Guitar world 1998 - Blues In The Face

Some serious guitarists list the blues albums that make them howl

By Mark Randall

1) Any album by John Lee Hooker "He is the blues personified."

2) Any album by Alberta Hunter "Blues is organic in her voice."

3) Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings (Columbia, 1990) "He didn’t mean maybe. He knew nothing else."

4) Any album by Buddy Guy "Rebellious to authentic parameters. He broke, and still breaks, a lot of rules."

5) Eric Clapton – From The Cradle (Reprise, 1994) "The closest thing to the original roots of blues without insulting its integrity"

1) Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings (Columbia, 1990) "The source. This guy put it all together like no other."

2) Albert King – King of the Blues Guitar (Atlantic, 1989) "Maybe the most influential electric blues guitarist ever."

3) Mississippi Fred McDowell – Long Way From Home (Original Blues Classics, 1968) "Such a beautiful record, so intimate and complete."

4) Muddy Waters – The Chess Box (Chess/MCA, 1988) "Muddy could bring players together and make stuff happen with the sound of his voice. Incredible!"

5) John Lee hooker – The Ultimate Collection (Rhino, 1991) "The spookiest recording of a blues artist in my collection."