Search - Albert King :: Ultimate Collection

Good general overview of the Best Bluesman ever!

greg platt | Springville, AL United States | 04/14/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good set for those fans who do not own any CD's of the great Albert King. I bought this set used for the pre and post Stax releases. I would advise purchasing individual CD's that really show how great King was. I would advise purchasing the following cd's:I Wanna Get Funky
I'll Play the Blues for You
Lovejoy
Live Wire / Blues Power
Thursday Night at the Fillmore West
Wednesday Night at the Fillmore West
In Session with Stevie Ray VaughnThese albums, in my opinion, are a better option since these were recorded in his prime ( exception with Stevie!). All the tracks on these CD's are great!The set above covers pre and post Stax releases that are just not as good as the Stax years. However, it covers his entire recording career. It is a good start, but one will find himself yearning for his awesome Stax releases ( 1966 - 1974)."

King Of The Gibson Flying V Blues Guitar

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 04/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Albert King is one of my all-time favorite bluesmen and guitarists. Although probably not as well known to the average person as B.B. King or even Freddie King, Albert King is as influential if not more so than these other two blues guitar greats. During the late 60's and early 70's Albert King became famous enough to play concerts at rock venues like the Fillmores East and West with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Allman Bothers Band and others. Among the well known players influenced by Albert King are Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page, Mick Taylor, Paul Kossoff, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Peter Green, Mike Bloomfield, Joe Walsh etc. Stevie Ray Vaughn was once quoted as saying his biggest influences on guitar were Albert King, Jimi Hendrix and his brother Jimmie Vaughn. This 2 cd remastered compilation contains tracks from 1954 to 1984 for a variety of record labels. There are some early period rarities from the Coun-Tree label which are very hard to find. Arguably his best material was recorded for Atlantic and Stax. Some of his more famous songs which were covered by some of the guitarists mentioned above are included in this set. "Laundromat Blues", "Crosscut Saw", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "You're Gonna Need Me" and "The Hunter" among others are examples. He was a master of string bending and his playing was always funky and soulful. He also had a deep and powerful singing voice. His sideman on the recordings during the Atlantic and Stax years included Booker T. & the MG's, the Memphis Horns, the Bar-Kays and others. Some of my favorite cuts other than those mentioned above include "Oh, Pretty Woman", "Cold Feet" "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain" & "I'll Play The Blues For You". There were a few of my favorites like his covers of "Killing Floor", "Matchbox Blues", and songs such as "Wrapped Up In Love Again", "Heart Fixing Business", "That's What The Blues Is All About", "Truckload Of Lovin" and "Floodin' In California" which I wish they would have included. I think these were left off in favor of making the set more representative of a wider variety of time periods and recording labels. However chances are if you buy this set you will become addicted to his playing and search out his individual albums. This 2 cd set is a highly desirable introduction to the music of Albert King. Fans of blues and great guitar playing will enjoy this set."

This Is The Best Albert King Compilation!

Perry Celestino | Tahmoor, NSW Australia | 07/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well Rhino Records has a history of excellence. They always release quality products which are mastered to the highest standard. This Albert King two-disc set is no exception. I have been an Albert King fan for 40 years and unless you make your own CD, from your own collection (I have over 200 AK CDs from US, Japan, UK, Europe, Australia!)This is the set you should own.

The production is great, the notes are excellent and the track selection is, good (I'll discuss that separately!) and even the photography is excellent!



Well this set was released after the unfortunate death of King in 1992 (the end of 1992). It remains the greatest tribute to him as it includes cuts from each section of his career; King and Bobbin Records, Coun-Tree, Stax, Tomato and Fantasy! It was and remains the only way to get Kings rare Coun-Tree sides like "Lonesome"! And they are great! They are worth the entire price of the set!



The set consists of a journey through the career of Albert King. With openers such as "Natural Ball" and "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" (which actually comes from a Billie Holliday track!) it moves on to the rare Coun-tree sides. From here we go the Stax and almost the entire "Born Under A Bad Sign" LP of the 1960s-the one in which Albert made his name. It also includes tunes from the "King of the Blues Guitar" LP. We also hear "Blues Power", cuts from "Lovejoy" and other Stax LPs. There is an interesting and strange edited version of "Angel Of Mercy" not found anywhere else (actually it's disturbing and is the low spot in the collection).



The Tomato cuts like "Cold Women with Warm Hearts" and "Cadillac Assembly Line" add another dimension to the collection. The lone Fantasy track "Phone Booth" ends the compilation. This set was also put out in another abridged collection called "The Very Best Of Albert King" which is also excellent. The best and rarest of King's sides including "Left Hand Woman" and single versions of "Wrapped Up In Love Again" and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" are to be found only in the Stax UK compilation "Blues For You" only in the UK.



Albert was a unique musical treasure. He was always under appreciated and the fact that this collection is hard to get (I have 3 copies, from 1993, I knew this would happen!). If you only have one Albert King CD, this should be it. I hope Rhino will re-issue this collection soon."