Albert King

"If you don't dig the blues you got a hole in your soul" sayeth King. Born in Indianola, MS, on April 25 1923. as Albert Nelson. He taught himself how to play guitar when he was a child, building his own instrument out of a cigar box. King moved to Gary, IN, in 1953, where he joined a band that also featured Jimmy Reed but King actually played drums in the group. At this time, he adopted the name Albert King and claimed to be related to B.B. King. Eventually King met Willie Dixon who helped him record for Parrot Records. Five songs were recorded during the session and only one single, "Be On Your Merry Way" / "Bad Luck Blues," was released. In 1956, Albert moved to St. Louis, where he initially sat in with local bands. By 1958, Albert was quite popular in St. Louis, which led to a contract with the fledgling Bobbin Records in the summer of 1959. King's records for Bobbin sold well in the St. Louis area, enough so that King Records leased the "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" single from the smaller label. When the single was released nationally late in 1961, it became a hit, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts. King Records continued to lease more material from Bobbin -- including a full album, "Big Blues", which was released in 1963 -- but nothing else approached the initial success of "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Bobbin also leased material to Chess, which appeared in the late '60s.

Albert King left Bobbin in late 1962 and recorded one session for King Records in the spring of 1963 without a hit. Within a year, he cut four songs for the local St. Louis independent label Coun-Tree. But by 1966 King signed with Stax Records where he finally broke out. With Booker T & The MGs on sessions the soul underpinning gave King crossover appeal, as evidenced by his R&B chart hits -- "Laundromat Blues" (1966) and "Cross Cut Saw" (1967) both went Top 40, while "Born Under a Bad Sign" (1967) charted in the Top 50. Furthermore, King's style was "borrowed" by several rock & roll players, most notably Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, who copied Albert's "Personal Manager" guitar solo on the Cream song, "Strange Brew." Albert King's first album for Stax, 1967's "Born Under A Bad Sign", was a collection of his singles for the label and became one of the most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s. His star continued to rise with the terrific live record "Live Wire/Blues Power", which remains today one of King's defining moments. "Years Gone By" dropped the following year sounding like every bit the sequel to "Born Under A Bad Sign" it should've been. Yet this was followed by an erratic couple years that included an odd tribute to Elvis Presley ("King Does The King's Things"), a tedious mostly-instrumental collaboration with Pops Staples and Steve Cropper ("Jammed Together") and a stiff LP produced by Don Nix ("Lovejoy"). King rebounded with the masterpiece "I'll Play The Blues For You" featuring members of Booker T & The MGs and the followup "I Wanna Get Funky". R & B chart hits like "I'll Play The Blues For You", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Answer To The Laundromat Blues" & "That's What The Blues Is All About" come from these two records.

King left Stax in 1974 for Tomato Records for the somewhat successful "Truckload Of Lovin", which produced an R & B hit with Sir Mack Rice's "Cadillac Assembly Line". The quality of King's material began declining rapidly during this discofied period and subsequent albums including the Allen Toussaint produced "New Orleans Heat" in 1977 are considered his weakest. Following the 1977 release of "The Pinch", a collection of unreleased material from the Stax vault, King "retired" from the studio for several years, concentrating on his legendary live performances. But the titan was back in the studio in 1983 on the Stax-related label Fantasy for a pair of solid LPs in his classic Soul/Blues style ("San Francisco '83" & "I'm In A Phone Booth Baby") but he seemed to retire from recording again, occasionally guesting on albums like Gary Moore's "Still Called The Blues" before finally getting back in the studio and recording the obscure European effort "Red House" in 1992. King died in that same year. Countless live albums and compilations have naturally appeared since then, further proving he was one of the greatest of the modern electric Blues artists.

Of the major and noteworthy releases, excluding countless inferior compilations. If it ain't listed here don't bother!

