"Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee Jay Singles" by JIMMY REED – A&B-sides of Thirty-Nine US 45-Singles (Eleven with 1965 Interview Introductions as Spoken Bonuses) Issued Between July 1953 and December 1965 on Vee Jay Records – Guest Musicians Include Guitarists John Brim, Eddie Taylor, John Littlejohn, Remo Biondi, Lefty Bates, Lonnie Brooks, Hubert Sumlin and Phil Upchurch, Vocalist Mama Reed, Chess Records Bassist and Songwriter Willie Dixon, Bassists Phil Upchurch and Marcus Johnson with Drummers Earl Phillips, Vernell Fournier and Albert Nelson (Albert King the Guitarist) on Drums (August 2017 EU Craft Recordings 3CD 88-Track Foldout Digipak Compilation Collated by Grammy Award Winners Scott Billington and Audio Engineer Paul Blakemore) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Luck-Complet-Jimmy-Reed/dp/B072HTKR4F?crid=2F98MCEOBZ5O6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rSZtD3Oiou5s2dA_82c6Xw.etEpZiSMcTt2IvjbVaOG54GsPIeEtvfozY20P0h_HGc&dib_tag=se&keywords=888072024878&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1729935164&sprefix=888072024878%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=75d0ea7f49583d31119d50619b602d70&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS:

Content **** to *****

Presentation ****

Audio *****

"…Big Boss Man…"

Across this three-disc 88-Track bruiser there are eleven Introduction segments where in an interview with the great Jimmy Reed in 1965 – he mumbles and talks about his most famous grooves – most of which (like say Fat Domino) are all the same (he rarely varied a winning combo). But what you really notice are his sense of humour and that he's two-sheets to the wind. 

Matcher (or Mathis) James Reed was born in Leland, Mississippi in September 1925 and of all the Chicago Blues Men with an Electric Guitar who gravitated to that hallowed city in the 40ts and 50ts – Jimmy Reed was probably least likely to succeed and always struggled with alcohol. And yet one look at the Billboard Rhythm and Blues charts of the USA and you will see that Reed and his down-and-dirty warble and chugging beat charted a whomping 20-times between 1955 and 1966 – 19 of those on the independent record label set up by record-shop-owning husband and wife team Vivien Carter and Jimmy Bracken – the V and the J in Vee Jay Records. Seven of them went Top 10 too – three peaking at No.3.

And that's where this beautifully Remastered threesome from Craft comes a-boogieing in. I make no bones (in 2024) about chasing down all things Craft Recordings - I've been besieging our current account to this effect of late where managers are sending round the thought police as a matter on urgent intervention. Craft Recordings is out of the USA and are mostly associated with Stax Records and gorgeous reissues for Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Stax '68, WattStax gigs in 1972 and those four huge Stax Singles Box Sets with eleven or twelve CDs in them (reviewed the lot). 

But they are also heavily involved in Blues and Jazz on both audiophile sounding CDs and VINYL LPs. John Lee Hooker, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Skip James, Lightnin' Hopkins and Johnnie Taylor are just some of the names that have had long-lost and forgotten albums of the Sixties reissued in 2024 with PAUL BLAKEMORE Remastering – the Grammy-winner responsible for the audio here.

There is a lot of the Big Boss Man to discuss. To the Brights Lights and Big City…

EU released August 2017 - "Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee Jay Singles" by JIMMY REED on Craft Recordings/Vee-Jay/Universal Music Group 
0888072024878 (Barcode 888072024878) is a 3CD 88-Track Compilation Collated by SCOTT BILLINGTON and Mastered by PAUL BLAKEMORE (both Grammy winners) that plays out as follows:

CD1 (13 x US 45s – 5 with 1965 Interview Introductions, 76:49 minutes):
1. High And Lonesome (Introduction)
2. High And Lonesome 
3. Roll And Rhumba 
July 1953, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-100, A&B-sides as Jimmy Reed and His Trio

4. Jimmy's Boogie (aka Jimmies Boogie)
5. Found My Baby Gone (aka I Found My Baby)
January 1954, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 105, A& B-sides

6. You Don't Have To Go (Introduction)
7. You Don't Have To Go
8. Boogie In The Dark
December 1954, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-119, A&B-sides – peaked No.5 R&B

9. I'm Gonna Ruin You
10. Pretty Thing
January 1955, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 132, A&B-sides (reissued April 1955)

