Search - Big Bill Broonzy :: Absolutely the Best

Nowhere near the best

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 12/31/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This CD gives a distorted picture of who Big Bill Broonzy really was.
Filled with Broonzy's renditions of spirituals, folk and country songs such as "Sixteen Tons", "This Train" and "The Midnight Special", it forgoes the excellent and highly influential bluesman that was William Lee Conley Broonzy, in favor of the ageing songster who traveled around Europe playing folk songs, because that's what people wanted him to play.Big Bill Broonzy was a huge source of inspiration to Muddy Waters (who recorded a tribute album of Broonzy's songs), Memphis Slim (who did the same), J.B. Lenoir, Little Walter and countless others - including Eric Clapton.He was also a tremendous guitar player, a powerful singer, and the author of countless blues songs which should have been here instead. I mean, where are "Keep Your Hands Off Her", "All By Myself", "When I Been Drinking", "Worrying You Off My Mind", "I Feel So Good" and "Going Back To Arkansas"? And how can you have a Bill Broonzy-collection without "Key To The Highway" and "I Can't Be Satisfied"?If you want the best of Big Bill, go for "Where The Blues Began", "The Young Big Bill Broonzy" and "I Can't Be Satisfied". And perhaps "Big Bill's Blues".
'Cause no single disc is going to do justice to Big Bill Broonzy."

Solid

a reader | Gloucester MA USA | 10/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Down home straight from the man's guts and huge heart Big Bill says it as it is.This is no lesser album of his."