Lossless Album - CD Box Set

Essential Blues is an attempt to trace the evolution of the music from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago and other modern, urban cities. It does a fairly good job in providing a brief history, but the main strength of the collection simply comes from the music. Featuring cuts from Lightnin' Hopkins, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Slim Harpo, Junior Parker, Elmore James, Albert Collins, and many, many others, it's a quick and effective way to sample a variety of different blues styles. For neophytes, Essential Blues does offer a splendid introduction to the genre. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracklist

Vol. 1

Disc: 1

1. Intro - Stanley Bennet Clay
2. Dust My Blues - Elmore James
3. Three O'Clock Blues - B.B. King
4. Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf
5. Stop Watching Your Enemies - Koko Taylor
6. Messin' With The Kid - Junoir Wells
7. Better Off With The Blues - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
8. When You Walk Out The Door - Albert King
9. Don't Start Me Talkin' - Sonny Boy Williamson
10. Blues In The Basement - Rufus Thomas
11. Little Bluebird - Little Milton
12. Mojo Hand - Lightnin' Hopkins
13. Big Boss Man - Jimmy Reed
14. Boogie Chillen - John Lee Hooker
15. I'll Take Care Of You - Bobby Bland
16. Otis In The Dark - Otis Spann

Disc: 2

1. Intro - Stanley Bennet Clay
2. Master Charge - Albert Collins
3. Mother Nature - Koko Taylor
4. Walking The Backstreets And Crying - Little Milton
5. Give Me Back My Wig - Hound Dog Taylor
6. Prisoner Of Love - James Brown
7. You Upset Me Baby - B.B. King
8. Let's Straighten It Out - Latimore
9. I'll Play The Blues For You (Parts 1&2) - Albert King
10. Must Have Been The Devil - Otis Spann
11. Dimples - John Lee Hooker
12. Rainin' In My Heart - Slim Harpo
13. The Getaway - Fenton Robinson
14. Too Much Sugar For A Dime - Katie Webster
15. Bright Lights, Big City - Jimmy Reed
16. Drivin' Wheel - Junior Parker

Vol. 2

Disc: 1

1. Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters
2. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
3. Evil (Is Goin' On) - Howlin' Wolf
4. Turn On Your Love Light - Bobby Bland
5. I Hear Some Blues Downstairs - Fenton Robinson
6. Juke - Little Walter
7. I'm A Hog For You Baby - Clifton Chenier
8. I Need Someone (To Love Me) - Z.Z. Hill
9. Born Under A Bad Sign - Albert King
10. Hoodoo Man Blues - Junior Wells
11. Frigidaire Woman - Son Seals
12. A Man And The Blues - Buddy Guy
13. Spann's Boogie Woogie - Otis Spann
14. Sweet Home Chicago - Lonnie Brooks
15. Messing With The Blues - James Brown
16. Baby What You Want Me To Do - Jimmy Reed

Disc: 2

1. Going Down - Freddie King
2. I Ain't Drunk - Albert Collins
3. These Things - Robert Cray
4. Shake Your Moneymaker - Elmore James
5. All Of Your Love - Magic Sam
6. High Compression - James Cotton
7. Help Me - Sonny Boy Williamson
8. I Ain't Superstitious - Willie Dixon
9. Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor
10. I Can't Quit You Baby - Otis Rush
11. I Can't Be Satisfied - Muddy Waters
12. I'm A King Bee - Slim Harpo
13. Down The Road Apiece - Amos Milburn
14. Blue Guitar - Earl Hooker
15. Everyday I Have The Blues - B.B. King

Vol.3

Disc: 1

1. You Can't Always Get What You Want - Luther Allison
2. Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters
3. You Fired Yourself - Otis Rush
4. Chicago Bound - Jimmy Rogers
5. Up And Down World - Johnny Adams
6. I Need You So Bad - Magic Sam
7. Jinz Blues - Corey Harris
8. Farther Up The Road - Bobby Bland
9. I Don't Know - Sonny Boy Williamson
10. Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad) - T-Bone Walker
11. My Babe - Little Walter
12. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Junior Wells
13. I'm In The Mood - John Lee Hooker
14. Shake 'Em On Down - R. L. Burnside
15. Corrina Corrina - Mississippi John Hurt

Disc: 2

1. Toehold - Robert Ward
2. Voodoo Daddy - Lonnie Brooks
3. We're Gonna Make It - Little Milton
4. Change Of Heart, Change Of Mind - Robert Cray
5. Keep Your Hands Out Of My Pocket - Otis Spann
6. Screamin' And Hollerin' Blues - Allen Youngblood Hart
7. You've Got Me Dizzy - Jimmy Reed
8. I Don't Know - Ruth Brown
9. Katie Mae - Lightnin' Hopkins
10. Best Of Life - Maria Muldaur/Dr. John
11. Driving Wheel - Robert Lockwood Jr.
12. Go To The Mardi Gras - Professor Longhair
13. Honky Tonk Woman - Taj Mahal
14. C-Jam Blues - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
15. Fool's Paradise - Charles Brown
16. Meet Me In The City - Junior Kimbrough