The Essential B. B. King

Over the years I've only heard a handful of B. B. King recordings.

From memory the best one was Indianola Mississippi Seeds, followed by one he recorded with The Crusaders titled Take It Home.

The only CD I currently have is Take A Swing With Me, a compilation of tracks recorded between 1949 & 1954.

I would love to get hold of at least one stone cold classic B. B. King album and would appreciate any guidance on what titles I need to consider checking out.

 

You can't go wrong with "Live at the Regal" and "Live In Cook County Jail." I also like the Virgin Records comp "Best of BB King Vol 1" for the early stuff.

 

My introduction to BB was the early 1970's compilation The Best Of BB King. Find a used copy, it's worth every penny of the two or three dollars it will cost you. I also agree with the two live albums. Some folks might turn up their nise at the rock and roll session players that began to appear on his albums circa 1969, but I love that smooth blues sound. You shpould also be sure to buy a copy of BB's personal favorite, Indianola Mississippi Seeds.

 

Live at the Regal has always been one of my favorites. Highly recommend!

 

Live at the Regal should be your #1 pick. The Mofi Ultradisc is the best version if you can find it.

Beyond that, his earliest recordings, WITHOUT the later overdubs, should be next, followed by a good compilation of his later stuff, covering at least The Thrill is Gone. For the latter, there's lots of choices out there but I'm not sure which sounds best. The early recordings are tricky because so many have the overdubs. Ace has one that probably sounds nice, but I'm not sure if these are the originals.

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=141084

 

LATR MoFi is really good. I'd also suggest the MoFi of Lucille as well, another definitive pressing. His live albums are his best I think. Live in Japan is a superlative album to compliment Cook County and the regal

 

...and I may add absolutely - something from - his 50s/early 60s recordings for Kent. RPM etc. gloriously reissued by Ace in UK full of bonus tracks, e.g.:

 

Do not overlook my favorite 'Lucille'

 

Live at the Regal is beatiful. Just make sure you got the right copy. Have a vinyl reissue that sounds awful.
Another vote for the early 70s comp. Nice selection, no filler, only classics. If I remember well, it is called the best of

 

I would echo the previous posts of Live at the Regal. I consider it one of the best live albums released. The crowd reaction to "How Blue Can You Get" is priceless.

 

I like Live Regal and Cook County Jail too, but my favorites from BB King are:

Singin' the Blues
The Blues
My Kind of Blues

 

Live At Cook County Jail - this is the business, looking just as good as it sounds!

Very tempted now to check out Live At The Regal .

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=273950&highlight=king+cook

 

I own LATR and while the music is great, the constant audience shrieking drive me crazy. I haven't listened to Cook Cty Jail yet, but Regal sounds like Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl. Others like that, and B.B. (who I have seen many times) is great with an intimate audience. But I don't want to hear that over the music.

 

Might just put Indianola Mississippi Seeds top of the wanted list now!

 

Try "Blues Is King" on MCA. One of my favorites.

 

Those would be my picks, too.

"Live at the Regal" is the best live album in any genre that I've ever heard. B.B. is so engaging that he even connects on record the same way a performer would connect with his audience in person. I've never heard another live album that does that.

The 1973 MCA "Best of B.B. King" (light blue album cover) seems to be a bit more controversial. It's not a career retrospective; it covers his work in the early '70s, and too many reviews I've read say that it's too pop. It is indeed really pop, but the results are so good that it's hardly a bad thing; it's B.B. stretching out into R&B and rock while still keeping one foot grounded in the blues. It's a great collection.

 

Indianola Mississippi Seeds


After years without having the LP I
eventually got round to picking up a
CD copy of what is, without doubt,
the B. B. King recording I could recommend
to anyone, and be completely confident
they would love what they heard.



A classy recording, produced by Bill Szymczyk,
released in 1970 & featuring amongst others,
Carole King, Bryan Garofalo, Leon Russell, Joe Walsh
& Russ Kunkel.

Nobody loves me but my mother...

 

I listened today to his first joint live album with Bobby Bland, "Together for the First Time...Live", from 1974--GREAT live album. It's got a really loose, party-like atmosphere to it. I recognize that it's part of the act, but both Bobby and B.B. sound like they're really having fun performing, and even on record it's infectious. It really makes you wish you were there in person.

 

Totally agree. A marvelous album!

 

Thanks to the high number of recommendations
up-thread I just couldn't resist picking up



B. B. King Live At The Regal (MCA Remaster)

Real live and kicking blues!

 

Got real lucky picking up this (cassette)
box set in a charity shop for next to nothing.



King Of The Blues - B. B. King

Jammed packed with 77 classic recordings,
covering the periods 1949 - 1991.

Without any doubt this is the most comprehensive
single artist compilation I've ever had the pleasure
of hearing.

The box also includes a very tasteful 74 page
book.

 

Live at Cook County Prison is my favorite by far.

Of his later material, Live at San Quentin is really good.