11. She Don't Want Me No More
12. I Don't Go For That
September 1955, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 153, A&B-sides (Tracks 12 and 11) – peaked No. 12 R&B

13. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (Introduction)
14. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
15. Baby, Don't Say That No More
January 1956, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-168, A&B-sides – peaked No.3 R&B

16. Can't Stand To See You Go
17. Rockin' With Reed
April 1956, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 186, A&B-sides – peaked No.10 R&B

18. My First Plea
19. I Love You Baby
July 1956, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 203, A&B-sides (Tracks 19 and 18) – peaked at No.13 R&B

20. You've Got Me Dizzy (Introduction)
21. You've Got Me Dizzy
22. Honey, Don't Let Me Go
November 1956, US 45-single on Vee Jay 226, A&B-sides – peaked No.3 R&B

23. Little Rain
24. Honey, Where You Going?
March 1957, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-237, A&B-sides – A-side peaked No.2, B-side peaked No.10 R&B

25. The Sun Is Shining
26. Baby, What's On Your Mind?
June 1957, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 248, A&B-sides – peaked No.10 R&B

27. Honest I Do (Introduction)
28. Honest I Do
29. Signals Of Love
August 1957, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 253, A&B-sides – peaked No.4 R&B

30. You're Something Else
31. A String To Your Heart
January 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 270, A&B-sides

CD2 (13 x US 45-singles – 4 with 1965 Interview Introductions, 70:21 minutes):
1. Go On To School
2. You Got Me Crying
April 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 275, A&B-sides (Tracks 2 and 1)

3. I Know It's A Sin
4. Down In Georgia
July 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 287, A& B-sides (Tracks 4 and 3)

5. I'm Gonna Get My Baby
6. Odds And Ends
October 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 298, A&B-sides – peaked at No.5 R&B

7. I Told You Baby
8. Ends And Odds
December 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 304, A&B-sides – peaked at No.19 R&B

9. Take Out Some Insurance
10. You Know I Love You 
April 1959, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 314, A&B-sides

11. Going To New York (Introduction)
12. Going To New York
13. I Wanna Be Loved 
September 1959, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 326, A&B-sides (Tracks 13 and 12)

14. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Introduction)
15. Baby What You Want Me to Do
16. Caress Me Baby
November 1959, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 333, A&B-sides – peaked at No.10 R&B

17. I Found Love
18. Where Can You Be
May 1960, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 347, A&B-sides – peaked at No.16 R&B

19. Hush Hush
20. Going By The River (Part II)
August 1960, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 357, A&B-sides – peaked at No.18 R&B

21. Close Together
22. Laughing At The Blues
January 1961, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 373, A&B-sides – peaked at No.12 R&B

23. Big Boss Man (Introduction)
24. Big Boss Man
25. I'm A Love You

March 1961, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 380, A&B-sides – peaked at No.13 R&B, No.38 Pop Hit for Elvis Presley in 1967

26. Bright Lights, Big City (Introduction)
27. Bright Lights, Big City
28. I'm Mr. Luck
August 1961, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 398, A&B-sides – peaked at No.3 R&B

29. Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth
30. Baby, What's Wrong?
December 1961, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 425, A&B-sides (Tracks 30 and 29)

CD3 (13 x US 45-singles – 2 with 1965 Interview Introductions, 72:33 minutes):
1. Good Lover
2. Tell Me You Love Me
May 1962, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 459, A&B-sides

3. I'll Change My Style
4. Too Much
July 1958, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 287, A& B-sides

5. Let's Get Together
6. Oh John
November 1962, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 473, A&B-sides

7. Shame, Shame, Shame (Introduction)
8. Shame, Shame, Shame 
9. There'll Be A Day
March 1963, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 509, A&B-sides

10. Mary-Mary
11. I'm Gonna Help You
August 1963, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 552, A&B-sides

12. Out Skirts Of Town
13. St. Louis Blues 
November 1963, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 570, A&B-sides

14. See See Rider
15. We Wee Baby Blues
March 1964, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 584, A&B-sides

16. Help Yourself
17. Heading For A Fall (Things Ain't What They Used To Be)
April 1964, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 593, A&B-sides (probably unreleased)

18. Down In Mississippi
August 1964, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-616, A-side (only)
NOTE: Oh John (Track 6) re-used as the B-side on Vee Jay VJ-616

