The Paul Butterfield Blues Band : The Original Lost Elektra Sessions (1995)

[Bloomers]

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Original Lost Elektra Sessions (CD-Elektra 1995)

Paul Butterfield : Vocals, Harmonica
Mike Bloomfield : Guitar (Right Channel), Piano, Hammond Organ
Elvin Bishop : Guitar (Left Channel)
Jerome Arnold : Bass
Sam Lay : Drums
Mark Naftalin : Organ

01. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (2.21) reprise de Sonny Boy Williamson I (1937)
02. Just To Be With You (3.19) reprise de Muddy Waters composé par Bernard Roth en 1956. Une autre version se trouve sur l'album In My Own Dream sorti en 1968.
03. Help Me (2.14) reprise de Sonny Boy Williamson II (1963)
04. Hate To See You Go (4.30) reprise de Little Walter (1955)
05. Poor Boy (3.25) reprise d'un traditionnel réinterprété par le groupe.
06. Nut Popper # 1 (2.24) reprise d'un traditionnel instrumental à la sauce Little Walter
07. Everything Gonna Be Alright (2.54) reprise de Little Walter (1959).
08. Lovin' Cup (2.39) compo originale de Butterfield repris par Steve Miller, Robben Ford, UFO...
09. Rock Me (2.49) composition de Big Bill Broonzy de 1940 originellement appelée Rocking Chair Blues reprise par Arthur Crudup en 1944 et popularisée en 1961 par B.B. King
10. It Hurts Me Too (2.43) titre de Tampa Red de 1941 popularisé par Elmore James en 1957
11. Our Love Is Drifting (2.25) compo originale signée Bishop-Butterfield également dispo sur le 1er album éponyme
12. Take Me Back Baby (2.47) reprise de Little Walter (1957).
13. Mellow Down Easy (3.00) reprise de Little Walter composée par Willie Dixon en 1954. dispo sur le 1er album éponyme
14. Ain't No Need To Go No Further (2.41) reprise d'un certain Al Duncan, également au répertoire de Taj Mahall
15. Love Her With A Feeling (2.57) reprise de Tampa Red (1938) popularisé par Little Walter
16. Piney Brown Blues (2.13) reprise de Big Joe Turner & Pete Johnson (1940).
17. Spoonful (2.59) titre de Howlin' Wolf composé par Willie Dixon en 1960
18. That's All Right (3.10) reprise de Arthur Crudup popularisé par Jimmy Rogers (1950).
19. Going Down Slow (4.19) titre de "Saint Louis" Jimmy Oden de 1941 popularisé par Howlin' Wolf en 1962.

Recorded december 1964 At Mastertone Studios, NY
Producers : Paul A. Rothchild & Mark Abramson
Production supervisor : Jac Holzman

La malédiction continue, après les premières démos de Bloomfield avec John Hammond, voici encore des bandes inédites sorties en 1995 soit 30 ans après...
Selon Paul Rothchild, les moyens techniques de l'époque ne permettaient pas de capter en studio l'énergie brute des concerts du BBB...
Le mixage avantage nettement Butterfield qui se taille ici la part du lion... Bloomfield semble trop en retrait, les solos sont très courts, c'est du blues blanc respectueux mais bourré d'énergie, la rythmique "originale" est exceptionnelle !
Pour moi des titres comme "Help Me", "Loving Cup", "Our Love Is Drifting", "Ain't No Need To Go No Further",  "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow" tenaient la comparaison sans problèmes avec les premiers albums des Stones sortis en 1964...

[eddie]

Super album... Les morceaux sont courts, mais ce n'est peut-être pas une mauvaise chose: pas d'excès instrumentaux (le BBB aura l'occasion avec East-West de démontrer qu'il était très fort dans les longs développements novateurs) et un feeling "blues" au premier degré complètement torride. Un disque extrêmement prometteur.
Pour la comparaison avec les Stones à l'avantage de Butterfield, c'est clair!

[Electric Thing]

Très sympa oui.

[Bloomers]

REVIEW:

All but one of these 19 tracks were recorded in December, 1964, as Paul Butterfield Blues Band's projected first LP; the results were scrapped and replaced by their official self-titled debut, cut a few months later. With both Michael Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop already in tow, these sessions rank among the earliest blues-rock ever laid down.

Extremely similar in feel to the first album, it's perhaps a bit rawer in production and performance, but not appreciably worse or different than what ended up on the actual debut LP. Dedicated primarily to electric Chicago blues standards, Butterfield fans will find this well worth acquiring, as most of the selections were never officially recorded by the first lineup (although different renditions of five tracks showed up on the first album and the What's Shakin' compilation).

All but one of these 19 tracks were recorded in December, 1964, as Paul Butterfield's projected first LP, but the results were (inexplicably) scrapped and replaced by the band's official self-titled debut, cut a few months later.

With both Sam Lay, Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield already onboard, these sessions are very similar in feel to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's first album. It's perhaps a little bit rawer in production and performance, but not really worse or different than what ended up on the actual debut LP.

Dedicated primarily to electric Chicago blues standards, it opens with a somewhat rushed take on "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", followed by a great "Just To Be With You" with some sublime harp playing by Paul Butterfield.

Butterfield also does a pretty good Sonny Boy Williamson (II) on a faithful rendition of "Help Me", and there are many more highlights, including an excellent rendition of the classic blues shuffle "Poor Boy", a slow, smouldering "It Hurts Me Too", an alternate version of the fine original "Our Love Is Drifting", a great, swinging "Take Me Back Baby", Jimmy Rogers' "That's All Right", and yet another Tampa Red-tune, "Love Her With A Feeling".
The band also lay down a really good version of Jimmy Oden's "Goin' Down Slow", and the originals "Lovin' Cup" and the fiery instrumental "Nut Popper #1" are excellent.

Virtually everything here is worth a listen, actually. It's not highly original, but The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's versions of these classic Chicago blues tunes are among the best and most convincing blues music ever waxed by a (primarily) white blues band. And any serious blues guitar lover will want to hear Mike Bloomfield's supremely tasty, economical playing.

Paul Butterfield fans will find this album well worth acquiring, as most of the selections were never officially recorded by the band's original lineup.
Great, classic blues. [Reviewer Unknown]

[Contenu sponsorisé]