Guitar Slim - Sufferin Mind (26 tracks) +Album Reviews

This is Blue

Greekfreak | Pusan Korea (South) | 12/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Via Frank Zappa, I was turned onto Guitar Slim. That's the long and the short of it, and within moments, you can see how Slim influenced Zappa's scratchy, angry guitar sound.It's all here, some of the purest, meanest, dirtiest blues ever recorded, I'm sure. "You Gonna Miss Me", "Bad Luck Blues", "Reap What You Sow", and especially "Story of My Life" hold up to anything you want to compare them to. If there is a problem with sound quality, I'm not aware of it--but if you can find a more comprehensive anthology complete with alternate takes or even live tracks, it would probably be worth picking up instead of this release."

"Story of My Life" - yes, yes, yes

Steve Vrana | 06/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are a lot of great cuts on this CD but when I want to GET DOWN, I put on "Story of My Life." This song is blues at its most OVER-THE-TOP, from the Slim's impassioned voice twisting around the opening line to his totally raw guitar solo that sounds like one long moan. THIS IS THE BLUES!! Guitar Slim: you were one of a kind. R.I.P."

Best Known recordings by blues guitar legend

R. Weinstock | Falls Church, VA USA | 03/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Including the original (and hit) rendition of the blues classic The Things I Used to Do, this disc brings together some of Eddie 'Guitar Slim' Jones' most celebrated recordings. This is not the only Guitar Slim number which has been reworked by numberous blues and rock icons from Buddy Guy, Earl King, Guitar Shorty, Clifton Chenier, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Canned Heat, Guitar Shorty and even James Brown. Gatemouth Brown was perhaps the biggest direct influence, but Slim's gospel rooted blues shouting along with guitar pyrotechnics led to his reputation as a staggering live and influential performer. His guitar playing is not as upfront on these recordings as are his vocals, but man could he sing. The disc of his Atco recordings that Atlantic (I believe) issued a few years ago has the guitar upfront and well worth getting."

Influential New Orleans Bluesman

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 09/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones is probably the most influential New Orleans blues artists ever. This generous anthology collects 26 tracks from his 1953-56 tenure at Specialty (before leaving for Atco). The album kicks off with his 1953 No. 1 "The Things I Used To Do" and hits all the highlights from the period, including "Story of My Life," "Sufferin' Mind" and "Something To Remember You By." [Note: The 1953 recordings (tracks 1-4) include Ray Charles as pianist and arranger.] If you're going to own only one Guitar Slim album, this is the one to get. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Certainly A Commercial Puzzle

R. Weinstock | 09/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a collection of the work of Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones' work for the Specialty label. Held in open-jawed awe by fellow New Orleans musicians who marveled at his spectacular stage act, it's one of the great puzzles of the history of R&B music why his records did not do better commercially. Recording prior to Specialty with Imperial and Bullet, he had just the one charted hit in his career.

But what a hit. The Things That I Used To Do [b/w Well, I Done Got Over It] went to # 1 R&B early in 1954 [with Ray Charles playing piano] and stayed on the charts for 21 weeks, including FOURTEEN at # 1.

So why did he not enjoy more commercial success? Your guess is as good as mine. It's not as if he was with a small label. Both Imperial and Specialty, although not in the class of Columbia, Decca, RCA Victor, Capitol, or Mercury, were nevertheless among the top of the next tier of intermediate labels with numerous other successful artists under their wings like Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Little Richard, and Larry Williams - to name just a few. And his last label, Atlantic/Atco, was another strong outfit who knew how to promote their artists.

Just 32 years of age when he died from pneumonia on February 7, 1959, in this collection you will hear a voice made for R&B - hard-edged, at times almost raw, along with guitar playing that at times defies description. In 2007, Guitar Slim was inducted into the Vlues Hall Of Fame."

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