1. Let's Have a Natural Ball
2. What Can I Do to Change Your Mind?
3. I Get Evil
4. Had You Told It Like It Was (It Wouldn't Be Like It Is)
5. This Morning
6. I Walked All Night Long
7. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
8. Travelin' to California
9. I've Made Nights by Myself
10. This Funny Feeling
11. Ooh-Ee Baby
12. Dyna Flow

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Crosscut Saw
3. Kansas City
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. Down Don't Bother Me
6. Hunter, The
7. I Almost Lost My Mind
8. Personal Manager
9. Laundromat Blues
10. As the Years Go Passing By
11. Very Thought of You

1. Watermelon Man
2. Blues Power
3. Night Stomp
4. Blues at Sunrise
5. Please Love Me
6. Look Out

1. Wrapped up in Love Again
2. You Don't Love Me
3. Cockroach
4. Killing Floor
5. Lonely Man
6. If the Washing Don't Get You, the Rinsing Will
7. Drownin' on Dry Land
8. Drownin' on Dry Land (instrumental)
9. Heart Fixing Business
10. You Threw Your Love on Me Too Strong
11. Sky Is Crying

1. Hound Dog
2. That's All Right
3. All Shook Up
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. Heartbreak Hotel
6. Don't Be Cruel
7. One Night
8. Blue Suede Shoes
9. Love Me Tender

Studio jam session between King, Steve Cropper and Pops Staples. Set is mostly instrumental except for each taking 1 turn at the mic.

1. What'D I Say
2. Tupelo
3. Opus De Soul
4. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
5. Big Bird
6. Homer's Theme
7. Trashy Dog
8. Don'T Turn Your Heater Down
9. Water
10. Knock On Wood

1. Honky Tonk Women
2. Bay Area Blues
3. Corrina, Corrina
4. She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride)
5. For the Love of a Woman
6. Lovejoy, Ill.
7. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
8. Going Back to Iuka
9. Like a Road Leading Home

1. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pts. 1 - 2
2. Little Brother (Make a Way)
3. Breaking up Somebody's Home
4. High Cost of Loving
5. I'll Be Doggone
6. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
7. Don't Burn Down the Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)
8. Angel of Mercy

Worthy follow up is another Memphis soul blues gem with Albert at the peak of his powers. The shuffle-bumping "That's What The Blues Is All About" reached #15 on the R & B charts. "I Can't Hear Nothing But The Blues" is as great as the title suggests. He tackles Sir Mack Rice's "Playing On Me" and Eddie Floyd's ""Til My Back Ain't Got No Bone" and even updates his hit "Crosscut Saw" replete with a new rhythm. Interestingly about halfway into the jam he coaxes the band to do it like they did it back in the 60s for a couple measures. "Travellin' Man" is a King original. His "Walking The Back Streets And Crying" rivals Little Milton Campbell's. His last undeniably great studio album.

1. I Wanna Get Funky
2. Playing on Me
3. Walking the Back Streets and Crying
4. 'Til My Back Ain't Got No Bone
5. Flat Tire
6. I Can't Hear Nothing But the Blues
7. Travelin' Man
8. Crosscut Saw
9. That's What the Blues Is All About

Short album contains one 12 minute jazz piece by Chico Hamilton, two cuts by Little Milton and three by King. All performances from the Montreux Jazz Festival

1. In View
2. Let Me Down Easy
3. We're Gonna Make It
4. Don't Make No Sense
5. Call It Stormy Monday
6. For the Love of a Woman

1. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
2. Gonna Make It Somehow
3. Sensation, Communication Together
4. I'm Your Mate
5. Truck Load of Lovin'
6. Hold Hands With One Another
7. Cadillac Assembly Line
8. Nobody Wants a Loser

1. Guitar Man
2. I'm Ready
3. Ain't Nothing You Can Do
4. I Don't Care What My Baby Do
5. Change of Pace
6. My Babe
7. Running Out of Steam
8. Rub My Back
9. (Ain't It) A Real Good Sign

King Records sides. Tracklist: Travelin' to california / What can I do to change your mind / I get evil / Had I told you like it was / This morning / I walked all night long / Don't throw you love on me so strong / Let's have a natural ball/ I've made nights by myself/ This funny feeling/ Ooh-ee baby/ Dyna flow

Live album cut at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival. On the LP there's also a lengthy guitar jam with Rory Gallagher called "Blues In A Flat" (the full set was finally released on two discs as "Blues From The Road").

