Chicago/The Blues/Today Vol.1,2 & 3 - Various artists (USA 1966)

Roddus Album Of The Day

Vol.1

1. Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band - Help Me (A Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson) (4:09)
2. Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band - It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong) (2:47)
3. Junior Wells Chicago Blues - Messin' With The Kid (2:25)
4. Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band - Vietcong Blues (5:00)
5. Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band - All Night Long (3:48)
6. J.B. Hutto and his Hawks - Going Ahead (2:06)
7. J.B. Hutto and his Hawks - Please Help (2:55)
8. J.B. Hutto and his Hawks - Too Much Alcohol (2:32)
9. J.B. Hutto and his Hawks - Married Woman Blues (3:09)
10. J.B. Hutto and his Hawks - That's The Truth (2:51)
11. Otis Spann - Marie (2:31)
12. Otis Spann - Burning Fire (3:17)
13. Otis Spann - S.P. Blues (2:55)
14. Otis Spann - Sometime I Wonder (3:31)
15. Otis Spann - Spann's Stomp (2:20)

Vol. 2
1. James Cotton Blues Band - Cotton Crop Blues (2:22)
2. James Cotton Blues Band - The Blues Keep Falling (4:04)
3. James Cotton Blues Band - Love Me or Leave (3:29)
4. James Cotton Blues Band - Rocket 88 (2:05)
5. James Cotton Blues Band - West Helena Blues (3:30)
6. Otis Rush - Everything's Going to Turn Out Alright (3:56)
7. Otis Rush - It's a Mean Old World (2:25)
8. Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby (3:17)
9. Otis Rush - Rock (3:36)
10. Otis Rush - It's My Own Fault (5:59)
11. Homesick James Williamson - Dust My Broom (3:19)
12. Homesick James Williamson - Somebody Been Talkin' (2:18)
13. Homesick James Williamson - Set a Date (2:47)
14. Homesick James Williamson - So Mean to Me (2:49)

Vol.3

1. Johnny Young - One More Time (2:29)
2. Johnny Young - Kid Man Blues (3:03)
3. Johnny Young - My Black Mare (3:44)
4. Johnny Young - Stealin' Back (3:21)
5. Johnny Young - I Got Mine in Time (4:22)
6. Johnny Young - Tighten Up on It (3:13)
7. Johnny Shines - Dynaflow Blues (2:39)
8. Johnny Shines - Black Spider Blues (3:06)
9. Johnny Shines - Layin' Down My Shoes and Clothes (2:27)
10. Johnny Shines - If I Get Lucky (3:27)
11. Big Walter Horton - Rockin' My Boogie (3:30)
12. Johnny Shines - Mr. Boweevil (3:14)
13. Johnny Shines - Hey, Hey (2:22)

Well, it's been a long weekend here but I have had to work most of it and so I loaded these three CDs and the four Alligator "Living Blues"(see Below) CDs onto my Ipod to keep me company. It's been a very busy Three days but I have been kept almost sane by these three exceptional slabs of late 60s Chicago blues.

Compiled by Sam Charters, a well known blues historian and fan, recorded in Chicago in 65', these records showcase the cream of the second generation of Chicago electric blues. The highlight of this series must be Junior Wells, but the rest is also brilliant and the quality of the music stays uniform across the three volumes.

These discs are properly the most important releases in the history of the blues scene in Chicago,apart from the Chess catalogue and they still sound awesome 43 years later. Another must for any serious Blues collector. As the music is uniformly so good across all three volumes I will rate them as a set and give them 4.5/5.

Listen to this set Here and then go and buy it