19. I'm Going Upside Your Head (Introduction)
20. I'm Going Upside Your Head
21. The Devil's Shoestring (Part II)
October 1964, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 622, A&B-sides

22. I Wanna Be Loved
23. A New Leaf
January 1965, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ 642, A&B-sides – New Leaf peaked at No.35 R&B

24. Left Handed Woman
25. I'm The Man Down There
August 1965, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-702, A&B-sides (Tracks 25 and 24)

26. When Girls Do It
27. Don't Think I'm Through
December 1965, US 45-single on Vee Jay VJ-709, A&B-sides

The outer card slipcase usually comes with a Details Sticker housing a three-way fold-out Digipak. It's nice but hardly startling – the 40-page booklet however is a truly in-depth affair. Every session is broken down by players, recording dates and so on. Entitled THE SONGS - after each discography entry is a paragraph detailing the song's history, chart success and his great session players who included musicians like Guitarists John Brim, Eddie Taylor, John Littlejohn, Remo Biondi, Lefty Bates, Lonnie Brooks and Hubert Sumlin, Vocalist Mama Reed, Chess Records Bassist and Songwriter Willie Dixon, Bassists Phil Upchurch and Marcus Johnson with Drummers Earl Phillips, Vernell Fournier and a young Albert Nelson (Albert King the Guitarist) on Drums. 

Jimmy played Carnegie Hall alongside Muddy Waters in the 60ts – his most famous song "Big Boss Man" (recorded March 1960) had Chess writing and playing giant Willie Dixon on his famous Double Bass with Lefty Bates and Lonnie Brooks on Guitars and Mama Reed sharing backing vocals. Jimmy of course took lead vocals and played his Guitar and Harmonica. The endless pages of Discography have trade adverts, chart lists and gig posters sepia-tinted into the background but that is something of a mistake because they are hard to see. SCOTT BILLINGTON has genuine enthusiasm for Reed – affection in his every entry – and it is a pleasure to read. 

As you can imagine, over 75 songs in roughly the same groove can be a bit much to take in one bilge – but what I love is the PAUL BLAKEMORE Remastered AUDIO. Although recordings were at times rough (especially on CD1 which deals with the Fifties) – Craft have done a fantastic job with the Transfers – full of life-affirming boogie. His explanations of how his wife was the principal inspiration for everything (she would sit by the stage and prompt lyrics during notorious inebriated shows) – even thoughts of what it would be like if she up and walked out – his "Shame, Shame, Shame" the result. By the time you get to CD3 and the 60ts and the instruments are wailing in your living room. Fab…

Highlights for me include cool flipsides like "I Don't Go For That" (CD1), "You Know I Love You" (CD2) and "There'll Be A Day" (CD3). You can also hear how tight his band was in the Fifties – Eddie Taylor on Guitar with Earl Phillips on Drums – love that Slide Guitar by John Littlejohn on "Boogie In The Dark" – same track with a young Albert Nelson on Drums soon to become "Born Under A Bad Sign" ace axeman Albert King on Stax in the mid Sixties. "Baby What You Want Me To Do" has Marcus Johnson on Electric Bass with Mama Reed providing Back Up Vocal Pipes. Jimmy assures his lady that she needs a real good lover and the Jimster is the man for the demanding job in "Good Lover". Speaking of Good Lovers - future Blue Thumb Records Jazz-Funk Guitarist Phil Upchurch plays axe on "Where Can You Be" and "Hush Hush" whilst providing Electric Bass on the aforementioned "Good Lover" plus "Too Much". Hubert Sumlin plays Guitar on "I Wanna Be Loved", "Left-Handed Woman" and "A New Leaf" – his last R&B chart entry for Vee Jay in January 1965. 

Most would probably want to cherry pick the best twofer singles on this three-disc Anthology and sequence them onto a Playlist CD-R for home enjoyment – or even the 20 R&B chart entries in a row (Jimmy Reed passed in 1976 whilst gigging in San Francisco). 

Whatever way you play it - "Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee Jay Singles" by JIMMY REED on Craft Recordings is a compilation I will be returning too with a smile on my face. It is not gorgeous – the booklet could have done with more photos and memorabilia repro stuff – but man oh man – that Audio, those often witty lyrics, the drunken grooves with Guitar, Harmonica and his world-weary slush-voice – Big Boss Man indeed…