The Sky Is Crying: The History Of

Great historic blues music. Elmore James is an icon with many famous musicians like Clapton, Blues Brothers, John Mayall all doing covers of his songs. Most of which I think that the original is better.

Elmore James sings real blues in this lengthy CD. There are some twenty songs included. The guitar playing is gritty and as enjoyable as the singing. Purchased used, this plays correctly; thank you.

スライドギターの原点なのだろう。ちょっと前まで「ヤードバーズ時代のジェフベックのスライドのギター音はスゲエ」と思っていたら元曲のエルモアジェイムズが50年代からぶっ飛んだスライドギター音を奏でていた！どれだけ影響を与えたのだろう、フリードウッドマック時代のピーターグリーンはエルモアジェイムズのカバーばっかりしてたしねぇ。でもこの人の影響を強く受けたギタリストたちはみんなみんな良いスライドギターを弾いている。ジェフベック、デュアンオールマン、ジョニーウィンター、そしてブライアンジョーンズ。ああ、死んでる人が多いのが寂しい...

VERY FAST shipping !!!!!!!! Thanks for everything, I will be back !!!!!!!!!!!! For more CDs like this SUPER Elmore James CD this is the first CD I bought of his but it will not be the last !!!!

同時代人でもないし、アメリカ人でもないのに妙に懐かしい気分になるのは、やはり後世のミュージシャン達に多大なる影響を与え、その影響された音楽を聴いてきたから・・・ですかね。でも、聴き古した感は全くないです。むしろ、今でもカッコいいし、全然廃れてない。その辺が「使い捨ての音楽」とは違うんでしょうね。

Elmore James is central to the blues, a monumental figure in the history of the genre. This album is a marvellous show case for the great man's music. Even if you don't recognise the name then it's more than certain you've heard his songs by other artists - The Sky Is Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughan), I Can't Hold Out (Eric Clapton), The Sun Is Shining (Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green). James's signature tune, 'Dust My Broom', has become a blues classic.'The Sky Is Crying: The History Of Elmore James' collects twenty-one songs cut by James - most of them written by him - and featuring a dazzling array of blues legends playing with him including Ike Turner, Sonny Boy Williamson, Johnny Jones, Willie Dixon, Big Joe Turner, Homesick James, J.T. Brown and many others.All original tracks cut between 1951 - 1961 and, as the informative accompanying booklet says, recorded 'under wildly varying conditions and technologies'. But the music is so powerful and robust it shines through the situations in which it was recorded to make for a stunning expression of the blues. Beautiful to listen to and as vital as on the days these tracks were first laid down.And of course you can hear George Harrison name check Elmore on 'For You Blue' from 'Let It Be'. What better recommendation can you have!

Elmore James was born in 1918 near Richland, Mississippi. His career had a path similar to other bluesmen who started playing in clubs in the Delta, and moved on north. When he was a teenager he played locally with Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson (aka, Rice Miller), and others. By 1939, he had a full band. His style was a lively, jazzy style of blues that would get people dancing, or maybe a woman shakin' it on the dance floor. The 21 tracks on this CD were recorded at various locations between 1951 and 1961. I would highly recommend it for your collection as a good collection of his work. A small booklet providing biographical material and details of the music is included in the jewel case. Elmore James provides vocals(except on track 6) and guitar. The tracks included on this CD are:1. "Dust My Broom" with Leonard Ware (bass), Frock O'Dell (drums), and Sonny Boy Williamson (harmonica) (Jackson, Mississippi, 1951)2. "The Sun is Shining" with Homesick James (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Henry "Sneaky Joe" Harris (drums), and J.T. Brown (tenor sax) (Chess Brothers Studio, Chicago, 1960)3. "Hawaiian Boogie" with Johnny Jones (piano), possibly Ransom Knowling (bass), Odie Payne (drums), and J.T. Brown (tenor sax) (Chicago, 1953)4. "Sho' Nuff I Do" with Ike Turner (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), possibly Odie Payne (drums), and possibly Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm providing bass, and alto, tenor, and baritone saxes (Canton, Mississippi, 1954)5. "Please Find My Baby" with Ike Turner (piano) and an unknown drummer (Jackson, Mississippi, 1953)6. "T. V. Mama" with Joe Turner and His Blues Kings, Big Joe Turner (vocal), Elmore James (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Jimmy Richardson (bass), Red Saunders (drums), Sonny Cohn (trumpet), Grady Jackson (tenor sax), Mack Easton (baritone sax) (Chicago, 1953)7. "My Best Friend" with Johnny Jones (piano), Ransom Knowling (bass), Odie Payne (drums), and J.T. Brown (tenor sax) (Chicago, 1953)8. "Madison Blues" same information as track two, recorded in the same session.9. "Cry for Me Baby" with Willie Johnson (guitar), Eddie Taylor (bass guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Fred Below (drums), and J.T. Brown (tenor sax) (Chicago, 1957)10. "The Sky is Crying" with Johnny Jones (piano), Homesick James (bass), Odie Payne (drums), J.T. Brown (tenor sax), and an unknown tenor sax (Chicago, 1959)11. "Sunny Land" with Willard McDaniel (piano), Chuck Hamilton (bass), and Jesse Sailes (drums) (Culver City, California, 195412. "I Can't Hold Out" same information as track two, recorded during the same session.13. "Look On Yonder Hill" with Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (piano), probably Sammy Lee Buley (bass), King Mose (drums), and Sam Myers (harmonica) (New Orleans, 1961)14. "I Need You" with Jimmy Spruill (guitar), Homesick James (bass), possibly Belton Evans (drums), and unknown saxes (New York City, 1960)15. "Done Somebody Wrong" same information as track 14.16. "Shake Your Moneymaker" with Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (piano), probably Sammy Lee Bully (bass), and Sam Myers (drums) - not sure if this listing from the booklet is correct because San Myers is listed as harmonica on the track 13 (New Orleans, 1961).17. "The 12 Year Old Boy" with Johnny Jones (piano), Wayne Bennett (guitar), possibly Eddie Taylor (guitar), Homesick James (bass), Odie Payne (drums), and J.T. Brown (tenor sax) (chicago, 1957)18. "It Hurts Me Too" same information as track 17 except Wayne Bennett was not included.19. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" same information as track 14.20. "Something Inside Me" same information as track 14.21. "Standing at the Crossroads" with Riff Ruffin (guitar), Johnny Acey (piano), Johnny Williams (drums), Danny Moore (trumpet), Paul Williams (baritone sax), and unknown bass and tenor sax (New York City, 1960)

