Search - Albert King, Otis Rush :: Door to Door

The Japanese Edition of Albert King and Otis Rush's Once Rar

Perry Celestino | Tahmoor, NSW Australia | 09/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This (expensive) CD is a re-release of the famous Chess record that came out in the late 1960s, after Albert King became famous at Stax records. Recorded in the early sixties, this material stayed in the Chess vaults for almost ten years before its release. This "Limited Edition" is from Japan and has been remastered. It should be noted that currently there is also a German version of this CD a little bit cheaper. These sides include Albert's early Parrot sides e.g., "Be On Your Merry Way" and "Murder" which show him as a young budding guitarist. The Chess sides, which were recorded in St Louis, are raw and very interesting. "Howling On My Darling" and "Won't Be Hangin' Round" are the pick of his set. King also re-records some of his early King Records tunes such as "California".



Otis Rush does some great stuff as well. He does new versions of a couple of his Cobra sides such as "All Your Love" and "Keep On Loving Me Baby" and some pop-blues items such as "So Close". He even sings part of one tune in a mean falsetto! The track "So Many Roads" is regarded as an urban blues classic, one of Chess Records greatest sides. Overall, this is an historic album. Please read my other review of this Chess re-issue (in the U.S. version) for more details on the history of this LP and its tracks. This version is a very expensive import and it would only suit very serious fans or collectors. This is probably the only time two left-handed guitarists were featured on one album!"