Albert King - Wednesday Night in San Fransisco (7 tracks) +Album Reviews

Hot Blues!

deepbluereview | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA | 08/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Albert King recorded this CD on Wednesday June 26, 1968, one day prior to his more popular and better known release, "Thursday Night In San Francisco". This disc represents the first day that Albert performed at the Filmore as the headliner. Prior to that time, he had appeared as the opener for Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Albert's "best" performance that evening, as well as the next day, (according to Stax anyway) was originally released by Stax on the "Live Wire/Blues Power" CD. The songs contained on both, the Wednesday and the Thursday CD were thought to be a cut below and were not included. Fortunately for us, Stax took another look at the material, albeit 22 years later, and released the remainder of the material as it occurred on two separate discs. In order to gain a full understanding as to what occurred on those two nights, King fans should purchase all three of these excellent recordings. As with the other two discs, King's performance is outstanding."

Awesome live blues guitar

Paul J. Dillon | Mamaroneck, NY United States | 08/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Albert was at his best live...This is awesome guitar playing and Albert's singing is awesome as well. One listen to this and one realizes that Albert King is truly THE master of the blues guitar. ALL songs are excellent! "Don't throw your love on me so strong" is the VERY BEST BLUES GUITAR PLAYING I've ever heard and that includes SRV, Hendrix and the rest of King's followers. He was the BEST!!! Thursday Night and Live Wire/Blues Power are also MUSTS!!!"

Live proof that Albert King's blues guitar voice is unique.

Docendo Discimus | 12/23/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album is typically overlooked by blues fans, even Albert fans, but it's a note-perfect document of how to deliver a live blues performance. Albert has such total control of the blues guitar vernacular unique to him that he can ply a range of emotions through a subtlety of pitch, dynamics, and timing that is probably unmatched. The uninitiated listener mistakes this control for repetitiveness, but the flawlessness of Albert's delivery makes his blues guitar voice undeniably compelling nonetheless. All the evidence is on this record."

4 1/2 stars. A terrific companion volume to "Live Wire/Blues

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 04/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album consists of performances recorded during the same series of concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium which produced the classic 1968 LP "Live Wire/Blues Power", and it is hardly less wonderful.

The opening track is shamelessly titled "Watermelon Man", but it is really just an introduction and half a minute of riffing (so don't buy that particular mp3). There are in fact no overlaps at all between "Live Wire/Blues Power" and "Wednesday Night in San Francisco", or between either of those two and the third volume in this unofficial series, the equally enjoyable "Thursday Night in San Francisco".

Albert 'King' Nelson is backed by a tight four-piece band, no horns, and he is in excellent form. Some listeners may have heard one of his less inspired recordings and wondered what the deal was with this left-handed guitar player, but here there's no doubt. This is sizzling blues guitar playing of the highest order...the eight-minute "Why You So Mean To Me" sets the tone, and King continues to tear through one scorching solo after another. I can see that some reviewers are complaining about the sound as usual, by the way, but to me it's completely satisfactory.

We get a powerful, driving rendition of "I Get Evil" (Tampa Red's "Don't Lie To Me", in fact), including two wonderful solos, and one of the few live recordings of King's classic "Born Under A Bad Sign" from the album of the same name. "Personal Manager" is perhaps a bit too subdued vocally, but the first solo in particular is a scorcher, and there are no stale ballads here, no funk or run-of-the-mill soul stompers, just gritty, electrifying blues.

"Wednesday Night in San Francisco" is a terrific set, one of the best in Albert King's cataloge. His playing is fresh and imaginitive all the way through, the material is uniformly strong, and even eight and nine minute songs like "Got To Be Some Changes Made" and the soulful "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" don't overstay their welcome.

A truly inspired album. Highly recommended."

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