1. Watermelon Man
2. Don't Burn Down the Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)
3. Blues at Sunrise
4. That's What the Blues Is All About
5. Stormy Monday
6. Kansas City
7. I'm Gonna Call You as Soon as the Sun Goes Down
8. Match Box Blues
9. As the Years Go Passing By
10. I'll Play the Blues for You

1. Blues Don't Change
2. I'm Doing Fine
3. Nice to Be Nice (Ain't That Nice)
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. King of Kings
6. Feel the Need
7. Firing Line (I Don't Play With Your Woman, You Don't Play With Mine)
8. Pinch Paid off, Pts. 1 & 2, The
9. Pinch Paid Off, Pt. 2, The
10. I Can't Stand the Rain
11. Ain't It Beautiful

Misleading package (they don't perform together). Recorded live in Chicago in 1977, this captures a brief set by each of these blues legends. Hooker's set is naturally heavy on the boogie with staples like "Boom Boom" & "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" while King does good versions of "Born Under The Bad Sign" & the title track (erroneously titled "When You Down" here). Overall it feels like a thrown together hodgepodge.

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Very Thought of You, The
3. I Worked Hard
4. When You Down
5. Feel Good
6. Boom Boom
7. Serves Me Right
8. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
9. King Snake

1. Get Out of My Life Woman
2. Born Under a Bad Sign
3. Feeling, The
4. We All Wanna Boogie
5. Very Thought of You, The
6. I Got the Blues
7. I Get Evil
8. Angel of Mercy
9. Flat Tire

1.Personal manager/Cadillac assembly line/Chump change/Angel of mercy/The very thought of you/Call my job /Born under a bad sign /Truckload of loving /Rub my back /Laundromat Blues /Cold women with warm hearts/Kansas City/We all wanna boogie/Blues at sunrise/Good time Charlie/Crosscut saw/Ain't nothing you can do/As the years go passing by/

1. Honey Bee
2. Ask Me No Questions
3. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
4. They Made the Queen Welcome
5. Floodin' in California
6. I Found Love in the Food Stamp Line
7. Match Box Blues
8. Crosscut Saw - (previously unreleased, bonus track)
9. Why You So Mean to Me - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

1. Phone Booth
2. Dust My Broom
3. Sky Is Crying, The
4. Brother, Go Ahead and Take Her
5. Your Bread Ain't Done
6. Firing Line (I Don't Play With Your Woman, You Don't Play with Mind)
7. Game Goes On, The
8. Truck Load of Lovin'
9. You Gotta Sacrifice

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Laundromat Blues
3. (I Love) Lucy
4. You Sure Drive a Hard Bargain
5. Crosscut Saw
6. You're Gonna Need Me
7. Overall Junction
8. Almost Lost My Mind
9. Oh, Pretty Woman
10. Funk-Shun
11. Hunter
12. Cold Feet
13. Kansas City
14. Down Don't Bother Me
15. As the Years Go Passing By
16. Personal Manager

As the title suggests this 1971 session was "lost" in that in remained unreleased until 1986. Produced by John Mayall

1. She Won't Gimme No Lovin'
2. Cold in Hand
3. Stop Lying
4. All the Way Down
5. Tell Me What True Love Is
6. Down the Road I Go
7. Money Lovin' Women
8. Sun Gone Down - (Take 1)
9. Brand New Razor
10. Sun Gone Down - (Take 2)

1. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pts. 1 & 2
2. Killing Floor
3. Honky Tonk Women
4. Sky Is Crying
5. Breaking up Somebody's Home
6. Hound Dog
7. That's What the Blues Is All About
8. Angel of Mercy
9. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
10. Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
11. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
12. I Wanna Get Funky
13. Blues Power

1. Don't Burn Down the Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)
2. I Believe to My Soul
3. For the Love of a Woman
4. Blues at Sunrise
5. I'll Play the Blues for You
6. Little Brother (Make a Way)
7. Roadhouse Blues

1. I Walked All Night Long
2. I Get Evil
3. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
4. This Morning
5. I'll Do Anything You Say
6. Ooh-Ee Baby
7. Blues at Sunrise
8. Let's Have a Natural Ball
9. I've Made Nights by Myself
10. What Can I Do to Change Your Mind?
11. Dyna Flow
12. Got to Be Some Changes Made
13. Goin' to California
14. Had You Told It Like It Was (It Wouldn't Be Like It Is)

1. Laundromat Blues
2. Overall Junction - (mono)
3. Oh, Pretty Woman
4. Funk-Shun
5. Crosscut Saw
6. Down Don't Bother Me - (bonus track)
7. Born Under a Bad Sign
8. Personal Manager
9. Kansas City - (bonus track)
10. Very Thought of You, The - (bonus track)
11. Hunter, The - (bonus track)
12. I Almost Lost My Mind
13. As the Years Go Passing By - (bonus track)
14. Cold Feet
15. You Sure Drive a Hard Bargin
16. I Love Lucy
17. You're Gonna Need Me

