Search - B.B. King :: Why I Sing the Blues

Great Cheap King

Curtis J. George | Centreville, Maryland | 10/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the best inexpensive B. B. King CD on the market today. I own over 20 King CDs, cassettes, and albums and this is one of my favorites. It could almost be labeled a "best of", with songs such as The Thrill is Gone, Ghetto Woman, Why I Sing the Blues, How Blue Can You Get?, and Ain't Nobody Home. Not to metion "Chains and Things" with Carole King on piano.I must have in everyones Compact Disc collection!"

The thrill is here

Andrew McCaffrey | Satellite of Love, Maryland | 03/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The CDDB, the on-line repository of CD track and title information, erroneously lists this record as being named B. B. KING'S GREATEST HITS. That's wrong, of course; it's really called WHY I SING THE BLUES. But it's very easy to see how someone could have made that mistake. The songs on here are among King's most famous tracks. There's not a poor number in this collection, so this is absolutely a must-own.



If you're new to B. B. King, then this is a great place to start. Not just because of the relative popularity of these particular tracks, but because they're extremely representative of his entire sound. Tight, rhythmic beats backed up by extremely solid musicians. I always admire not only King's skills with his own guitar (named Lucille, if you didn't know), but by the way he always manages to surround himself with seriously talented people. If he's ever performed a track with poor backing players, then I have yet to hear it. On the other hand, experienced King fans may want to quickly check the track listing as they may already own the music on other collections.



King's guitar-playing abilities have earned him many deserved accolades. But I also really dig his singing on this album. I love the wistfulness in his voice on a track like "Ain't Nobody Home" where he sings about the end of a relationship. The joy in his voice on "Hummingbird" is great. And, of course, his vocals on "How Blue Can You Get?" would re-emerge in the 1990s, sampled on a rock track with an improbably long name (although I don't think that sample was taken from this specific performance).



This is classic B. B. King -- sharp blues, solid music. Nothing absolutely mind-blowing, but certainly good enough to keep you sitting up straight and paying attention. There's a lot to admire and enjoy about this music. This is enduring, dependable music -- the musical equivalent of the proverbial comfortable pair of jeans.



I'm constantly surprised by how little money I see used copies of B. B. King's albums going for. Still, I can't complain since that's how I build up my own collection. You'll be able to find this album for next to nothing, which is bizarre (how could anyone with a soul sell this?!) but makes the purchase decision an easy one."

There is no other possible position in the blues hierarchy,

The Electroacoustic Metallurgist | USA | 11/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a fan primarily of Hard-Rock and Metal I find it somewhat odd how much I like this record. But I suppose if the music is terrific there is just no denying it and it can transcend most genre preferences. However, I don't expect I'll be listening to any Classical or Rap anytime soon. But to sum up my review... this is just plain great music performed by a man that has been playing and recording the blues since the 1940's and to date has released over 50 records. B.B. King is the King of Blues. Long live Blues Boy and of course Lucille."