat Benatar to Paul Revere & The Raiders/Mark Lindsay to the Manhattans to Utopia/Rundgren to Box Tops/Big Star/Chilton to Little Tommy Tucker and Richard Berry. (what's more ubiquitous than "Louie Louie" or "High Heeled Sneakers"?) Tucker's daughter, btw, is an up and coming blues singer, Teeny Tucker. I have written (elsewhere) that inducting Madonna into the R&R HOF is like inducting John Wilkes Booth into the Presidential HOF.
Only 2 alternate takes and 2 unreleased? I will stick with my original cd issue, thank you.
I'd love to see a better Stax remaster, i.e. Melting Pot with extra tracks