Rolling Stone (p.70) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he icons and belters on this two-CD party include guitar lords like Albert Collins, Son Seals and Luther Allison; vocal volcanoes Koko Taylor and the Holmes Brothers; and the modern-Delta stylist Corey Harris."Living Blues (p.66) - "Perhaps one of the Alligator's greatest triumphs, and undoubtedly one of its paramount voices, was the late Koko Taylor. The Queen of the Blues recorded with the label for 35 years..."Billboard (p.40) - "[A] sampler that touches on great moments and key acts....Sure to send listeners deeper into the individual artists' catalogs."Record Collector (magazine) (p.103) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "[With] healthy doses of blues-infused rockabilly, front porch soul, gospel, rock, ballads, New Orleans R&B, country and zydeco."15.60988
$17.14
Living Blues (1-2/02, pp.55-6) - "...An excellent intro to the more recent events in Alligator history: longtime fans may well find the unissued live tracks and the Houserocker video too tempting to pass up..."14.19347
$16.03
Q (8/96, p.142) - 3 Stars - Good - "...a strong 2-CD set which contains all the joy, all the pain, all the triumph of modern blues, be it electric or acoustic, city or country, purist or diluted by rock....a sweet sampler of America's finest contemporary blues label."Mojo (Publisher) (6/96, p.124) - "...[this collection] can hardly be beaten: every player in the story is here, from old Hound Dog to the razor-sharp new blues of Michael Hill's Blues Mob, by way of Johnny Winter, Professor Longhair et al..."14.0758
$16.13
Record Collector (magazine) (p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Among the pent-up anthems to teen lust is some seriously tight playing and dynamics."9.816918
$14.65
9.427173
$16.98
9.330487
$11.32
Living Blues (9-10/95, pp.90-91) - "...Combining brilliant guitar work and funky horn-led arrangements with catchy, witty lyrics, COLD SNAP ranks with the best of Collins' work for [Alligator Records]..."8.843948
$16.70
Living Blues (1-2/99, pp.59,62) - "...this fare is rawer than Hunter's more recent Alligator material...that makes it even more exciting....showcases one of today's most consistently satisfying blues artists at the height of his pre-stardom powers, wild and untamed."8.742876
$21.78
Dirty Linen (4-5/00, p.77) - "From the opening seconds of screaming, screeching guitars, and pounding skins, it's obvious that Chicago's Lil'Ed and the Blues Imperials are once again a force on the blues highway....ranks as one of the crown jewels in the esteemed Alligator catalogue."Mojo (Publisher) (10/99, p.122) - "...only a dull listener won't want to cut a rug....but whatever problems kept him out of the studio, they haven't dulled his music's edge: the Blues Imperials are still minty fresh."8.692443
$14.65
Down Beat (3/97, p.57) - 3 Stars - (out of 5) - "Michael Hill plays decent guitar that sparks with rock authority, leads a sold band that includes a spirited horn section....However, what recommends his latest Alligator album are his songs, which deal with subject matter...that most contemporary blues musicians avoid..."JazzTimes (2/97, p.87) - "Blues guitar fans will definitely want to check out Michael Hill's HAVE MERCY!....The New Yorker, whom Vernon Reid calls the world's most unsung guitar hero, rips it up....Hill is avoiding cliches while remaining true to the spirit of the music..."8.692443
$19.76
Mojo (Publisher) (10/99, p.112) - "...more conventional South-western blues...but the principals are deftly mixed-and-matched, and anything that pushes the diffident Phillip Walker into a spotlight is to be welcomed." Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.72) - "...[The trio] put their egos aside, and what results is a fine Gulf Coast/Texas blues set....the trio's techniques are indisputable..."8.661225
$17.93
Entertainment Weekly (9/25/98, p.106) - "...Even if his drunken-hillbilly warble isn't the stuff of top 10 records, Bishop's crispy, bluesy guitar playing, witting songwriting, and I'm-just-a-rube-who-loves-to-rock persona remain formidable assets. And the sheer, unpretentious joy he communicates is enough to convince you he's really a self-help guru in disguise."- Rating: B+8.645758
$11.42
Living Blues (5-6/02, p.66) - "...Serves as handy primers that surveys teh artist's recorded output for the label..."8.591576
$18.89
