Another Blues Fix Mix CD - Volume Two, Track Four

One of my favorite things about listening to the blues has always been the slide guitar, whether one of the bottleneck masters of the pre-war era (Son House, Robert Johnson, Tampa Red, etc.....) or the post-war era (Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Homesick James, etc....) or the many current stars currently practicing.  One of my favorites for a long time now has been Sonny Landreth.  Since the first time I heard him playing with John Hiatt in the late 80's, I've been a fan.  He's released some quality music over the years and some of his albums are among my favorites (South of I-10 should be in any music fan's collection........it still gets played an awful lot at my house, some twenty three years after I originally purchased it).

Hound Dog Taylor and friend

My favorite Sonny Landreth tune is not actually a Sonny Landreth tune.......it's a Hound Dog Taylor tune......the Dog's rumbling, stumbling, raggedy instrumental called "Taylor's Rock,"  To be honest, listening to Taylor's original version on his self-titled 1971 Alligator release (the first ever for the label) was a life-changing experience for me......the whole album was, in fact.  I've never heard anyone play the blues quite like Hound Dog Taylor and chances are good that most other blues fans might say the same thing.

Landreth recorded "Taylor's Rock" as part of a Taylor tribute album that Alligator released in 1998.  There are numerous great songs on the album by a host of Alligator's then-current roster, plus others, but Landreth's reading of "Taylor's Rock" is different.  Not nearly as raucous and ragged as the original (and who else could do it that way as well as Taylor), Landreth's version almost seems to soar into the clouds.  It's hard to listen to it in your vehicle without risking a speeding ticket.  I had to include this version in the second Blues Fix Mix CD.  Enjoy!!

Just for kicks, here's Hound Dog Taylor's original version.....