1. San-Ho-Zay
2. You Upset Me, Baby
3. Call It Stormy Monday
4. Everyday I Have the Blues
5. Drifting Blues
6. I've Made Nights by Myself
7. Crosscut Saw
8. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
9. Ooh-Ee Baby

1. Watermelon Man
2. Why You So Mean to Me
3. I Get Evil
4. Got to Be Some Changes Made
5. Personal Manager
6. Born Under a Bad Sign
7. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong

Excellent compilation featuring King & Rush material recorded for Chess in the 60s. Albert's 8 tracks include three tracks from his 1953 Parrot period ("Merry Way", "Wild Women" & "Murder") while his Chess cuts include a take on Howlin' Wolf's "Howling For My Darling". Rush's tracks are better comprising gems like "So Close", "So Many Roads, So Many Trains" & the classic "All My Love (I Miss Loving)". Essential for fans of either.

1. Searchin' For a Woman
2. Bad Luck Blues
3. So Close
4. Howlin' For My Darling
5. I Can't Stop, Baby
6. Won't Be Hangin' Around
7. I'm Satisfied
8. All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
9. You Know My Love
10. Merry Way
11. Wild Woman
12. Murder
13. So Many Roads, So Many Trains
14. California

Fine (but unnecessary) mini-compilation of prime Stax material for each artist is merely an advertisement to get newbies interested in either's rich Stax catalog.

1. Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
2. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
3. Angel of Mercy
4. I'll Play the Blues for You
5. Breaking up Somebody's Home
6. That's What the Blues Is All About
7. If That Ain't a Reason (For Your Woman to Leave You)
8. That's What Love Will Make You Do
9. What It Is
10. Tin Pan Alley
11. Behind Closed Doors
12. Let Me Back In
13. If You Talk in Your Sleep

This somewhat obscure (unreleased in the USA) disc is actually King's last studio album released while he was alive- and perhaps the last material he recorded.

1. Stop
2. Bluesman
3. Don't Let Me Be Lonely
4. When You Walk out the Door
5. Problems
6. Our Love Is Going to Win
7. Trouble
8. If You Got It
9. Red House

Material culled from two live dates- the legendary Wattstax Festival in 1972 and the Montreux Festival in 1973.

1. Match Box Blues
2. Got to Be Some Changes Made
3. I'll Play the Blues For You
4. Killing Floor
5. Angel of Mercy
6. Match Box Blues
7. Watermelon Man
8. Breaking up Somebody's Home
9. Call It Stormy Monday

DISC 1:
1. Be on Your Merry Way
2. Murder
3. Little Boy Blue
4. C.O.D.
5. Worsome Baby
6. Lonesome
7. You Threw Your Love on Me Too Strong
8. Laundromat Blues
9. Overall Junction
10. Oh, Pretty Woman (Can't Make You Love Me)
11. Funk-Shun
12. Crosscut Saw
13. Down Don't Bother Me
14. Born Under a Bad Sign
15. Personal Manager
16. Very Thought of You, The
17. Hunter, The
18. I Almost Lost My Mind
19. As the Years Go Passing By
20. Cold Feet
21. You Sure Drive a Hard Bargain
22. (I Love) Lucy
23. You're Gonna Need Me
24. Blues at Sunrise - (live)

DISC 2:
1. Blues Power - (live)
2. She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride)
3. Angel of Mercy
4. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pts. 1 & 2
5. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
6. Breaking up Somebody's Home
7. I Wanna Get Funky
8. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
9. Cadillac Assembly Line
10. Ain't Nothing You Can Do
11. Call My Job
12. Good Time Charlie
13. We All Wanna Boogie
14. Feeling, The
15. Phone Booth

As the title claims this material is taken from a 1978 date and features some tracks current then

1. King's Bounce
2. Stormy Monday
3. Born Under a Bad Sign
4. Very Thought of You, The
5. You're My Woman, I'm Your Mate
6. Tired as a Man Can Be
7. Blues at Sunrise
8. Feel Like Breakin' up Somebody's Home
9. Please Come Back to Me
10. I'll Play the Blues for You

