"...Blues Heaven...Must Be Mighty Sweet..."
Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 02/04/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hip-O Select B0013186-02 is a reissue of a deleted 18-track 1991 CD compilation - now with 6 bonus tracks added on. It has the same front artwork, but a live photo spreads itself across the 3 flaps of the tri-gatefold on the inside, while the booklet is expanded to 16-pages. It's embossed on the rear of the card sleeve in gold - "limited edition". More importantly, it has truly stunning 2009 remastering by ace tape expert ERICK LABSON (has over 850 credits to his name - including most of the entire Chess catalogue).
Released November 2009 in the USA, February 2010 in the UK, "What It Takes - The Chess Years [Expanded Edition]" breaks down as follows (73:06 minutes):
1. I Got What It Takes (1964 USA 7" single on Checker 1092, A - see also 19)
2. Don't Mess With The Messer (1969 USA LP "Koko Taylor" on Chess LP 1532)
3. Whatever I Am, You Made Me (as per 2)
4. I'm A Little Mixed Up (as per 2)
5. Wang Dang Doodle (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1135, A)
6. (I Got) All You Need (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1174, A)
7. (Just) Love Me (1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1166, A)
8. What Came First The Egg Or The Hen [B-side of 7, duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
9. Insane Asylum (as per 2 - duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
10. Fire (as per 2 - duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
11. I Don't Care Who Knows (1968 USA 7" single on Checker 1210, A)
12. Twenty Nine Ways (To My Baby's Door) (as per 2)
13. Blue Prelude [Previously Unreleased, Recorded November 1971]
14. I Need More And More (1972 USA LP "Basic Soul" on Chess LP 50018)
15. Um Huh My Baby (as per 14)
16. Bills, Bills & More Bills (as per 14)
17. Let Me Love You Baby (as per 14)
18. I Got What It Takes [Live Duet With MUDDY WATERS] (1972 USA LP "Blues Rock Avalanche - The Montreaux Festival" on Chess LP 60015)
BONUS TRACKS:
19. What Kind Of A Man Is That? (B-side of 1 - a Koko Taylor original)
20. Blues Heaven (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1135, A - Willie Dixon co-write with Dick LaPalm)
21. Tell Me The Truth (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1148, A - a Johnnie May Dunson song)
22. Good Advice (B-side of 21 - a J.B. Lenoir cover)
23. Separate Or Integrate (1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1210, A)
24. Tease Your Man (1972 USA 7" single on Chess 2132, A)
Tracks 1 to 3, 5 to 12, 14 to 18 and 23 to 24 are all written by WILLIE DIXON
Track 20 is co-written by WILLIE DIXON and DICK LaPALM
Other track credits listed above
With a powerhouse voice that could level tall buildings from ten paces, Koko Taylor truly met her soul mate in Chess' principal songwriter - the mighty Willie Dixon. He wrote 18 of the tracks on here and co-wrote one other - his presence is everywhere. With the house-band containing the cream of the Blues crop (Lafayette Leake on Piano, Buddy Guy and Johnny "Twist" Williams on Guitars and a host of others - including Willie Dixon on Bass), it's no wonder that these slices of Sixties Blues and R'n'B boogie along so brilliantly.
But the real revelation is the SOUND - I've raved about Erick Labson's work before, but the lad's excelled himself here - beautiful clarity and depth - in your face for all the right reasons. Fans will thrill to the care given - infused no doubt with the same affection that exudes from ANDY McKAIE's typically excellent liner notes. It's a shame though that they didn't picture either of her albums "Koko Taylor" (a ragbag of tracks from '65, '67 and '69 finally issued in 1969) and the "Basic Soul" LP from 1972 - but that's offset against a colour photo of her debut Checker 45 "I Got What It Takes" on 1092 - what a lovely sight. Its fab B-side "Blues Heaven" is also here (lyrics above). The previously unreleased and exclusive-to-this-set "Blue Prelude" is a slow blues Joe Bishop/Gordon Jenkins song and it's excellent.
Koko has been poorly served by Chess reissues across the last two decades - until now. With her passing in June 2009 at the age of 80, Memphis' Cora Taylor is finally done proud by this lovely and wonderful reissue. Top marks to all involved - and another goodie from Hip-O Select.
Recommended.
For info purposes - a Checker Records (Chess) Discography - USA 7" singles:
1. I Got What It Takes b/w What Kind Of A Man Is This (1964, Checker 1092)
2. Don't Mess With The Messer b/w Whatever I Am, You Made Me (1965, Checker 1106)
3. Good Advice b/w When I Think Of My Baby (1965, Checker 1140)
4. Good Advice b/w Tell The Truth (1965, Checker 1148)
5. What Came First The Egg Or The Hen b/w (Just) Love Me (1967, Checker 1166)
6. (I Got) All You Need b/w All Money Spent (1967, Checker 1174)
7. Fire b/w Insane Asylum (1968, Checker 1191)
8. Separate Or Integrate b/w I Don't Care Who Knows (1968, Checker 1210)
9. Tease Your Man b/w That's The Way Love Is (1972, Chess 2132)"
Oh my !
attentive listener | Joysey | 11/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know Koko Taylor primarily from many of her fine efforts for Alligator Records and many are as gritty as any Chicago Blues I have ever heard. What you have here is her earliest recordings produced by Willie Dixon on Checker/Chess records. The gritty Chicago Blues is in full effect even at this early stage. The Willie Dixon factor ups the ante somewhat much like it did on Muddy's and Wolf's best efforts for the label. It's hard to put my finger on the common "Chess" denominator but there is a certain authenticity that was later replaced by a somewhat slicker production on the Alligator releases. The remastering of these sides is nothing short of a sonic miracle. A worthy eulogy for this Blues titan. Hip-O Select is to be commended."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1