This is a series of budget CD releases complied from the Alligator catalogue. Each one has been givin' it's own sub-topic line, like "Slide Guitar Blues", "Texas Blues", "Live! Blues", and three I haven't received, "Harmonica Blues", "Crucial Guitar Blues" and "Chicago Blues". All the tunes that I have read in the liner notes and heard have been issued before on an artist's previous individual releases on Alligator Records. These releases are like the Best Of Alligator Records.

"Crucial Slide Guitar Blues": This CD features some hot and wailin' slide guitar playin' by Johnny Winter, Lil' Ed, Luther Allison, Elvin Bishop, Bob Margolin (formerly with Muddy Waters), Sonny Landreth, Michael Hill, Corey Harris, Hound Dog Taylor, Dave Hole and Bonnie Raitt slidin' behind A.C. Reed. 

"Crucial Texas Blues": Has a number well known artists from this area are on it including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Johnny Copeland, Albert Collins, Long John Hunter, W.C. Clark and Lonnie Brooks hittin' the slide behind Katie Webster, to name a few. 

"Crucial Live! Blues": Shows what an artist is like live and has been put on disc. Believe me going to catch live Blues is the best remedy for your Blues. This album contains live performances from all points of the Blues. Lonnie Mack, Koko Taylor, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, James Cotton, Son Seals, Delbert McClinton and other artists previous mentioned in this chain of CDs.

All CDs rock the Blues! A great series for those just getting into contempary Blues and the artists that have appeared on Alligator Records, and for the collectors that have all the Alligator releases on LP or CD, just to have "The Best Of".   Eddy B

Note: since I wrote this review I have picked up the other three releases in this series and, I have to tell ya, they also kick with the same intensity!

Alligator Records website: www.alligator.com