Cold Blooded Woman - Memphis Slim

Advantages: just one of the greatest albums ever.
Disadvantages: can't really think of anything.

...a modern fan, i had never listened to a dylan album until 1999, and i've purchased about one every two months since then. but when did he paint his masterpiece? i have all the albums that have been awarded that accolade: the times they are a-changin, highway 61 revisited, blonde on blonde and blood on the tracks. most people would agree it's '66 versus '75 for the crown of most essential dylan album... there is almost nothing between them... but i would give blood on the tracks the nod... which takes nothing away from this album of "thin wild mercury sound" that bob dylan himself said is nearest to his musical ambitions. the lyrics are simply unsurpassable (except "just like a woman" whose lyric is infinitely poorer than any other on the album). the sound of the album is much more rich and mature than any previous album, the organ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: guitar
Disadvantages: none

...This is a good and cheap selection of some of the greatest blues musicians ever. The collection opens predictably with a muddy waters track (rollin’ stone) although probably not his best and then there appears the great elmore james performance on slide guitar in ‘dust my broom’ – a fantastically modern style of blues for the time. The j l hooker song is not ‘boom, boom’ thank god and the howlin’ wolf track ‘smokestack lightning’ features as track 9, this is a great song and I think once a budweiser advert song. There is a beautifully rough recording of memphis slim’s ‘guess I’m a fool’ towards the end which is for me the pick of the tracks. This is a solid album, nothing too new, but touches all the bases and is successful.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Rock's top singer-songwriter at his creative peak
Disadvantages: Where do you go after perfection?

...coaster ride of "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again", the doomy "Oner of us Must Know", the incredible "Visions of Johanna". are all capped by the breathtaking, 11-minute "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands". Altogether this album leaves you gasping for superlatives. Dylan fans are divided as to whether this, its predecessor "Highway 61 Revisited", or 1975's "Blood on the Tracks" is the ultimate Zimmermann album. I'll vote for this - can I give it 6 stars please, editor?... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful