The Very Best of Buddy Guy
Info
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Label |
WEA/Atlantic/Rhino |
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Released |
May 12, 1992 |
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Original year of release |
1992 |
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Recorded |
1958 to 1985 |
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Total playing time |
74:27 |
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Producer (compilation) |
James Austin |
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Buddy Guy |
Guitar, Vocals |
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Ray Allison |
Drums |
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Harold Ashby |
Saxophone |
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Lefty Bates |
Guitar |
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Fred Below |
Drums |
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Jackie Brenston |
Saxophone |
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Harold Burrage |
Keyboards |
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Leonard Caston |
Keyboards |
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Eric Clapton |
Guitar |
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Willie Dixon |
Bass |
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McKinley Easton |
Saxophone |
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Jarret Gibson |
Saxophone |
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Jime Gordon |
Drums |
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Phil Guy |
Guitar |
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Donald Hankins |
Saxophone |
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Clifton James |
Drums |
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Dr. John |
Keyboards |
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Ernest Johnson |
Bass |
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Eddie Jones |
Saxophone |
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Lafayette Leake |
Keyboards |
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Jesse Lewis |
Drums |
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Junior Mance |
Keyboards |
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Jack Meyers |
Bass |
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Little Brother Montgomery |
Keyboards |
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Mike Morrison |
Bass |
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Bob Neely |
Saxophone |
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Carlson Oliver |
Saxophone |
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Odie Payne |
Drums |
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Pinetop Perkins |
Keyboards |
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Carl Radle |
Bass |
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A.C. Reed |
Saxophone |
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Otis Rush |
Guitar |
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Roosevelt Shaw |
Drums |
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Otis Spann |
Keyboards |
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Leroy Stewart |
Bass |
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Dallas Taylor |
Drums |
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Terry Taylor |
Guitar |
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Sonny Turner |
Trumpet |
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Murray Watson |
Trumpet |
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Junior Wells |
Harmonica |
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Tracks
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written by |
playing time |
||
| 1. |
Eurreal Montgomery |
? |
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| 2. |
? |
? |
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| 3. |
Willie Dixon |
? |
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| 4. |
Ike Turner |
? |
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| 5. |
Buddy Guy |
7:11 |
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| 6. |
Willie Dixon/Al Perkins |
3:54 |
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| 7. |
Robert Geddins |
? |
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| 8. | Hold that plane | Buddy Guy | 4:43 |
| 9. | Hello San Francisco | Robert Geddins | 5:22 |
| 10. |
Eddie Boyd |
? |
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| 11. |
Eurreal Montgomery |
? |
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| 12. |
Buddy Guy |
? |
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| 13. |
Aaron T-bone Walker |
4:19 |
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| 14. |
Buddy Guy/Junior Wells |
? |
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| 15. |
Buddy Guy |
2:37 |
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| 16. |
Buddy Guy |
? |
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| 17. |
Buddy Guy |
? |
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| 18. |
? |
4:43 |
Reviews
Amazon (Marc Greilsamer)
Trying to boil down a prolific 40-year career into 18 songs/ is an impossible
task, but that doesn't stop Rhino from taking a shot. To its credit,
this single-CD compilation reaches across many labels, highlighting
Guy's explosive work for Chess and Vanguard in the 1960s, Atlantic in
the 1970s, and diverse labels in the 1980s. On the other hand, his Chess
and Vanguard work deserve significantly more attention than they're
given here. In addition, Guy's rejuvenated 1990s work for Silvertone
is completely ignored. The result is a rather cursory overview of Guy's
career, despite the high quality of what is present. The benefit of
this approach, however, is that it displays Guy's versatility: The Guy
of feverish guitar pyrotechnics, wailing vocals, and rocker intensity
lives alongside a smoother, more soulful and melodic Guy.
CMJ New Music Report (James Lien)
It's hard not to like Buddy Guy, and it's hard to resist a compilation
that does for him what Rhino's whopping The Ultimate Collection did
for John Lee Hooker. Spanning his career and culling material from a
variety of labels, periods and tempos, this smaller, humbler collection
runs through the life of Buddy Guy, an artist whose total recordings
could no doubt fill several such similar volumes and still barely scratch
the surface of his talent. Like Rhino's Hooker set (and here we'd like
to put in a plug suggesting Albert King be next for such royal treatment),
The Very Best Of begins with a thematic kick-off tune, and ultimately
shifts the focus slightly onto later tracks from the late `60 and early
`70s, re-emphasizing the fact that these are vibrant artists who remained
creative and exciting well past their early "classic" recordings
in Chicago. In fact, both Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker are still slugging
away in masterful form even as this is written. Though his early stuff
owes a lot to Guitar Slim, by the time he hit the end of the `50s and
moved over to Chess Records, he'd made the style virtually his own,
with his high, piercing leads, frenzied screaming vocals and his outrageous
and unparalled reputation as a stone-crazy, roof-raising entertainer.
To get as definitive a portrait of the man as you're likely to get,
crank up either version of "First Time I Met The Blues," "Stone
Crazy," "Hello San Francisco" and "Blues At My Baby's
House," as well as checking out Alone with Junior Wells (on Alligator)
and his triumphant recent Silvertone album Damn Right Ive Got The Blues.
All-Music Guide (Bill Dahl)
Credible attempt to digitally summarize Guy's entire pre - Silvertone
career on a single 18 - song disc. Encompasses the guitarist's 1957
demo "The Way You Been Treating Me," two killer Cobras, four
of his hottest Chess sides, a couple notable Vanguards, a pair of alluring
Atlantics, and three tremendously unsubtle 1981 items from Guy's days
with the British JSP label
All-Music Guide (Mark J. Cadigan)
This strong 18-song collection chronicles a 25-year span (1957-82) in
blues dynamo Buddy Guy's career. Above all else, it showcases Guy's
great sense of dynamics, both vocally and instrumentally: his emotional
singing sometimes erupts into near-hysteria and his concise guitar fills
explode into feverish, blazing solos. Regardless of the setting -- the
woozy horns of "First Time I Met the Blues," creeping rhythm
of "Sit and Cry (the Blues)," or sinewy funk of "A Man
of Many Words" -- Guy commands attention. Guests include Junior
Wells, Willie Dixon, Eric Clapton, and Dr. John. Hot stuff.
Dirty Linen (Apr/May 93)
...the title of this single CD is accurate; it is the perfect case
brief for Guy's skills....The man is a master of the perfectly controlled
intense guitar solo that works its way from a whisper to a scream...
Living Blues
...does a good job of covering the breadth of Guy's career...an excellent
introduction to his music...
Stereophile
...the generous playing time isn't wasted on a single lame cut...