VA — Alligator Records: 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin\’ Music (2021) (CD-Rip)

FLAC (tracks,cue,log,scans) | 3h 52 min | Electric Blues, Blues Rock | 1.5 GB

CD 1:

01 Hound Dog Taylor — Give Me Back My Wig (Remastered) (3:34)

02 Koko Taylor — I\’m A Woman (Remastered) (4:34)

03 Big Walter Horton & Carey Bell — Have Mercy (Remastered) (3:43)

04 Fenton Robinson — Somebody Loan Me A Dime (Remastered) (2:56)

05 Professor Longhair — It\’s My Fault, Darling (Remastered) (4:53)

06 Son Seals — Telephone Angel (Remastered) (5:25)

07 Johnny Winter — Lights Out (Remastered) (2:34)

08 Albert Collins — Blue Monday Hangover (Remastered) (5:34)

09 James Cotton — Little Car Blues (Remastered) (3:33)

10 Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland — The Dream (Remastered) (5:32)

11 William Clarke — Pawnshop Bound (Remastered) (4:23)

12 Lonnie Mack — Ridin\’ The Blinds (Live) (Remastered) (4:23)

13 Lonnie Brooks — Cold Lonely Nights (Live) (Remastered) (5:43)

14 Luther Allison — Soul Fixin\’ Man (Live) (Remastered) (4:06)

15 Clarence \’Gatemouth\’ Brown — Got My Mojo Working (Remastered) (4:47)

16 Saffire The Uppity Blues Women — Sloppy Drunk (Remastered) (3:07)

17 Roy Buchanan — That Did It (Remastered) (5:07)

18 The Paladins — Keep On Lovin\’ Me, Baby (Remastered) (4:02)

CD 2:

01 Michael Burks — Love Disease (Remastered) (3:19)

02 Kenny Neal — I\’m A Blues Man (Remastered) (4:11)

03 The Holmes Brothers — Run Myself Out Of Town (Remastered) (3:25)

04 Little Charlie & The Nightcats — Jump Start (Remastered) (2:54)

05 Katie Webster — I\’m Still Leaving You (Remastered) (3:36)

06 Smokin\’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King — Don\’t Lose My Number (Remastered) (3:33)

07 The Kinsey Report — Corner Of The Blanket (Remastered) (3:36)

08 Carey Bell — I Got A Rich Man\’s Woman (Remastered) (4:43)

09 C.J. Chenier — Au Contraire, Mon Frere (Remastered) (3:39)

10 Mavis Staples — There\’s A Devil On The Loose (Remastered) (3:34)

11 Michael Hill\’s Blues Mob — Presumed Innocent (Remastered) (4:38)

12 Bob Margolin — Not What You Said Last Night (Remastered) (2:48)

13 Billy Boy Arnold — Man Of Considerable Taste (Remastered) (4:32)

14 Cephas & Wiggins — Ain\’t Seen My Baby (Remastered) (3:23)

15 Long John Hunter — Marfa Lights (Remastered) (4:53)

16 Dave Hole — Phone Line (Remastered) (3:43)

17 Eric Lindell — Josephine (Remastered) (2:46)

18 Joe Louis Walker — I Won\’t Do That (Remastered) (5:01)

19 Janiva Magness — That\’s What Love Will Make You Do (Remastered) (3:20)

20 The Siegel-Schwall Band, Corky Siegel & Jim Schwall — Going Back To Alabama (Remastered) (3:40)

21 Corey Harris & Henry Butler — Why Don\’t You Live So God Can Use You (Remastered) (2:12)

CD 3:

01 Marcia Ball — Party Town (Remastered) (4:14)

02 Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials — What You See Is What You Get (Remastered) (4:21)

03 Roomful Of Blues — In A Roomful Of Blues (Remastered) (3:30)

04 Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues — Blue And Lonesome (Remastered) (4:12)

05 Christone \’Kingfish\’ Ingram — Outside Of This Town (Remastered) (4:09)

06 Shemekia Copeland — Clotilda\’s On Fire (Remastered) (4:26)

07 Curtis Salgado — The Longer That I Live (Remastered) (3:50)

08 Selwyn Birchwood — Living In A Burning House (Remastered) (4:07)

09 Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite — Midnight Hour Blues (Remastered) (4:13)

