Blues
This CD, "I Like to Live the Love", is a compendium of cuts from two previous collaborations between the venerable B.B. King and masterful blues vocalist, Bobby Bland. Those earlier efforts, "Together for the First Time" and "Together Again" have become blues classics. The music is live. Most of it is terrifically good. King's guitar mastery and operatic blues shouting blends well, often wonderfully well, with Bland's subtler vocals. The side men do a solid job and the audience response, often distracting on concert CD's, usually enhances the music. It is apparent that the performers are enjoying themselves. Bland is in top form on these cuts -- and that's saying a lot.
Those who have never heard Bobby Bland have missed out on one of the best reasons for living of which I am aware. His voice is impossible to describe without lapsing into seeming contradictions. For example, it's both smooth as silk and rough as sandpaper. It must be heard. Equally impressive, Bland always seem to have a deeply intuitive understanding of the songs he sings. He employs his remarkable voice with an all-too-rare intelligence. (In a sane world, everyone would know Bobby Bland and his work.) This CD is a good vehicle for hearing him.
I have a quibble about the selections made for this CD. Certainly, "3-O'clock Blues" and "Driftin' Blues" are about as good as it gets. I like both of these live versions better than any others I know. All of the cuts on this collection are worthy. Yet two cuts from the original source collections, Bland's best-ever rendition of "I'll Take Care of You" (which drives his audience crazy!)and an incomparably high-spirited rendition of King's blues anthem, "The Thrill Is Gone", are not included. As good as this CD is, it would have been better if they had been.
For someone who has never heard the original Bland/King "Together" collections, this CD should prove to be be a good purchase. It has most of the best material from those efforts and leaves out the few cuts which don't quite work. Serious blues enthusiasts might do better to purchase the earlier works. Still, "I Like to Live the Love" should enhance the collection of occasional blues fans, or those with more eclectic tastes, with a low-cost, high-quality CD that will bring much in the way of enjoyment.
By William J. Deangelis.
**
Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King worked together repeatedly over the years, some of their band members regularly performing with both stars. This live set has a vividly spontaneous feel to it; King introduces the second song by saying, "Ladies ... Full Descriptionand gentlemen, nothing is planned tonight, so what I'm thinkin' is we're just gonna pull somethin' out of the hat and get right into it."
While Bland and King doubtless had a game plan for the night's possible contents, the set benefits from the edginess of a band and two front men responding in the moment to each other. Both men have honed their skills by performing continually over the decades, and their ease and grace on the stage is inspiring. The accompanying players possess a rough and tumble vigor--one listen to the horns on "That's the Way Love Is" and you'll be hooked by the excitement of it all. The album is warmly recorded, retaining the feel of the live show with depth and clarity.
From CD Universe.
**
01. Three O'Clock Blues
02. It's My Own Fault
03. That's the Way Love Is
04. I'm Sorry
05. Don't Cry No More
06. Don't Answer the Door
07. Goin' Down Slow
08. I Like to Live the Love
09. Driftin' Blues - (bonus track)
10. Let the Good Times Roll - (bonus track)
**
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