“And a blues CD on the Hallmark label, that’s bound to be good”, as said Nigel Blackwell on HMHB’s 24 Hour Garage People.
It’s not on the Hallmark label, (Blues Encore from Italy) but it is a cheap import, for which Mr King almost certainly received not one penny in royalties. It’s mostly from the 1950s, and sounds good. I’m not an aficionado of blues (beyond eternal disappointment at Goodison Park), nor do I know much of King’s back catalogue, so I’m not sure how representative this is of King’s work, but it’s definitely blues guitar. I’m six songs in, and nothing has stuck, beyond this being an enjoyable listen, and by the halfway point it’s become part of the background. So there’s the problem - blues is very formulaic and most of the songs on this compilation are very similar. After an hour of listening, I’ve had enough. I don’t need to hear any more blues, and I don’t feel the need to investigate B.B.King’s extensive back catalogue.
2* - a decent enough sound, but not enough variety to sustain an hour’s entertainment.
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