Bobby "Blue" Bland: S & D

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Bobby Bland's never had a thread!

― Symplistic (shmuel), Thursday, 29 July 2004 20:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

I saw him play at the HoB in Chicago. magnificent. I actually fainted.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 29 July 2004 21:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

Really?

― Symplistic (shmuel), Thursday, 29 July 2004 21:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

Really!

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 29 July 2004 21:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

classic. he gargles a bit too much on his malaco stuff but "two steps from the blues," most of his other duke stuff, and a lot of his abc period is great. "wishing well" is probably my all-time favorite bland cut. he played in my hometown in tenn. back in the '80s and i got my picture taken with him after the show, pretty exciting...

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 29 July 2004 21:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

He's great. He's still really really popular with a certain demographic on the south side of Chicago, as anyone who has listened to Arkansas Red's great show can attest. Get the three double CDs that compile all the Duke recordings. And read Keil's Urban Blues.

― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Thursday, 29 July 2004 21:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

WISHING WELL WISHING WELL WISHING WELL

GREAT guitar playing. Wayne Bennett, I think?

― rumple, Thursday, 29 July 2004 22:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

search: Aint No Love in the Heart of the City (that's all i know and i know it from the JayZ sample)

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 29 July 2004 23:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

Eddie otm on the prime era stuff. The master. A better, less glitzy live show than JB at this point, too.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 29 July 2004 23:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

WISHING WELL WISHING WELL WISHING WELL

GREAT guitar playing. Wayne Bennett, I think?

According to the notes to "I Pity the Fool/The Duke Recordings, Vol. 1," it's not Wayne Bennett on "Wishing Well." Probably Clarence Holloman. But Wayne Bennett is awesome. One Bland LP I have not heard is his "California Album." Anyone know this?

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 29 July 2004 23:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm not keen on the mambo stuff, but otherwise top one.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 30 July 2004 09:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

"His California Album" is his best of the 70s IMO. Along the lines of BB King's soul/blues stuff from that period...of course I couldn't find it just now, my blues albums are a mess.

― popeye maupin, Friday, 30 July 2004 09:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

At the risk of stating the obvious, search "Turn On Your Lovelight."

― briania (briania), Friday, 30 July 2004 11:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

And destroy: that throat-clearing thing or whatever it is. I've never heard a BBB album where he didn't deliver the goods, but there are a few from the 80s where he seems to lean on that a little much.

― briania (briania), Friday, 30 July 2004 11:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

Also destroy: "Deadric Malone," the alias Don Robey used to collect songwriting royalties on just about everything released on Duke records. Ol' Deadric presumably continues to get his cut from a lot of the classic Bobby Bland recordings.

― briania (briania), Friday, 30 July 2004 11:38 (8 years ago) Permalink

saw him in concert back around 88-89 (w/Al Green & the Staple Singers!) and his signature scream had indeed degenerated into "that throat clearing thing." Sounded horrible, like a hoarse pre-cancerous croak. Dressed in sweats, B"B"B sat on a stool while delivering his hits. Looked like he'd wandered in from the OTB parlor next door.

― popeye maupin, Friday, 30 July 2004 11:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

I believe it is called his 'trademark squall'. He got it off Aretha Franklin's dad, fact-fans. Something like that, anyway.

I like his archaic vocabulary, things like 'headache powder', sounds almost Victorian.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 30 July 2004 12:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

It sounds like a snort to me. I don't think he used it back in the old days. Hey, he's gonna be at Lamont's in Pomonkey, Maryland on Saturday night July 31st. Lamont's is a nice joint about 40 minutes south of Washington D.C. with decent but not great soul food. They never advertise in the mainstream media around here, just on posters on phone poles and on obscure radio shows. It's not that big, so it should be a great place to see him.

― Steve Kiviat (Steve K), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

It sounds like there is a frog being held captive in his throat and I am very worried about that frog and I can only wonder what that frog ever did to Mr.Bobby "Blue" Bland!!!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

It sounds like an alligator to me.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

Clarence "Frogman" Henry has a frog in him, among other things.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

Like DMX has a dog in him.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

This is sad, but I actually can't listen to Bobby because of the frog and or alligator in his throat. I'm kinda weird when it comes to mouth-sounds. Some sounds creep and/or gross me out.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

I haven't listened to it in ages but I don't think you hear that, uh, vocal technique on his old "2 Steps From the Blues" release. I recall a wonderfully written Nelson George piece in the Voice on Bland that highlighted that effort.