CMJ (9/25/00, p.32) - "...A masterful guitar payer whose work is both soulful and rocking..."JazzTimes (12/00, p.96) - "...Zinn displays his formidable slide chops....an impressive plectrist with a penchant for old-school tones....a servicable outing..."8.591576
$19.35
Down Beat (p.74) - 4 stars out of 5 - "NINE LIVES flares up with spirit and creativity, musical and emotional intelligence."Living Blues (pp.58-59) - "The thirteen originals range from silly to sophisticated to sublime....Their trademark humorous lyrics abound."8.591576
$19.51
Down Beat (p.73) - "Lindell props up his beguiling group sound on the foundation of time-tested blues, reggae, soul and r&b..."Dirty Linen (p.91) - "The album's crossover appeal, thanks to a blend of '70s-inspired Stevie Wonder, Pops Staples, Buddy Guy, and Junior Wells is enormous..."Living Blues (p.62) - "[H]is breezy pipes complement the chilled-out, springtime atmosphere of the tunes..."8.591576
$15.94
Mojo (Publisher) (9/01, p.113) - "...Irrepressibly feisty..."8.591576
$17.72
Living Blues (p.36) - "The results are sonically fantastic and the songs...boast memorable hooks....Copeland isn't acting the vintage revivalist as much as she's reclaiming the lost art of traditional R&B music..."Mojo (Publisher) (p.60) - Ranked #3 in Mojo's "Top Ten Blues Albums Of 2005."Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[S]he powers her way through an array of soul-blues struts and ballads....The back-ups are generally as blistering as anything to emerge from Stax or Muscle Shoals."8.591576
$16.53
Dirty Linen (p.91) - "[T]his high-energy performance, which features mostly original material, shows him to be a consummate performer."8.591576
$20.02
Living Blues (11/02, pp.43-4) - "...With this disc, Shemekia Copeland has made giant strides toward realizing her enormous potential..."Mojo (Publisher) (12/02, p.121) - "...[Copeland] adds a scintillating sliver of New Orleans funk to her stew....Shimmering, feisty soul..."8.591576
$19.95
Living Blues (6/03, p.81) - "...Roomful of Blues manage to deliver hard-hitting jump blues with the same flair that marked their debut - 17 albums later..."8.591576
$16.35
Living Blues (7-8/01, pp.68-9) - "...Her blend of Texas blues, New Orleans R&B, and Louisiana swamp pop has seldom been more self-assured..."8.591576
$18.16
8.591576
$16.28
Living Blues (9/03, p.79) - "...Michael Burks' voice, like that of his role model Albert King, is dusky and sensual yet shot through with virility....His fretwork is skin-tight yet emotionally explosive..."8.591576
$13.94
JazzTimes (5/01, p.116) - "...Gritty, powerful stuff....Beautifully preserves the inherent vocal blend and signature grooves of the 3 brothers..."Dirty Linen (8-9/01, p.83) - "...One of the year's most joyful releases..."Living Blues (5-6/01, p.45) - "...Pure Holy Funk....grafting jubilant images of spiritual ecstasy made flesh...to driving pop-blues cadences laced with shimmering soul chords..."8.591576
$16.35
Living Blues (p.65) - "Guitar Shorty is a blues-rock original. Screaming guitar couples with motorboat backup while Guitar Shorty's singing stays casual."8.591576
$17.96
8.591576
$15.39
Living Blues (9/03, p.89) - "...Ball holds her own as a composer - her originals sound like timeless classics, comparable to Dan Penn's seminal catalog of southern soul masterpieces..."8.591576
$20.03
Rolling Stone (p.176) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Staples shows sheer vocal authority, and she can still deliver a spine-chilling 'amen.'"Uncut (p.140) - 3 stars out of 5 -"[A] minor gem. A good band and decent songs bring out the best in her still-smouldering voice."Down Beat (p.76) - 4.5 stars out of 5 - "The production is fresh throughout and Staples' throaty vocals remain unparalleled."Living Blues (pp.38-9) - "[S]he warns, cajoles, encourages, and challenges us in a voice both rich with wisdom and redolent with the light of faith..."Mojo (Publisher) (p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[I]ts dozen mostly self-penned tracks comprise a solid set that combines the uplift of Staples' Stax-era soul with flashes of the searching, spooky gospel of the group's Vee-Jay years. Worth the wait."8.591576
$16.14
Dirty Linen (p.83) - "A master harp player, he's nearly unequaled as a stylist....His contributions to the genre and his persistence in churning out album after enjoyable album make him a journeyman without match."8.591576
