By: Dr Matt Warnock
With the music industry struggling to find its place in the 21st century, fans and bands alike are standing by, waiting to see if the big names in the business will figure out how to stay alive in this ever changing landscape. While some companies are focusing on fad-induced singles, others are suing coders and even teenagers in an attempt to deal with piracy and the rise of P2P sites like (old) Napster et al. It seems that no matter what the Majors try these days they fall on their face, and with record sales at an all-time low everyone is holding their breath to see what happens next. With this palpable tension in the air, smaller, more flexible companies are experimenting, trying new things in an attempt to stay relevant and keep up with the times. One of these companies is Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Eagle Rock is very quickly making a name for itself in the music industry by adopting non-conventional means to deliver music to their customers. If you’ve ever watched a high-quality YouTube video of your favorite classic-rock artist then you’re already familiar with the company’s logo that adorns hundreds of these great clips on the video-sharing website. Not only is Eagle Rock hitting the video music market in full force, their catalogue of concert DVD’s seems to grow on a daily basis, they’re also reacting to changing consumer tastes by releasing compilation albums, including the first two volumes in their “This is the Blues” series.
Now, you’re probably scratching your head and wondering, how are compilations going to make a music company relevant in today’s marketplace? The answer is simple and two words long, mix tapes. Remember those, back when we actually used tapes, before we started making mixed-CD’s and now iTunes playlists. In a world where people aren’t buying albums, they’re buying singles for their phones and iPods, it makes sense to put these “mixed tapes” together for people, to give them a collection of singles wrapped around a central theme, in this case the Blues.
If you remember back to your high school days anyone could make a mixed tape, but, if you wanted a collection of tracks by a certain artist, or a certain genre, you sought out the friend in your click that had those records. Or at least his older brother or sister did. With the release of This is the Blues Volume 1 and 2 Eagle Rock is looking to become that friend, that person who will gather a bunch of singles together and burn them to a mixed tape for you. Not the most original or innovative idea, but one that has as much potential to draw attention as anything the big names are trying these days.
These two volumes are set up to introduce those who are unfamiliar with the genre to some, and I emphasize some, of the Blues’ heavy hitters, while at the same time giving die-hards a healthy dose of down and dirty bluesy grit. There are classic blues-rockers such as Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Garry Moore and Mr. Rolling Stones himself Mick Jagger even making an appearance, but the rest of the musicians are a little light in the big-name category. The exceptions being Rory Gallagher and John Lee Hooker, both of whom could have filled both of these albums with their own classic songs.
Check Out GI’s Interview with Jeff Beck
While some will complain that some of the biggest names in the genre, including SRV, Clapton and Hendrix, are missing from these volumes, this doesn’t really seem to be the point of the collection. Yes, royalties and publishing rights probably had something to do with who was chosen and who was left off of the list, but like any good mixed tape, there are artists we all know, some we have yet to fall in love with, and of course those that our friends added to fill space at the end of the second side. Regardless, these two discs aren’t mean to be “The Blues” with a capital T, they are meant to represent “the Blues,” by bringing together artists who have spent ample time honing their craft and that can play the Blues as well as anyone, regardless of the size of their name or stature.
If you’re looking for a definitive collection of the thirty best Blues songs ever written or recorded then you won’t find it here or probably anywhere for that matter. What you will find is a good cross-section of classic artists and young up-and-comers laying down the Blues as only they can. You won’t love every track on here, but you will find enough Blues to satisfy the deepest fan or the complete newbie. So check it out.
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1. “Hobo blues
2. “Black Magic Woman
3. “Rattlesnake Shake
4. “Going Down To Mobile
5. “You Shook Me
6. “I Want To Hug You
7. “I Loved Another Woman
8. “Long Grey Mare
9. “Evil Woman Blues
10. “I’m In The Mood
11. “Cryin’ Wont Bring You Back
12. “Drop Down Mama
13. “Play On Little Girl/T-Bone Shuffle
14. “Ground Hog Blues
15. “Racketeer Blues
1. “Leaving Town Blues
2. “Send For Me
3. “Love That Burns
4. “Red House
5. “Watcha Gonna Do
6. “Stop Messin’ Round
7. “Go Down Sunshine
8. “Albatross
9. “Travelling Riverside Blues
10. “Baby When The Sun Goes Down
11. “Ramblin’ Pony
12. “Nine Below Zero
13. “Closing My Eyes
14. “Rocks In My Bed
15. “I’m Leaving
