Blues fan Bruce Iglauer formed Alligator Records in 1971 to release what he called "genuine houserockin' music," best defined by the label's initial release of Chicago bluesman Hound Dog Taylor's self-titled debut album. In the four decades since that first Alligator Records album, Iglauer has stayed true to his original vision, releasing a handful of subsequent Hound Dog Taylor albums, and following those with landmark blues recordings by artists as important and diverse as Koko Taylor, Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Winter, and many others.
Alligator celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2011, and they're releasing the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection, a two-disc set featuring 38 red-hot performances by some of the best artists that have appeared under the familiar reptile logo. Songs for the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection were chosen by blues fans through an online poll. To say that these fans did an admirable job in their selections would be an understatement!
Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection
Aside from a bunch of great music, the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection includes liner notes from label founder Bruce Iglauer, artist photos, and song-by-song commentary. The first disc gets the party started right with Koko Taylor's "I'm A Woman," from her 1978 album The Earthshaker. Taylor is one of Alligator's signature artists, a blues legend that landed on Alligator after Chess Records went out of business, staying for 35 years until her death in 2009. "I'm A Woman" is Taylor's take on the classic Muddy Waters' hit, delivered here with her trademark growl and plenty of energy.
Disc one includes so much great material that we can only cover some of the highlights. Albert Collins' "I Ain't Drunk" is a humorous little ditty with gang harmonies, spoken lyrics and, of course, torrential downpours of Collins' trademark icy fretwork. Guitarist Michael Burks is a third generation bluesman and a natural choice for the label. Burks' "Strange Feeling" offers up plenty of scorching guitar, but also features Burks' powerful, roaring vocals and impressive songwriting chops.
Tommy Castro & Marcia Ball
Two-time "B.B. King Entertainer of the Year" Blues Music Award winner Tommy Castro was a big addition to the Alligator Records roster. Castro's "Hard Believer," from the 2009 album of the same name, is a sizzling blues-burner with soulful vocals, a great horn-driven R&B soundtrack, and plenty of Castro's swashbuckling guitarplay. Marcia Ball's rollicking "The Party's Still Going On" is a preview of the singer's 2011 album Roadside Attractions, a spry, New Orleans-flavored dancefloor rocker with Ball's fast-paced vocals, non-stop honky-tonk piano, and blasts of horns.
Son Seals is just another in a long line of great guitarists who found a home on Alligator, and his 1984 song "Going Home (Where Women Got Meat On Their Bones)" is a great example of contemporary Chicago blues, Seals' gruff vocals driving the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, supported by a shuffling beat and Seals' blistering six-string display. Singer Janiva Magness is well-known to blues fans, and her work for Alligator has won her acclaim, awards, and an ever-growing legion of fans. "Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love," from Magness's 2010 album The Devil Is An Angel Too, is indicative of the woman's talent, her sultry, sensual vocals matched by a strong soulful, bluesy soundtrack.
Showdown!
The second disc kicks off with the swinging "T-Bone Shuffle," taken from the Grammy Award-winning collaboration Showdown! Featuring guitarists Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and the underrated Johnny Copeland, "T-Bone Shuffle" is a great showcase for three blowtorch guitarists, and a heck of a fun song as well. Lonnie Brooks has long been one of my fave artists, and his 1983 cut "Don't Take Advantage Of Me" not only illustrates the artist's immense guitar skills, but also struts out of your speakers with a lively, funky undercurrent. It's only natural that Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers would be represented here, and the band's live "Sitting At Home Alone" captures the magic that prompted Iglauer to form the Alligator Records label in the first place.
Daughter of the aforementioned Johnny, Shemekia Copeland is one of the few contemporary blueswomen who can hold a candle to greats like Koko Taylor or Etta James. Copeland's "It's My Own Tears," from her 2000 album Wicked, is a fiery torch song with emotion so thick it threatens to smother the listener. New Orleans legend Professor Longhair is represented by his gem "Red Beans," his rolling 88s rockin' the house beneath the Professor's sly double-entendre lyrics, chanting horns, and a jumpin' rhythm.
Sadly, there's not enough room here to talk about all the great music on the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection, and among the performers we've overlooked are talents like Charlie Musselwhite, Buckwheat Zydeco, James Cotton, Tinsley Ellis, Johnny Winter, Mavis Staples, Coco Montoya, and a whole lot more!
The Reverend's Bottom Line
If you’re a new fan looking for an easy way to slide into this blues thing, you can't do better than the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection, which offers a diverse group of songs and performers for you to sample. If you don't find half-dozen or more albums that you want to buy after listening to this collection, you should probably just go back to your Justin Bieber CDs....
For the long-time, fanatical blues fan, the Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection will remind you just how good many of these artists and their Alligator Records releases are, and maybe the set will prompt you to fill in a few holes in your music collection. Either way, new blues fan or old, join in Alligator's anniversary celebration and grab a hold of some "genuine houserockin' music" and enjoy! (Alligator Records, released February 22, 2011)
Guide Disclosure: A review copy of this CD, DVD, or book was provided by the record label, publisher, or publicist. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
