Music : The Paul Butterfield Blues Band |
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Rating:  - * Chicago Blues Masterpiece ... Along with Earl Hooker's "The Moon Is Rising", this album is a Chicago Blues masterpiece. Though the lead singer and harmonica player is white, his singing is more than credible and his harmonica playing is excellent. Guitarist Michael Bloomfield plays some incendiary lead guitar, and was taken from us much too early. His death is a tragedy in the truest sense of the world. I recently viewed a video of him at one of the many folk festivals during the 1960s, perhaps Newport, talking about how his father is rich, his family is Jewish, he had a Bar Mitzvah, and how he'll never be able to play or sing like Son House. His admiration for the great Son House was more than obvious. Recently, rock guitar magazines have started to talk more about Bloomfield and his wonderful talents, which is a great thing. He deserves to be ranked up there with Clapton and Allman in terms of white guys who play Blues and/or Blues-Rock. Every track on this album is fun, full of energy and masterfully played. I highly recommend this album to anybody interested in Chicago Blues, especially those coming to the Blues from a Classic Rock or Clapton-related background. My personal favorite on the album is the band's cover of Elmore James' "Shake Your Moneymaker", which is a great deal different than the original, but in a good way. Rating: - * PLAY LOUD! ... This was an amazing album when it was released in 1965, and it is now. While the vinyl seems superior to the CD [I have 2 copies of the vinyl] they are both amazing and full of energy. There is a note on the back of the original album cover advising to play loud for maximum effect. That is just as true now as it was then....These are the guys that played with Dylan at times. That is, Sam Lay, Jerome Arnold, Mike Bloofield. Rating:  - * Don't believe the \"East/West\" hype--get this one instead. ... The general critical consensus seems to be that the PBBB's second album, "East/West," is the one to get, but I disagree. I own both, and I find that this, the band's first release, is much better than album #2. The songs here are played with more intensity and focus (the band is "tighter," as musicians say), and the vocals and harp are tough, gritty and "authentic," in a blues sense. In contrast, the band seems to be trying too hard to sound like great blues on "East/West." On this album, everything feels organic and unforced. Mike Bloomfield, of course, is excellent on every track, and that makes a significant difference between this and any other "white boy blues," or whatever you want to call it, that was around at the same time. Here, and on Dylan albums, he's really the difference between "good" and "great." Get this one--it sounds fresh, almost contemporary, despite its age. Rating:  - * Yawn... ... this white boy blues stuff is so over-done. every band like this from this era all sound the same: boring, watered-down, stuck-in-the-same-groove, white-boy, schlock. pure torture!! sure, the PBBB, John Mayall, Clapton, etc, all did their part by bringing the underlying music (real blues) to the attention of a larger audience, which is not necessarily a good thing, but i can respect that they liked what they heard and copied it. fair enough. however, if you're looking for something that can be felt through your speakers and over time and space, check out Magic Sam, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, or Lonnie Mack, or, if you like the older stuff, Son House, or RL Burnside. this 3rd generation blues stuff is soooo boring and predictable at this point. Rating: - * Mike Bloomfield ... I say they don't make music like this anymore.Its a twist of Rolling Stones an Cream and for Mike Bloomfield, to me he is one of the best in his field. So if you like the Stones or Cream you will like this, enjoy. |
Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi
While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey
