B.B. King - 20th Century Masters: The Best Of B.B. King (Millennium Collection)

Good, but could be better

I absolutely love B.B. King. He and his partner, (his guitar) "Lucille," get plenty of focus on this 10-song collection. Their big songs like 'Sweet Sixteen,' 'The Thrill Is Gone' and their duet with Bobby 'Blue' Bland 'Let The Good Times Roll' all appear on this set.

But, the reason that I'm not giving this set five stars is because it stops at just 10 songs. B.B.'s songs can get pretty long, but at just 10 songs, there is plenty of room for more great ones. Where are some of his EMI year songs like 'Every Day I Have The Blues'? That's a very disappointing omission.

Overall, if you want a quick, cheap B.B. King retrospective spanning a two decade period (1962-1983), than look no further. This set gets the job done well. But for B.B. King fans who want more than just ten songs, stick with records like 'Great Moments With B.B. King.'

But at the end of the day, his installment in UMG's '20th Century Masters' series isn't terrible. But it could be a LOT better.

Recommended for the budget-minded casual B.B. King fan. April 27, 2008

Poor sound quality

A lot of songs for little money, however, there are no liner notes and the sound quality is very poor. To some it may sound "authentic," but there are many other compilations that are a much better introduction to B.B. King. January 25, 2007

poor

start level 5 points
length -1 point
no pre 60's tracks -1 point
crossover tracks (although I like Into the night) -1 point
result = 2 points - do not buy June 2, 2005

Look elsewhere for a better collection....

Dollar for dollar, the Millennium Collection CDs are disappointing, and that is putting it nicely.

You can get many more songs for not much more money by looking at other collections, or "Best of" CDs. I see these in the store and am always amazed that people buy them. Not just for BB King, but for numerous artists.

Dollar for dollar, this is simply the worst way to sample the King. November 29, 2004

start here

This is the best B.B. King CD value for the money. It's a little shallow song-wise and leaves out so many gems form his long, fruitful career, but it's some of his most accessable music. Traces of soul, rock, and '80s pop fall in with the blues on the album's ten tracks, making a good choice for the pop muisc collector or casual fan. More ardent fans will, and should, want more, but it's worth the price for what you get. March 4, 2003

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