It was all across the news a couple of days ago: B.B. King died at his house in Las Vegas from diabetes complications. Although not unexpected (he was 90 years old and had retired a few years ago because of health problems), the news were nonetheless shocking because they spelled the end of an era. B.B. King was the last link to an almost mythical pre-rock era of music, one of the innovators who shaped modern music, be it pop, rock or soul. He could scarcely have come from humbler beginnings: Born Riley King in a Mississippi plantation in 1925 to a long line of agricultural workers, abandoned by his parents at the age of 4 and raised by his grandmother (probably born a slave herself). He was taught guitar by his uncle Bukka White and left the plantation at the age of 18 to work as a tractor driver and play the occasional gig at taverns and work as disc-jockey (whence he got the nickname "Blues Boy" -later shortened to "B.B."- King). Who could have guessed that he'd die being a household name, known as the King of the Blues, rich certainly beyond his wildest dreams, revered by music lovers and musicians alike, often invited in the White House to be honoured by presidents and the recipient of countless Grammies and other awards? Even his guitar, a black Gibson named Lucille, is famous! His fluid playing and ringing vibrato was inspired by T-Bone Walker, but he perfected this style and has been a huge influence to everyone from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix. His amazing life is celebrated in the documentary "The Life of Riley". For my part, I thought I'd mark his passing with a blog entry.
The album I chose is "His Definitive Greatest Hits", spanning more than 30 years and containing many of his biggest hits - although some of his most influential early songs recorded between 1949 and 1962 are missing. The song order isn't chronological, but I'll present them this way, starting with his early singles for ABC Records: From 1964 we get "How Blue Can You Get"****, a classic blues with amazing (as ever) guitar, piano and horns and "Help the Poor"****, a livelier R&B number. From his celebrated 1965 "Live at the Regal" album, we get 4 tracks: "Everyday I Have the Blues"**** is an upbeat swing number and "Sweet Little Angel"**** an early blues hit with subtle sexual metaphors as was the fashion with old blues songs. "Woke Up This Mornin'"**** is an upbeat number with a jumping beat in total contrast with the words (e.g. "my baby's gone and I'm in misery'). "Please Love Me"** is another fast song from the same live record. 1966's "Don't Answer the Door, Pts. 1 & 2"**** and 1968's "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss"**** find him employing a slicker sound while remaining firmly in the blues genre, showcasing his guitar skills better than ever before. In 1969's "Completely Well" he'd perfect this sound, even introducing strings for a lusher sound. It contained his greatest ever hit "The Thrill Is Gone"***** that won him a Grammy award and high positions at both the R&B and Pop charts. The funky "So Excited"*** also comes from that album and "Why I Sing the Blues" **** from the same year's "Live & Well" takes us to the root of the blues, which is of course suffering and counting on the music to get you through some really hard times...
King often mentions 1970's "Indianola Mississippi Seeds" as his favourite album, maybe because he wrote it for his hometown. It is an extremely well realised and successful record, with backing from famous musicians like Carole King, Leon Russel and Joe Walsh. From that album we get the string-laden pop "Hummingbird"*** and another blues inspired by hard times, "Chains and Things"****. 1971's "In London" sees him supported by the cream of English musicians (Alexis Korner, Peter Green, Ringo Starr and members of Spooky Tooth and Humble Pie). From that album we get two straight soul numbers: The Curtis Mayfield-like "Ghetto Woman"**** and Ike & Tina Turner-like "Ain't Nobody Home"***. 1973's "To Know You Is to Love You" featured another celebrated guest, Stevie Wonder, and included the funky title track**** and the silky soul of "I Like to Live the Love"****. Next up we have two duets with Bobby "Blue" Bland, a live version of King's first hit "Three O'Clock Blues" (originally recorded in 1952) from 1974's "Together for the First Time... Live" and "Let the Good Times Roll"*** from 1976's "Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again...Live". Although they played together for the first time, the two men's acquaintance goes waaay back to the 50's, when Bobby Bland was an aspiring blues singer and acted as King's chauffeur, driving him from one gig to another. By this time, however, both their careers were waning, so they decided to join forces and tour the world together. Soul party number "Never Make You Move to Soon"*** from 1978's "Midnight Believer" and "Better Not Look Down"*** from 1979's "Take It Home" go for a modern funky sound and miss the mark. In contrast, 1981's "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere"**** plays to his strengths, with blue (as in melancholic) guitar and jazzy horns. From 1980 we have a live version of Louis Jordan's swing classic "Caldonia"***. Jordan's swing and jump-blues music exercised a big influence on King and he has even recorded a whole album dedicated to him (to be presented later).
From 1983's "Blues 'n' Jazz" we get "Broken Heart"** and ballad "Darlin' You Know I Love You** and from 1985's "Six Silver Strings" (presented with a lot of fanfare as it was his 50th album) a cover of Wilson Picket's soul classic "In the Midnight Hour"** and the disco influenced "Into the Night"** and "My Lucille"**. It would be fair to say that King's career had reached its low point at the time, but right then he was offered the chance for a big comeback - which he, of course, took. U2, then at the apogee of their success, had written a song specially for him and they pleaded him to record it with them for their new record, "Rattle And Hum" (1988). "When Love Comes To Town"**** is not pure blues but features that unmistakeable Lucille sound and reached number 6 in the UK, introducing B.B.King to another generation of music lovers and revitalizing his career, with more high profile collaborations and world tours (I saw him at the Athens Lycabettus theater around that time).
Electric soul blues "The Blues Come Over Me"*** and the poppier "I'm Moving On" come from 1991's "There Is Always One More Time", while 1992's "Since I Met You Baby"**** from Gary Moore's "After Hours" sees the two great guitarists exchanging solos - Moore's are wild and loud, while King's elegant. "Playing With My Friends" from 1993's "Blues Summit" is a similar exercise with a young black guitar hero, Robert Cray and, finally, "Rock Me Baby"*** is a popular early hit, re-recorded in front of a live audience in the San Quentin prison in 1990. All in all, a great overview of a long and fruitful career, although no record collection is complete without B.B.King's historic singles for the RPM/Kent label (1949-1962) - not to mention something from the 15 or more albums that followed the release of this compilation, including commercial duets album "Deuces Wild" and the fantastic B.B.King/Eric Clapton collaboration "Riding With The King", both to be presented at a later occasion.
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