I think the one thing that kept Magic Sam from being more well known was that he passed away at such an early age. As a result, he tends to be more of a cult figure. I preferred Black Magic to West Side Soul. I really dug the addition of horns.
Earl Hooker was very highly regarded in Chicago. Many considered him to be the best guitarist in the city.
West Side Soul should place high in any top 100 blues albums list,... real high. Sure, it's a great historic recording on Delmark, but it also rates as one of the all time best party albums. Also, (and this will be heresy amongst the orthodox) it should easily place as one of the very best rock and roll albums of all time. I can't think of any rockers who could school Magic at his own music, but I would bet that Jimmy Page picked up a lot of what he did in the early Led Zeppelin band after hearing what Magic did first.
Really there's not a bad tune on the whole recording, for my tastes it's just solid, classic, gold from end to end. It has a "Sweet Home Chicago" that just might make the version you heard last night sound old, stale, and limp. There's some nice variation on the recording: " My Love..." is about as torchy as a chicago bluesman will ever get and you also get a classic version of "Talk to your Daughter". I don't know much about Sam Cookes' music but "That's all I Need" sounds a lot like a Sam Cooke song to me, and the quality of Magics voice sets him right up there with the best soul singers of the day. I wonder if any other blues guitarists could mix it up on an album as well as Magic did back then?
Black Magic is another LP that's right up there with West Side Soul but anyone who's new to Magic's music should save the double live album for their very last buy. The performances on that live album are spectacular, it's just that the quality of the recordings of the two live shows is awful. If you could go back in time and record the show with your cell phone or the cheapest vidcam it would probably constitute an upgrade in fidelity. Hopefully, after you're done hearing the beautiful studio albums you are completely hooked and recording quality matters a lot less than hearing more Magic Sam.
@Chickenthief - That double live album was the first Magic Sam album that I bought. I dug it enough to buy more.
I really like the set from the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. I thought that was some killer shit with decent recording quality. The Alex Club recordings will not set standards in audio quality, but the music is killer. Listening to Sam talk and interact with the audience in club was cool.
Don't forget a lot of neighborhood bars in Chicago weren't great music listening rooms. They were just bars. The acoustics were not great. The quality of the PA's weren't very good, if they even had one. Most of the clubs were bars that had musical acts. They weren't acoustically designed music rooms that served alcohol.
Could other blues guitarists mix it up on an album like that? Sure. Freddie King. He was having some success crossing over just before he passed away.
This is purely speculation on my part, but I don't think many of those guys were given the opportunity. Buddy Guy probably could have recorded an album like that, but didn't have an opportunity. Based on his live recording at Pepper's Lounge, Lonnie Brooks could probably have done it. I'm sure Otis Rush could have done it, but didn't have an opportunity. There were probably other guys too. Mighty Joe Young, Eddy Clearwater and Luther Allison also jump to mind.
While all of the above are great singers, I think one of the things that differentiated Magic Sam from those other guys was his vocals. They were different. His choice of songs always worked with his voice.
Yeah, I love, love, love, that double live album, but I'm surprised to hear you defend the recording quality. I've heard live recordings from that period and earlier that sounded a whole lot better to me. I see where they even apologize for the sound in the liner notes. Still, even if it sounded a little worse, I would be looking for a replacement if something happened to my current copy. There are times when you have to decide wether you want to hear great music or your hi fi.
With Otis Rush, Freddie King, Luther Allison, and Buddy Guy etc., you provide good examples, all, of guitarists who could step outside the standard recipe and throw down diverse grooves on one LP. You are causing me to reach for and play some great vinyl that I haven't listened to in a long time. I would add Little Milton, BB, and I guess you could even go on from there and make an even longer list. As you say, that was just a great time. Music was exploding then.
Magic Sam has a different kind of appeal for me though. For me Magic Sam had an overall sound, dynamics, and energy that appeals in a way that's separate and apart from all those other guys, a personal favorite for sure, although Buddy Guy has some similar qualities and compares well.
Thinking about rock and roll again I can't help but imagine Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page listening and drooling over West Side Soul when it came out. It's got everything laid out for someone like that.
The recording quality isn't great, but I'm not sure if it is the recorder, microphones, the club or a combination. Do i wish it was better? Yes, but i take what i can get.
Have to agree with Joe L. Magic Sam's studio stuff is great, but those live sets, especially the Ann Arbor show where played otherworldly licks on a borrowed guitar, really cook with gas. ---------- Ricky B http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N and my blog THE DEVIL'S BLUES--coming Fall of 2012
while we're on the subject, i'd like to add Jimmy Johnson and Lefty Diz for chicken skin performances.
Once Diz was wearing a Smoking jacket. He'd lift his left arm like a windmill and there was a huge tear in the arm pit of his dubious sartorial choice;-) ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
Jimmy Johnson is fabulous, too. His brother, Mac Thompson played with Magic Sam for years. Syl Johnson is also a sibling of Jimmy Johnson. He's a great singer and guitar player, too.
I miss Dizz. I used to see him quite often in Chicago. When he didn't have a gig, he was hanging out on the scene. He covered a ton of ground in a night. His brother, Johnny Dollar, was a total and complete bad ass, too. I don't think any of their recordings do their live shows justice. They were simply amazing performers.
I got to see Lucky Petersons Dad "James Peterson" do his thing a few times...I love his style...This CD is the BOMB here http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1183263/a/Preachin'+the+Blues.htm
Last Edited by on Sep 27, 2012 6:36 PM
