Search - Magic Sam :: Black Magic

This is perfect, what can I say.

ty7777 | USA | 07/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sam is first rate. If you like Buddy Guy you might like Sam. If you like Otis Rush, you will almost certainly like Sam. If you like good music with soul, rythm and feeling- this is it. Not too much production, not stripped down either. It is a happy medium for most blues fans. There isn't an overboard horn section or interfering keys, or crazy looped guitar tracks. This is pure taste. A piano that plays perfectly to the music [ Sam learned by West side soul to only play with the best. ] and one Tenor Saxaphone for a few tracks to add some layers. Sam plays lead and some extra rythm. He is the only vocalist. There are two tunes that are kinda soul/ r and b. And the rest are solid blues, sometimes funky, sometimes slow. Sam is one of the great blues singers and innovators. This record does have a happy medium in a lot of respects. You got an instrumental. You got guitar playing that is technically respectable and creative but totally tasteful and with a feel for the music. Sam doesn't drill over the music with confused lines that go no where in particular like alot of bluesmen tend to do. He plays with his band. He solos and he shines, but he doesn't ever mess up the sound of the songs. Its got the slow soul, the feel good, the funk, everything. This album and West side soul are Sam at his peek, and the cream of the electric blues players. The man was an all around innovator of blues music, live he played bass, drums, Harmonica, Piano or whatever the band needed, it didn't matter. He Pushed the cool blues ahead. He and Otis Rush changed the game. And Sam has a respect for Otis because he did his songs, like Keep loving me on here and My Love Will Never Die on West side. I tell everybody I know who likes good music- If you don't know this guy, then you are missing a big piece of the puzzle. This is where it's at. His two major studio records and only real studio Lps are two of my favorites out of hundreds of albums. I can't even see how anyone could not like this."

Great blues-slash soul-slash funk!

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Magic Sam Maghett was a bluesman from the Mississippi Delta first and foremost, but he was also instrumental (so to speak) in introducing an element of soul in his music, which was called "soul blues" or "west side soul".



The soul element is especially prominent when listening to Magic Sam's vocals, which are those of a soul singer rather than a blues singer, but most of the songs are structured and played like blues numbers. It's a bit of shame that Sam's guitar playing isn't more prominent, actually...the tasteful riffing of saxist Eddie Shaw is very enjoyable, but he was such an excellent blues guitarist, exhilarating even, and it would have been nice with a few more really smoking fills and solos.



This album doesn't contain the obvious number 1 (or five star) hit - unlike his previous album, "West Side Soul" - but the quality of the songs is uniformly high, even if they are a little bit unvaried from time to time. "Keep Loving Me Baby" is a souled-up re-recording of one of Sam's early singles from the 50s, and one of his better-known sings. The riff-driven "I Just Want A Little Bit" digs a deep, swinging R&B-groove. "What Have I Done Wrong" is one of Sam's finest, most soulful vocals. The great Lafayette Leake adds wonderful, jazzy piano to the swaggering "I Have The Same Old Blues". And we do get a couple of smouldering solos as well, on "You Belong To Me" and the slow "Stop! You're Hurting Me" in particular.



"Black Magic" is a fine album, made by a contingent of very skilled musicians - Magic Sam himself being one. It's well produced (that is, not over-produced), and it is certainly recommendable to everyone with an interest in both blues and soul. First-time Magic Sam-buyers should start with "West Side Soul", but don't forget to pick this one up either!"

Magic Sam's Last Studio Recording A Treasure

Terence Allen | Atlanta, GA USA | 03/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Black Magic seemed to be another stepping stone to an extremely promising blues career. The young man, having had the stereotypical hard upbringing that seems to be a blues artist's rite of passage, was on his way to stardom based on very successful appearances at several blues festivals.



But Black Magic, instead of being part of his beginning, ended up being his epitaph. Sam Maghett died of a heart attack in December, 1969 at the age of 32, leaving much promise unfulfilled and lots of thoughts of what could have been.



This record was a very good followup to his phenomenal first record, West Side Soul. His playing and vocals were very good on this record, and while overall it is not up to the extraordinarily high accomplishment of West Side Soul, it has its merits, including What Have I Done, Easy,Baby, and a nice cover of Freddie King's classic instrumental San-Ho-Zay.



His third record probably would have been better than both West Side Soul or Black Magic, but we'll never know. At least we have his two studio records and a number of other live and previous unreleased records to listen to and enjoy."