I have a friend who went to see Bland a few years ago not knowing about his voice, and he couldn't get past that either, Scott.

― Steve Kiviat (Steve K), Friday, 30 July 2004 17:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

S/D please

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 31 July 2004 02:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

After his existing on my periphery for many years, I finally decided to give the guy a good lis'nin' to, and good lord + 1/2 on toast with jelly: The 30-or-so MP3s I snagged prove beyond a reas'n'ble doubt that he's absolutely fantastically amazing. Screw the "gargler"-accusers; his growl totally floors me each and every time I hear it. I just ordered His 70s Album and another one I can't recall the title of. I wouldn't mind hearing more "S" results here, tho.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Thursday, 27 July 2006 03:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

Also check out "Dreamer," the one after "His California Album." You need a healthy dose of the Duke stuff, whether "Two Steps From the Blues" or one or more of the double-CD sets on MCA that collect the era. As for '80s/'90s, dig "Members Only" or "Memphis Monday Morning."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 27 July 2006 05:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oh, I mean His California Album. Freudian slip? 70s = California! Muahahaha!

The other CD I ordered was this: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: The ABC-Dunhill/MCA Recordings".

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Thursday, 27 July 2006 09:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

It sounds like there is a frog being held captive in his throat and I am very worried about that frog and I can only wonder what that frog ever did to Mr.Bobby "Blue" Bland!!!

Scott, have you been re-reading Beatrix Potter?!

― Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 28 July 2006 15:02 (6 years ago) Permalink

From what I remember, in Guralnick's profile on Bland (in Lost Highway), he mentions that Bland even did a country-tinged album. Is this true? Or, am I mistaken?

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Friday, 28 July 2006 17:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

Nah, that's true. "Get On Down With Bobby Bland" is the one, I think.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 28 July 2006 21:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

GHV2 has cuts from "California," "Dreamer," "Get On Down" and a few others. Great disc.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 28 July 2006 21:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

Still touring. I was away over Presidents Day weekend though and missed his DC show. I bet that snort he does on the high notes is even more pronounced now than it was when I last saw him. Haven't listened to his awesome "Two Steps from teh Blues" in awhile. Need to remedy that.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 22:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

had no idea this guy was still truckin

the arrangements on his best tracks are super fantastic. just beautifully arranged horn charts etc.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 29 February 2012 07:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

was afraid this revive was going to be the RIP notice - glad he's still out there, even if I wince a little internally in anticipation of the that snort....

― I'm Street but I Know my Roots (sonofstan), Wednesday, 29 February 2012 09:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Saw Bland headline the FREE Prince George's Community College Bluebird festival Saturday (near W. DC) with Clarence Carter opening. 82-year-old Bland had to be helped on and off the stage. He performed sitting down but was still awesome (yeah, I know the snort instead of hitting high notes). Due to delays and a curfew he had to a do a rushed set, but "St James Infirmary," "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine", and Bland's 80s era 'hit' "Members Only" to name a few, still showed off a great voice and his fine band. If you're interested in such things, demographically the large crowd consisted largely of 40 and over African-Americans (and the rest old soul and blues nerds like me plus some younger Black folks with families). No Washington Post review of the gig in the morning paper (just of Dierks Bentley). Oh well.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 24 September 2012 13:54 (7 months ago) Permalink

I love what I've heard of him and the textures he uses throughout. Weird pipes etc behind him and some odd guitar sounds.
I was thinking Deadric Malone must be a really great writer since he was behind so much great stuff by the guy. Shame to hear the way in which this was though.

Also love the way that Bobby can veer between SAm Cooke smoothness nad Howlin Wolf roughness.
Oh & the st wave 60s Brit covers of his material, some bits of the Dead too.

― Stevolende, Monday, 24 September 2012 14:44 (7 months ago) Permalink

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