Bobby Bland - Greatest Hits Volume One - The Duke Recordings

Bobby Bland's purr-to-a-scream vocals quickly made him an R&B star in an era when rougher-hewn blues masters such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf had fallen from the charts. Bland, a former valet for B.B. King, established himself with both up-tempo workouts ("Farther Up the Road," "I Pity the Fool") and devastatingly subtle ballad readings ("I'll Take Care of You," "Stormy Monday Blues"). Greatest Hits, Vol. One is a generous sampling of the discs that made him a steady seller throughout the '60s. A second CD chronicles his work in the '70s after Duke Records, his longtime label, was sold to ABC. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

Oh! What a Singer!

Isn't this guy one of the greatest singers ever! I love his stuff on Duke Records, and the arrangements are superb.(Im a sucker for horn sections).
"These Hands" is a dear favourite, but lasts just two and a half minutes!

I also have his California album, which is also brilliant.

Is this great artist still performing? If he is, it must be an electrifying experience! September 19, 2008

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Along with Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Bobby Bland was a rarity in the legacy of classic blues singers in that he was a singer who didn't play an instrument. However, unlike Turner, Rushing and Hawkins, Bland didn't come out of the jump/big-band tradition where such a dynamic was more commonplace.

The songs on this disc are not Bland's earliest recordings, but they are early, spanning 1957-1969 with an emphasis on the years 1960-1962, and they're his best and most seminal recordings. Not only that but the compilation comes at such a bargain price that even those unfamiliar with Bland would do well to pick it up.

Bland and his music, under the direction of bandleader Joe Scott, had a decided showbiz bent due to Scott and his orchestra that made generous use of horns as well as the usual guitar, bass and drums. The greatness of Bland was that his genuine and soulful stylings transcended the 'sweetening' agents of his accompaniment. That's not a knock on Scott and his orchestra though, for Bland's sound anticipated what came to be known as soul music in the '60s. Bland, well-groomed and dressed in a three-piece fronting an orchestra is something that really does it for me image-wise. He wasn't one of those other blues singers like John Lee Hooker who looked like a street musician thrown on a stage. Some would see Bland in a lesser light or less genuine than someone like Hooker because of his show and orchestra but that's b.s. Half those 'serious' blues musicians were just mailing it in and living on an image anyway, and these days they all are.

Included in this compilation is 'Farther Up the Road', Bland's first hit, later made more famous by Eric Clapton. On 'Cry, Cry, Cry' and 'That Did It' Bland loses his mind to a pleasing effect. The Brook Benton-penned 'I'll Take Care Of You' utilizes a haunting, spooky organ overdub that works as a nice wild-card element and 'Yield Not To Temptation' includes a manic hand-clapping beat and female backing vocals.

Great music, great price - what are you waiting for? January 26, 2004

a great talent

Bobby blue Bland has always had the goods.this disc showcases his talent.i've also enjoyed the stuff that he has done with B.B.King.a good solid disc.his vocal style is one of a kind. January 24, 2000

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