King's late 70s discofied Tomato Records period was his flabbiest and least acclaimed but this collects some the highlights onto one disc. Other (useless) compilations of this period include "Smokin The Blues" (Dressed To Kill 2000), "Truckload Of Lovin'" (Recall 2000) , "Guitar Man: An Essential Collection" (Varese 2001)

1. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
2. Truck Load of Lovin'
3. Cadillac Assembly Line
4. Angel of Mercy
5. Very Thought of You, The
6. We All Wanna Boogie
7. Get Out of My Life Woman
8. Call My Job
9. Good Time Charlie
10. I'm Gonna Call You as Soon as the Sun Goes Down
11. That's What the Blues Is All About
12. Love Shock
13. I'll Play the Blues for You
14. Blues at Sunrise

1. Cold Sweat
2. Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
3. Funky London
4. Lonesome - (previously unreleased)
5. Bad Luck - (previously unreleased)
6. Sweet Fingers - (previously unreleased)
7. Finger on the Trigger - (previously unreleased)
8. Driving Wheel - (previously unreleased)
9. Lovingest Woman in Town - (previously unreleased)

Irrelevant and annoying mini-compilation of both live and studio material all available elsewhere. Live: "Blues Power" & "Born Under A Bad Sign". This is suppose to be a "budget-priced" commercial for King's work but last I saw it retails the same as any other Stax cd! The three studio cuts are "Matchbox Blues", "Sun Gone Down (Take 1)" from "The Lost Session" & "Angel Of Mercy".

1. Blues Power
2. Sun Gone Down - (Take 1)
3. Match Box Blues
4. Angel of Mercy
5. Born Under a Bad Sign

1. Why You So Mean to Me
2. Time Has Come, The
3. This Morning
4. Just Plain Blues
5. I Walked All Night Long
6. I've Made Nights by Myself
7. Travelin' to California
8. I Need You by My Side

Supposedly a "live" album. There's a rumour these are simply "The Big Blues" studio takes with an audience track added. A comparison of the two records pretty much confirms such.

1. I Walked All Night Long
2. This Morning
3. Had You Told It Like It Was
4. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
5. Let's Have a Natural Ball
6. Travelin' to California
7. I've Made Nights by Myself
8. Oowee Baby
9. Dynaflow
10. This Funny Feeling
11. Monologue
12. I Get Evil

Haphazard UK compilation noteworthy for it's inclusion of the rare B-side "Left Hand Woman (Get Right With Me)".

Another collection of B-sides & studio outtakes from the Stax years 1966-1972.

1. Overall Junction
2. Funk-Shun
3. You Sure Drive a Hard Bargain
4. You're Gonna Need Me
5. As the Years Go Passing By - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
6. Drownin' on Dry Land - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
7. Heart Fixing Business - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
8. Sky Is Crying, The - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
9. I Get Evil - (previously unreleased)
10. Shake 'Em Down - (previously unreleased)
11. I Believe to My Soul - (previously unreleased)
12. Got to Be Some Changes Made - (previously unreleased)
13. Albert's Groove, No. 2 - (previously unreleased)

1. King's Groove
2. I Wonder Why
3. Sky Is Crying, The
4. I'll Play the Blues For You
5. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
6. Kansas City

Possibly recorded in 1983 this typically good live set features some of the usual suspects ("I'll Play The Blues", "Kansas City", "Sky is Crying", "Watermelon Man") alongside rarities like "Trucker's Blues" (basically "Matchbox Blues" with slightly different monologue), "Someday Baby" (a "Blues Power"-like slow blues with seemingly improvised words) and 1983's "Rainin' In California". None of the versions disappoint but none of them are definitive either.

1. Call It Stormy Monday
2. Old Times
3. Pride and Joy
4. Ask Me No Questions
5. Pep Talk
6. Blues At Sunrise
7. Turn It Over
8. Overall Junction
9. Matchbox Blues
10. Who is Stevie?
11. Don't Lie To Me

DISC 1:
1. Truck Load of Lovin'
2. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
3. Gonna Make It Somehow
4. Cadillac Assembly Line
5. Nobody Wants a Loser
6. We All Wanna Boogie
7. Very Thought of You, The
8. I Got the Blues
9. Angel of Mercy
10. Born Under a Bad Sign
11. I Worked Hard

DISC 2:
1. Love Shock
2. You Upset Me Baby
3. Chump Change
4. Love Mechanic
5. Call My Job
6. Good Time Charlie
7. Don't Burn Down the Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across)
8. That's What the Blues Is All About
9. Kansas City - (live)
10. As the Years Go Passing By - (live)
11. I'll Play the Blues for You - (live)

1. Let's Have a Natural Ball
2. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
3. C.O.D.
4. Laundromat Blues
5. Overall Junction
6. Oh, Pretty Woman (Can't Make You Love Me)
7. Crosscut Saw
8. Born Under a Bad Sign
9. Personal Manager
10. Cold Feet
11. Blues Power
12. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pt. 1
13. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
14. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
15. That's What the Blues Is All About
16. Cadillac Assembly Line

This July 1992 date was cut not long before his fatal heart attack some five months later. It's the same King setlist you can find on numerous live cds ("I'll Play The Blues", "Bad Sign", "Stormy Monday") but the novelty is that it was his last tour. One factor prohibiting you purchase is this Japanese release is hard and/or expensive to obtain. Thus it is recommend only to completists. A video also exists.

1 Introduction (The Godfather of the Blues)
2 Why You So Mean to Me
3 The Sky Is Crying
4 I'll Play the Blues for You
5 Stormy Monday
6 Born Under a Bad Sign
7 As the Years Go Passing By
8 Overall Junction

All of King's recordings for the Bobbin label are on this disc, including everything from his 1959-1963 singles for the label and previously unissued alternate takes of "Why Are You So Mean to Me," "The Time Has Come," and the previously unissued "Blues at Sunrise."

1. Let's Have a Natural Ball
2. What Can I Do to Change Your Mind
3. I Get Evil
4. This Morning
5. I Walked All Night Long
6. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
7. Travellin' to California
8. I've Made Nights by Myself
9. Ohh-Ee Baby
10. Dyna Flow
11. Why Are You So Mean to Me
12. Just Plain Blues (Oo-Ee Baby)
13. Need You by My Side
14. Blues at Sunrise
15. I'll Do Anything You Say
16. Got to Be Some Changes Made
17. Old Blue Ribbon
18. I've Made Nights by Myself
19. Why Are You So Mean to Me
20. Time Has Come, The
21. Blues at Sunrise

This takes most of the "Chicago 1978" and adds four interview snippets between the songs.

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Interview - (Understanding The Blues)
3. Very Thought of You, The
4. Rub My Back
5. Interview (Make Sure to Add the Blues)
6. I'll Play the Blues For You
7. Blues at Sunrise
8. Interview - (I Don't Want To Be Rich)
9. Breaking up Somebody's Home, (I Feel Like)
10. Please Come Back to Me
11. Bonus Interview

This is the first cd release of the complete double LP "Live" released on Utopia in 1977. As was on the LP this cd release contains a lengthy guitar jam with Rory Gallagher called "Blues In A Flat"

DISC 1:
1. Overall Junction
2. Blues at Sunrise
3. Kansas City
4. As the Years Go Passing By
5. That's What the Blues Is All About
6. Matchbox Holds My Clothes

DISC 2:
1. Watermelon Man
2. Stormy Monday
3. Don't Burn Down the Bridge
4. I'm Gonna Call You as Soon as the Sun Goes Down
5. I'll Play the Blues for You
6. Jam in a Flat

1. You Don't Love Me Baby
2. As the Years Go Passing By
3. I Wonder Why (You're So Mean to Me)
4. Personal Manager
5. Cross Cut Saw
6. Baby Please Come Back to Me
7. Encore: Funky Instrumental

The title says it all. 24 tracks Albert King recorded in the late '50s and early '60s for the Bobbin and King labels.

1. Ooh-Ee Baby
2. Why Are You So Mean to Me
3. Need You By My Side
4. Time Has Come, The
5. I Walked All Night Long
6. I've Made Nights by Myself
7. Old Blue Ribbon
8. I've Made Nights by Myself
9. Let's Have a Natural Ball
10. Blues at Sunrise
11. Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
12. This Morning
13. Travelin' to California
14. Dyna Flow
15. I Get Evil
16. What Can I Do to Change Your Mind
17. I'll Do Anything You Say
18. Got to Be Some Changes Made
19. This Funny Feeling
20. Had You Told It Like It Was
21. Ooh-Ee Baby
22. Blues at Sunrise
23. Time Has Come, The
24. Why Are You So Mean to Me