$18.68
CMJ (9/25/00, p.32) - "...Blues-rock's latest diva...revealing her to be a master of several styles..."Down Beat (11/00, p.68) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Determinedly self-confident and innately musical, blessed with a strong gale of a voice that never skimps on emotional authenticity..."Living Blues (11-12/00, pp.60-1) - "...Another hot-blooded set sure to further Shemekia's trajectory to the top of the contemporary blues firmament..."Mojo (Publisher) (3/01, p.102) - "...Stuffed with arresting songs....Skeptics will be confounded by [her] confidence and versatility..."8.591576
$16.28
Mojo (Publisher) (p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Raucous and rackety, clattering and sometimes shattering, the music of Hound Dog Taylor made even Howlin' Wolf sound conventional."8.591576
$16.28
8.591576
$20.02
Living Blues (p.49) - "[I]t has the possibility to tear down the walls that keep music fans apart."8.591576
$19.47
Living Blues (7-8/02, p.41) - "...Demonstrated his artistic diversity....reaffirming his place as a singularly skilled leader among modern blues artists."8.591576
$19.68
Living Blues (5-6/02, pp.63-4) - "...Serves as handy primers that surveys the artist's recorded output for the label..."8.591576
$17.96
Sing Out! (4-5-6/96, p.144) - "...Cephas and Wiggins are probably the most cosmopolitan act in acoustic blues, a fact beautifully demonstrated on this album..."Mojo (Publisher) (6/96, p.124) - "...the most elegant album yet by the acoustic guitar and harmonica duo..."8.591576
$16.35
Down Beat (p.65) - "His melodies make you think you've known them forever, and his lyrics are attentive to human concerns."No Depression (p.121) - "Smartly, Grey focuses on his big, soulful voice, keeping the music spare and using bluesy horns and choral flourishes judiciously."8.591576
$14.59
8.591576
$17.96
Dirty Linen (p.92) - "Coco Montoya turns the temperature to sizzling with his barbed-wire-esque guitar picking and don't-mess-with-me vocals."Living Blues (p.44) - "All 11 songs are rockers, whether they are slow burning blues, soulful R&B, or Louisiana swamp blues..."8.591576
$14.62
Dirty Linen (p.86) - "The playing is solid and true, with Lay and Radford providing a steady beat....The songs are all sharp and well done..."8.591576
$16.92
Dirty Linen (p.85) - "The band plays tight, the singing is gritty, the song selection smartly reflects an ongoing ability to play a mean live set."No Depression (pp.135-136) - "[T]he best track here is a deeply felt recasting of Billy Joe Shaver's 'Tramp On Your Street', on which he and the band both show real heart and soul."Mojo (Publisher) (p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[M]ature blues heavyweights in the Magic Slim mould, sober but far from sedate."8.591576
$16.53
Rolling Stone (8/25/94, p.89) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...showcases his diverse talent as a harp player and a singer..."Dirty Linen (6-7/94, p.53) - "...includes material reflecting the length and width of Musselwhite's career....This CD is a smooth ride from start to finish..."Option (8/94, p.115) - "...This fine collection serves as moment of retrospect for the still-active Musselwhite...As a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and particularily a harmonica player, Musselwhite is a beautifully understated master..."Musician (4/94, p.93) - "...Musselwhite has...eased into the role of elder statesman among white blues players...among the most imaginative and tradition-conscious harmonica players of his generation..."Audio Magazine (6/94, p.92) - "...the finest amplified blues harp player alive...he blows his harp with an overwhelming instrumental mastery and soaring solos that are pure aural adrenaline for his fans...[IN MY TIME] looks back on his roots..."8.591576
$16.35
8.591576
$16.32
Down Beat (11/01, p.66) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...He officiates with authority on squeeze box, sings with indisputable conviction and writes gladsome dancefloor stomps..."Living Blues (11-12/01, p.55) - "...Fans of zydeco's more progressive sounds will find much here to love..."8.591576
$16.28
Down Beat - 3.5 Stars - Very GoodAudio Magazine - Sound B+ / Performance B+8.591576
$12.05
8.591576
$12.76
Living Blues (p.60) - "[A]ll the songs nestle nicely into a compilation whose mission is to highlight the genre's feature instrument..."8.591576
$7.87