10 The Cash Box Kings — Ain\’t No Fun (When The Rabbit Got The Gun) (Remastered) (3:07)

11 Tommy Casto & The Painkillers — Make It Back To Memphis (Live) (Remastered) (4:55)

12 JJ Grey & Mofro — A Woman (Live) (Remastered) (3:25)

13 Rick Estrin & The Nightcats — I\’m Running (Remastered) (4:07)

14 Coco Montoya — You Didn\’t Think About That (Remastered) (3:56)

15 Tinsley Ellis — Ice Cream In Hell (Remastered) (4:14)

16 Chris Cain — You Won\’t Have A Problem When I\’m Gone (Remastered) (3:06)

17 Guitar Shorty — Too Late (Remastered) (4:15)

18 Nick Moss Band & Dennis Gruenling — The High Cost Of Low Living (Remastered) (4:04)

19 Toronzo Cannon — The Chicago Way (Remastered) (4:22)

An absolute treat for blues fans, as well as an important historical document, Alligator Records: 50 Years of Genuine Houserockin\’ Music marks the fiftieth anniversary of one the great blues and roots record labels, set to release June 18, available on 2-LP and 3-CD. It\’s a half-century since Alligator Records founder, Bruce Iglauer, spent his savings on recording his favorite Chicago blues band, Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers, and thereby founded what was to become one of the most celebrated labels in blues history.

Since then, Alligator Records\’ artists have claimed more trophies than can be recounted here, including over 150 Blues Music Awards, 48 Grammy nominations, and three Grammy Awards. The roster of artists featured on this release is testament to Iglauer\’s vision and lasting enthusiasm, from Hound Dog Taylor, Koko Taylor, Albert Collins and Johnny Winter to contemporary acts such as Shemekia Copeland, Chris Cain, Toronzo Cannon, Selwyn Birchwood and Christone \»Kingfish\» Ingram. All tracks have been remastered by Iglauer and Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago and the collection is accompanied by liner notes from Bruce Iglauer, which provide a fascinating insight into his career.

The music itself is roughly presented in chronological order bning, appropriately enough, with the band that started it all: Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers. The delightfully-titled \»Give Me Back My Wig,\» a fuzzed-up blues rocker, sounds as fresh and vibrant as it must have to the young Iglauer all those years ago. This is a jumping, jiving slice of Chicago-blues with an intoxicating, raw edge and a cutting guitar solo. As a jumping-off point, you couldn\’t ask for a more energizing number.

Elsewhere on this side, you\’ll find Son Seals\’ \»Telephone Angel,\» a wailing, midnight song, which snakes and slithers around mercurial guitar runs and exclamatory horns. Professor Longhair\’s \»It\’s My Fault Darling\» bounces with irrepressible energy. It\’s a rollicking cut built upon barrel-house piano and swig sax. In fact, everywhere you turn on this set leads to a new delight, whether it\’s heard for the first or a well-known hit. Other highlights on \’side one\’ include tracks from the under-appreciated Clarence \»Gatemouth\» Brown, William Clarke and Roy Buchanan.

Moving a little further ahead in , we get Katie Webster\’s \»I\’m Still Leaving You.\» Webster is a fine blues singer, brassy and strong with virtuosic boogie-woogie piano chops. Every syllable she sings is packed full of emotion on this mid-tempo, finger-snapping cut. Shuffle forward to the great Mavis Staples with \»There\’s A Devil On The Loose.\» This is rich, sophisticated music layered with subtle percussion and sparkling guitar. Staples\’ sig needs no praise from me — she has long since cemented her place in the blues canon. Eric Lindell\’s \»Josephine\» is an absolute gem, and once again testament to the breadth of Iglauer\’s vision. This is a joyous, slick number, highly-polished and smooth, with bursts of horns through a catchy chorus.

On \’side three\’ you can take your pick from a host of contemporary talent. There\’s a live cut from JJ Grey & Mofro, whose \»A Woman\» bustles and sways — the ultimate torch song in the best possible sense of the word. The Cash Box Kings give us \»Ain\’t No Fun,\» a blues-rockabilly number which shuffles and slides into your soul. There are also some enduring talents mixed in here. Marcia Ball contributes the exquisite, Latin-flavoured \»Party Town,\» which twists and turns across the dance floor. Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite make an appearance with the crawling, highly-affecting \»Midnight Hour Blues.\»

Alligator Records 50 Years of Genuine Houserockin\’ Music is a superb collection, encompassing a heartfelt celebration of modern blues, which ought not to be missed. ~Chris Wheatley