Four unreleased Albert King tracks produced by Willie Dixon ("Lovingst Woman In Town", "Put It All In There", "Need More Mama", "Love Me To Death") are the main reason for this album's existence. (They could've released these four with other King material as a new "Albert King" album- and included "Cold Feet", "I Love Lucy", etc...) Nevertheless there's perfectly fine tracks by Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Billy Boy Arnold, Sunnyland Slim and Homesick James

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Lovingest Woman in Town
3. She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride
4. Sky Is Crying, The
5. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
6. (I Love) Lucy
7. I Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
8. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
9. Angel of Mercy
10. I'll Play the Blues For You (Parts 1 & 2)

Finally someone figured out you could fit all four of King's mid 70s Tomato Records albums into one package. Forget the countless compilations of this material, "Heat Of The Blues" is the only purchase you need, collecting the complete "Truckload Of Lovin'", "King Albert", "Albert" & "New Orleans Heat" LPs on two CDs with liner notes and session information.

1. Cold Women With Warm Hearts
2. Gonna Make It Somehow
3. Sensation Communication Together
4. I'm Your Mate
5. Truckload Of Lovin'
6. Hold Hands With One Another
7. Cadillac Assembly Line
8. Nobody Wants A Loser
9. Guitar Man
10. I'm Ready
11. Ain't Nothing You Can Do
12. I Don't Care What My Baby Do
13. Change Of Pace
14. My Babe
15. Running Out Of Steam
16. Rub My Back
17. Ain't It A Real Good Sign

1. Love Shock
2. You Upset Me Baby
3. Chump Change
4. Let Me Rock You Easy
5. Boot Lace
6. Love Mechanic
7. Call My Job
8. Good Time Charlie
9. Get Out Of My Life Woman
10. Born Under A Bad Sign
11. Feeling
12. We All Wanna Boogie
13. Very Thought Of You
14. I Got The Blues
15. I Get Evil
16. Angel Of Mercy
17. Flat Tire

"The Very Best Of" (Stax 2007)

1. Laundromat Blues
2. Oh, Pretty Woman
3. Crosscut Saw
4. Born Under a Bad Sign
5. Cold Feet
6. (I Love) Lucy
7. Blues Power
8. Drowning on Dry Land
9. Tupelo, Pt.1
10. Water
11. Wrapped Up in Love Again
12. Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
13. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
14. Angel of Mercy
15. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pt. 1
16. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
17. Playing on Me
18. That's What the Blues Is All About
19. Flat Tire
20. Crosscut Saw

"The Definitive" (Stax 2011)

DISC 1:
1. Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong
2. Laundromat Blues
3. Oh, Pretty Woman
4. Crosscut Saw
5. Born Under a Bad Sign
6. Cold Feet
7. (I Love) Lucy
8. Blues Power
9. Killing Floor
10. Sky Is Crying, The
11. Drowning on Dry Land
12. Tupelo, Pt. 1
13. Water
14. Wrapped Up in Love Again
15. Hound Dog
16. Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
17. Honky Tonk Woman

DISC 2:
1. Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
2. She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride
3. Tell Me What True Love Is
4. Angel of Mercy
5. I'll Play the Blues for You, Pt. 1
6. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
7. Answer to the Laundromat Blues
8. Match Box Blues [Live at Wattstax]
9. I Wanna Get Funky
10. Playing on Me
11. That's What the Blues Is All About
12. Flat Tire
13. Crosscut Saw [1974 Remake]
14. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'
15. Driving Wheel
16. I'm Doing Fine
17. Dust My Broom

"Bad Luck Blues" (Blues Blvd 2012)

1. Bad Luck Blues
2. (Be On) Your Merry Way
3. Murder
4. Wild Women
5. Searchin For A Woman
6. California
7. Won t Be Hangin Around
8. Howlin For My Darlin
9. Ooh-Ee Baby
10. Why Are You So Mean To Me
11. Need You By My Side
12. The Time Has Come
13. Let s Have A Natural Ball
14. Blues At Sunrise
15. I Walked All Night Long
16. I ve Made Nights By Myself
17. Don t Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
18. This Morning
19. I Get Evil
20. What Can I Do To Change Your Mind?
21. I ll Do Anything You Say
22. Got To Be Some Changes Made
23. Travelin To California
24. Dyna Flow

	Albert King