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Alligator Records 35X35

Average Customer Review:

UPC: 014551202127

Artist: Various Artists
Publisher: Alligator Records
List Price: $17.98

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Editorial Reviews


	Album Description
	35 X 35 is not just another best-of compilation. Alligator founder and president Bruce Iglauer and staff chose to spotlight songs from the Alligator debut release from each featured artist. From "She's Gone" (the very first track on the very first Alligator album, 1971's Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers) to the legendary Mavis Staples' chilling "A Dying Man's Plea," 35 X 35 is effectively a chronological history of Alligator, a story told in music highlighting every style of blues and roots music the company has released. From the searing hard blues of Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, Albert Collins, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy to harmonica-driven workouts from Big Walter Horton, Carey Bell, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite and William Clarke to the Gulf Coast piano blues of Professor Longhair, Katie Webster and Marcia Ball to the acoustic music of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women and Corey Harris, it is clear that Alligator Records has been, and will remain, at the forefront of modern blues music in all of its many shades. With personal notes on each track from Iglauer in the accompanying 40-page booklet, 35 X 35 is proof of the staunchly independent label's single-minded vision for all these years: to record nothing but deeply rooted "Genuine Houserockin' Music."

	Amazon.com
	Unlike many men, Alligator Records never forgets an anniversary. "The country's largest contemporary blues label," as it rightly bills itself, has released multidisc compilations celebrating its 20th, 25th, 30th, and now 35th years. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, only tracks recorded for an artist's first Alligator disc are chosen for this chronologically presented summary of music that stretches from Hound Dog Taylor's electrifying 1971 label debut to Mavis Staples's in 2004. Although the imprint made a tentative stab at reggae in the mid '80s, its roster generally upholds the "genuine houserocking music" credo Alligator has boasted as a tagline since the early days. Whether reviving the careers of blues rockers (Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan, Lonnie Mack, Elvin Bishop) or ageing icons with plenty of gas left in their tanks (Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Katie Webster, Mavis Staples, James Cotton, Guitar Shorty) or finding new blood to carry on the traditions (Michael Burks, Corey Harris, Dave Hole, Tinsley Ellis, Shemekia Copeland), Alligator sets the standard for what an independent label can achieve. These 35 nuggets extracted from a catalog of 225 albums only begin to tell the label's story, but there's not a weak one in the lot. Founder Bruce Iglauer's intriguing and insightful liner notes for each act add depth to the tunes, making 35x35 a representative sampler that's also an exhilarating listening experience, and a fascinating overview of American roots music. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews


	Just what the doctor ordered!
	Date: 06/01/2007 Rating:

	great retrospective. true blues - soulful, raw & edgy, fun, smooth, heartbreaking - it's all here. highly recommended!

	A fabulous bargain
	Date: 02/25/2007 Rating:

	You're paying about 35 cents a song for great contemporary blues performances. I don't think there's a better bargain on Amazon. Very guitar centric, some good harmonica solos too. Grab it if you like electric guitars playing blues.

	Genuine Soul Rockin' Music
	Date: 09/07/2006 Rating:

	Even though this package only compiles material from Alligator Records, you probably won't find a more fascinating tour through the history of the Blues over the last 35 years. Of course, Alligator has a knack for signing up the most interesting Blues maestros. This compilation shows the development of cutting-edge Blues over the namesake era, ever since Alligator's inaugural release with Hound Dog Taylor in 1971. During much of this era, the Blues was still progressing, before settling into the respectful revivalism of recent years. In the 70s, Alligator was at the forefront with new artists who added flavor to tried-and-true styles, like the sinister Son Seals or the groovy Lonnie Brooks. Also during that decade, Alligator brought several veteran masters back into prominence, with powerful new material by the likes of Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, and Professor Longhair (noteworthy for his authoritative New Orleans style). As this compilation rumbles along, we hear a surprising amount of experimentation and progression in the 1980s, as interesting new artists expanded the basic template of the Blues, including some great finds like Lil' Mo & the Blues Imperials and Little Charlie & the Nightcats. The songs here from the 90s and 00s show that even the genius artists at Alligator followed the trend in Blues to solidify the classic template, with technical chops becoming more important than innovation - notwithstanding intriguing gospel-inflected works from the Holmes Brothers and the queenly Mavis Staples. But thanks to the impeccable expertise and taste exercised by Alligator when signing masters both new and old, this compilation is a must for any fan or historian of modern Blues. [~doomsdayer520~]

	A great range of great artists
	Date: 06/01/2006 Rating:

	This double-CD set has great artists, great selections from the artists, and a killer set of liner packaging. You get some choice information and showings by legendary cats as well as non-household names, with explanations as to why they were great (as if the music wasn't doing that job already). And at the price, you can't beat the value.

	A great collection for anyone
	Date: 04/26/2006 Rating:

	If you're just getting into contemporary blues or you've been listening for awhile, you're going to love this collection. Alligator has been one of the class acts of the indie labels for a long time and these discs give you an idea why they are so well thought of. 35 artists doing the first track from their first Alligator release. Marica Ball, Coco Montoya, Lonnie Mack, Johnny Winter, William Clarke and the list goes on with not a weak cut in the carload. These type of samplers are great if you're just getting into this type of music since you do get a wide selection of artists and styles. Alligator has released double disc anniversary sets in honor of yeas 20, 25, 30 and now, 35. They're all great to listen to, so grab one or all of them and have yourself a party with genuine houserocking music from people who know how to do it.