Buddy's Baddest: The Best Of Buddy Guy

Performer: Buddy Guy
Artist: Jeff Beck; Johnnie Johnson; Bonnie Raitt; G.E. Smith; Jonny Lang
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Personnel includes: Buddy Guy (vocals, electric guitar); Johnny Lang (vocals, guitar); Bonnie Raitt (vocals, slide guitar) Jeff Beck (electric guitar); G.E. Smith, Neil Hubbard, John Porter, Johnny Lee Schell, David Grissom, Scott Holt, Jack Holder (guitar); Jimmy Powers (harmonica); Malcolm Duncan (saxophone); Sid Gauld (trumpet); Neil Sidwell (trombone); Mick Weaver (acoustic & electric pianos, organ); Reese Wynans (piano, organ, keyboards); Johnnie Johnson, Pete Wingfield, Bill Payne, Marty Grebb (piano); Ian McLagan (Wurlitzer piano); Greg Rzab, Tommy Shannon, David M. Smith, Chuck Domanico (bass); Richie Hayward, Ray Allison, Chris Layton (drums); Tony Braunagle, David Z. (percussion); Renee Geyer (background vocals); The Saturday Night Live Band. Producers: John Porter, Eddie Kramer, Buddy Guy, David Z. Engineers: Tony Platt, Eddie Kramer, David Z. Recorded between 1991 and 1999. In 1991 Buddy Guy teamed up with Silvertone Records, doubtless hoping for a piece of the action being enjoyed by John Lee Hooker following his career-reviving THE HEALER. Featuring a crack selection of backing musicians, DAMN RIGHT, I'VE GOT THE BLUES was liberally spiced with big name rock artists. The formula worked and Buddy Guy won many new fans. On the next two albums, FEELS LIKE RAIN and SLIPPIN' IN, the heavy friends were gradually phased out in favour of fine ensemble work. Tellingly, of the four tracks chosen from DAMN RIGHT, only "Mustang Sally" has a stellar contribution (from Jeff Beck). The three songs selected from FEELS LIKE RAIN include the lovely title track, written by John Hiatt and featuring Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar. SLIPPIN IN' benefited from the presence of veteran pianist Johnnie Johnson, who also crops up on "My Time After Awhile" from LIVE! THE REAL DEAL. A fourth studio set HEAVY LOVE yields "Midnight Train," a mid-pace scorcher on which Guy and guest Jonny Lang trade guitar solos. Three previously unreleased tracks, which judging from the personnel date from sessions for DAMN RIGHT, rounds of this summary of the comeback years.

Mojo (Publisher) (9/99, p.102) - "...If the blues concentration and three previously unreleased cuts ought to please hardliners, the cameos by Johnny Lang...and Bonnie Raitt...and the lovely wordless meditation for SRV, 'Rememberin' Stevie', should take the fancy of just about everybody else."

Eric Clapton once called Buddy Guy "the greatest blues guitarist ever." Guy, along with contemporary Magic Sam, took the sounds of Chicago blues of the 1950s and ratcheted them up a notch, in the process creating a new form of controlled blues mayhem. Born in Louisiana, he moved to Chicago as a young man in 1957 and served an apprenticeship with Chicago blues king Muddy Waters while getting his own solo career underway. Guy's frequent collaborations with harmonica player Junior Wells are among his best work.

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