The Best of the Blues

by Gary Moore

Overview

A handy and generous double-disc (one live, one studio) compilation of Gary Moore's four Virgin label blues albums is predominantly an excellent introduction to this showy hard rocker turned midlife third-generation bluesman. The 31 tracks liberally sample from his relatively short five-year association with Virgin (roughly 1990-1995) but ignore his excellent 2001 Back to the Blues release on Sanctuary. Still, there are more than enough hot licks here to prove that Moore could be a convincing blues musician if he decided to give up his more ostentatious shred rock profession and focus on blues full time. While purists may gripe as Moore tears off searing, high-voltage riffs on covers of tracks made popular by Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Otis Rush, and John Mayall as well as Freddie, B.B., and Albert King (the latter two along with Albert Collins turn up as guests on both discs), there's no denying the emotional ties the guitarist has to this material or his obvious vocal and instrumental talents. Unfortunately, Blues for Greeny, Moore's successful tribute to philosophical mentor Peter Green, is under-represented with only a handful of cuts, one of which ("Need Your Love So Bad") is presented in an edited single version. Otherwise, this is a well-selected but poorly annotated (bandmembers aren't even mentioned, nor are sources of the songs or when and where the live tracks were recorded) compilation that shows how a rugged rock star can transform into a respectable bluesman, albeit one who plays very loud. Gary Moore may not be a rootsy, down-home guitarist, but he's just as passionate about this music as anyone who recorded for Chess. If Moore can expose other generations to the blues, as Cream and the Rolling Stones did before him, he has done his job well. ~ Hal Horowitz

Product Details

Release Date:	04/09/2002
Label:	Virgin
UPC:	0724381102527
Rank:	7584

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Walking by Myself
2. Oh Pretty Woman
3. Still Got the Blues
4. Separate Ways
5. Since I Met You Baby
6. Story of the Blues
7. All Your Love
8. Too Tired
9. Need Your Love So Bad
10. Midnight Blues
11. King of the Blues
12. Jumpin' at Shadows
13. Texas Strut
14. Moving On
15. Stop Messin' Around
16. Parisienne Walkways
17. The Supernatural

Disc 2

18. Caldonia
19. You Don't Love Me
20. Key to Love
21. The Thrill Is Gone
22. Stormy Monday
23. Cold, Cold Feeling
24. Further up the Road
25. The Stumble
26. Oh Pretty Woman
27. Walking by Myself
28. Too Tired
29. Still Got the Blues
30. All Your Love
31. Midnight Blues

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Gary Moore   Primary Artist
Albert Collins   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Albert King   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
B.B. King   Primary Artist,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Clifford Adams   Composer
Fleecy Moore   Composer
Fleecie Moore   Composer
Joe Veasey   Composer
U-Roy   Composer
Albert King   Performer
Sonny Thompson   Composer
Jimmy Rogers   Composer
Ivory Joe Hunter   Composer
Lane   Composer
Duster Bennett   Composer
Samuel Maghett   Composer
Peter Green   Composer
Roy Hawkins   Composer
Roy Orbison   Composer
Otis Rush   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Willie Cobbs   Composer
Dan Robey   Composer
Freddie King   Composer
Don Robey   Composer
Lew Brown   Composer
Dawn Penn   Composer
John Mayall   Composer
Johnny "Guitar" Watson   Composer
Little Willie John   Composer
Phil Lynott   Composer
Saul Bihari   Composer
V. Lee   Composer
Jessie Mae Robinson   Composer
Ray Henderson   Composer
Mertis John Jr.   Composer
Rick Darnell   Composer
Peter Greenbaum   Composer
Maxwell Davies   Composer
C. Adams   Composer
Dan Malone   Composer
The King   Composer
T-Bone Walker   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Gary Moore   Composer
Bo Diddley   Composer
B.B. King   Performer
Bill Dees   Composer
Anna-Lynne Williams   Composer