If you're not familiar with Elmore James, start with this one.Elmore James is one of the key figures in the history of the blues and his material has been covered by Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and many other top blues guitarists.If you're interested in the blues, Elmore James is a musician you need to know about. This compilation by Rhino Records is a excellent introduction to James' work.

Elmore James was on at least a few labels, so it's not that too hard to dig up lots more if you want to, but for most of us, this is a whole lot of great blues from one of the most talented and important artists. For some strange reason , not nearly enough guys out there now are playing this slide style now. To check out a modern-day Elmore, still playing the joints, look for Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials.

With the success of "Dust My Broom", Elmore James found himself recording numerous "varients" of this masterpiece due to its proven commercial appeal. Thus, many collections of Elmore James sound like the same song over and over again.Such a collection of "Dust My Broom" variations would rate a 4-star rating. However, this collection shows that James was certainly no one-hit wonder, with a broad range of guitar playing and singing talent. For those keeping score, there are about 4-5 "Dust My Broom" variations in this collection.Elmore James is becoming discovered as one of the great bluemen, and this collection makes it pretty clear why.

If you're wondering which Elmore James-album to purchase, look no further. This is the definitive single-disc collection.The CD starts off with James' first waxing, his lone 1951 single "Dust My Broom" with Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) backing him up on harmonica. And all the best stuff is here. "The Sky Is Crying", "It Hurts Me Too", "Shake Your Moneymaker", "Sho' Nuff I Do", "Talk To Me Baby (I can't hold out)" and fifteen more.James rocked harder than most other bluesmen, his voice was huge and intense, and his guitar playing feroicious. The arrangements are superb, the sound is good, and this is a definite must-own, even if you intend to limit your blues collection to just a handful of albums.The true fanatic needs the box sets, of course, but for the slightly more casual Elmore James-fan, this CD is the very best choice. Even the lesser known tracks, such as "Done Somebody Wrong" and "Madison Blues" are fabulous.Go buy it. Go, go!

Although he lacked the technical facility of other great blues artists like Ray Charles or Freddie King, James ranks with these immortals. His recordings were rarely matched for their haunting and searing emotional intensity coupled with impeccable rhythmicity and raucous, reverberating instrumental voices. Get these classic recordings, and you'll hear some of the best blues that will ever be heard.

I can't think of anybody in the history of rock and roll or blues who has had their music covered more than Elmore James. For a man who died almost 40 years ago, his music has held up well with time. James has influenced generations of musicians. From the older blues acts like B.B.King and Jimmy Reed. To the old rock acts like the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. To the newer acts like Stevie Ray Vaughan and especially George Thorogood. And I still never get tired of hearing these great songs. All of the music on here was recorded between 1951-61. The first 6 songs here, including his most famous "Dust My Broom", were all done on prehistoric recording equipment, and the sound quality isn't always the absolute best, but they did an excellent job on here of restoring these early recordings, which were done many times in later years for many different record labels, but they were never as good as the older versions you find on this cd. The rest of these tracks were done after 1954 when recording techniques got much better. That's when his slide guitar prowess really began to shine through, on tracks such as "The Sky Is Crying", I Can't Hold Out", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker". It didn't hurt that he had the Broomdusters, who were probably the smokingest band of backing musicians as there ever was. James had a pretty prolific catalog of music for somebody who died at the young age of 45 from heart disease. There's no telling what he could have done if he had lived longer. The fact that James was an electric slide guitar pioneer was probably as important as his music. Having influenced thousands of would be guitar players to pick up a bottleneck. As for this compilation, I think the older versions of these classic songs are every bit as entertaining and worthwhile as the newer souped up versions. This "History Of Elmore James", along with my Best Of from Little Walter's Chess recordings, are the two best blues compilations from the old guard that I've ever heard. It's all timeless music, and absolutely essential to any serious blues lovers collection.