“What It Takes – The Chess Years [Expanded Edition]” by KOKO TAYLOR. A Review of the 2009 “Hip-O Select” CD Compilation.

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“…Blues Heaven…Must Be Mighty Sweet…”

Hip-O Select B0013186-02 is a reissue of a deleted 18-track 1991 CD compilation – now with 6 bonus tracks added on. It has the same front artwork, but a live photo spreads itself across the 3 flaps of the card tri-gatefold on the inside, while the booklet is expanded to 16-pages. More importantly, it has truly stunning 2009 remastering by ace tape expert ERICK LABSON (has over 850 credits to his name - including most of the entire Chess catalogue).

Released November 2009 in the USA, February 2010 in the UK, “What It Takes – The Chess Years [Expanded Edition]” breaks down as follows (73:06 minutes):

1. I Got What It Takes (1964 USA 7” single on Checker 1092, A – see also 19)
2. Don’t Mess With The Messer (1969 USA LP “Koko Taylor” on Chess LP 1532)
3. Whatever I Am, You Made Me (as per 2)
4. I’m A Little Mixed Up (as per 2)
5. Wang Dang Doodle (1966 USA 7” single on Checker 1135, A)
6. (I Got) All You Need (1966 USA 7” single on Checker 1174, A)
7. (Just) Love Me (1967 USA 7” single on Checker 1166, A)
8. What Came First The Egg Or The Hen [B-side of 7, duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
9. Insane Asylum (as per 2 – duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
10. Fire (as per 2 – duet vocals with Willie Dixon)
11. I Don’t Care Who Knows (1968 USA 7” single on Checker 1210, A)
12. Twenty Nine Ways (To My Baby’s Door) (as per 2)
13. Blue Prelude [Previously Unreleased, Recorded November 1971]
14. I Need More And More (1972 USA LP “Basic Soul” on Chess CH-50018)
15. Um Huh My Baby (as per 14)
16. Bills, Bills & More Bills (as per 14)
17. Let Me Love You Baby (as per 14)
18. I Got What It Takes [Live Duet With MUDDY WATERS] (1972 USA 2LP set “Blues/Rock Avalanche – The Montreaux Festival” on Chess 2CH-60015)

BONUS TRACKS:
19. What Kind Of A Man Is That? (B-side of 1 – a Koko Taylor original)
20. Blues Heaven (1966 USA 7” single on Checker 1135, A – Willie Dixon co-write with Dick LaPalm)
21. Tell Me The Truth (1966 USA 7” single on Checker 1148, A – a Johnnie May Dunson song)
22. Good Advice (B-side of 21 – a J.B. Lenoir cover)
23. Separate Or Integrate (1967 USA 7” single on Checker 1210, A)
24. Tease Your Man (1972 USA 7” single on Chess 2132, A)

Tracks 1 to 3, 5 to 12, 14 to 18 and 23 to 24 are all written by WILLIE DIXON
Track 20 is co-written by WILLIE DIXON and DICK LaPALM
Other track credits listed above

With a powerhouse voice that could level tall buildings from ten paces, Koko Taylor truly met her soul mate in Chess’ principal songwriter – the mighty Willie Dixon. He wrote 18 of the tracks on here and co-wrote one other – his presence is everywhere. With the house-band containing the cream of the Blues crop (Lafayette Leake on Piano, Buddy Guy and Johnny “Twist” Williams on Guitars and a host of others – including Willie Dixon on Bass), it’s no wonder that these slices of Sixties Blues and R’n’B boogie along so brilliantly.

But the real revelation is the SOUND – I’ve raved about Erick Labson’s work before, but the lad’s excelled himself here – beautiful clarity and depth – in your face for all the right reasons. Fans will thrill to the care given – infused no doubt with the same affection that exudes from ANDY McKAIE’s typically excellent liner notes. It’s a shame though that they didn’t picture either of her albums “Koko Taylor” (a ragbag of tracks from ’65, ’67 and ’69 finally issued in 1969) and the “Basic Soul” LP from 1972 – but that’s offset against a colour photo of her debut Checker 45 “I Got What It Takes” on 1092 – what a lovely sight. Its fab B-side “Blues Heaven” is also here (lyrics above). The previously unreleased and exclusive-to-this-set “Blue Prelude” is a slow blues Joe Bishop/Gordon Jenkins song and it’s excellent.

Koko has been poorly served by Chess reissues across the last two decades – until now. With her passing in June 2009 at the age of 80, Memphis’ Cora Taylor is finally done proud by this lovely and wonderful reissue. Top marks to all involved – and another goodie from Hip-O Select.

Recommended.

For info purposes - a Checker Records (Chess) Discography
USA 7" singles:

1. I Got What It Takes b/w What Kind Of A Man Is This (1964, Checker 1092)
2. Don't Mess With The Messer b/w Whatever I Am, You Made Me (1965, Checker 1106)
3. Good Advice b/w When I Think Of My Baby (1965, Checker 1140)
4. Good Advice b/w Tell The Truth (1965, Checker 1148)
5. What Came First The Egg Or The Hen b/w (Just) Love Me (1967, Checker 1166)
6. (I Got) All You Need b/w All Money Spent (1967, Checker 1174)
7. Fire b/w Insane Asylum (1968, Checker 1191)
8. Separate Or Integrate b/w I Don't Care Who Knows (1968, Checker 1210)
9. Tease Your Man b/w That's The Way Love Is (1972, Chess 2132)

LPs:
“Koko Taylor”, October 1969 USA LP on Chess LPS-1532 [Produced by Willie Dixon]

Side 1:
1. Love You Like A Woman
2. I Love A Lover Like You
3. Don’t Mess With The Messer
4. I Don’t Care Who Knows
5. Wang Dang Doodle
6. I’m A Little Mixed Up

Side 2:
1. Nitty Gritty
2. Fire
3. Whatever I Am, You Made Me
4. Twenty-Nine Ways
5. Insane Asylum
6. Yes, It’s Good For You

“Basic Soul”, 1972 USA LP on Chess CH-50018 [Produced by Willie Dixon]

Side 1:

1. It’s A Poor Dog
2. Let Me Love You Baby
3. Bills, Bills And More Bills
4. I Need More And More
5. Love Me To Death

Side 2:
1. That’s The Way Love Is
2. Um Huh My Baby
3. Please Your Man
4. Pollution
5. Violent Love

"Fathers And Sons" by MUDDY WATERS. A 1969 2LP Set On Chess Records Given A Stunning 2001 CD Remaster With Bonuses...

“She’s Been Gone Twenty-Four Hours…And That’s Twenty-Three Hours Too Long…”


If you were to pick one release that perfectly blended great blues with rock, then 1969’s “Fathers And Sons” would be that album. And now that 16-track sweet-as-a-nut double album is further supplemented on this 2001 reissue with 4 great bonuses. It’s like being handed a virtual master class in blues-rock – truly blistering stuff.

Here’s a detailed breakdown (77:38 minutes):
CD tracks 1 to 10 (studio recordings) and 15 to 20 (live recordings) make up the “Fathers And Sons” album issued August 1969 on Chess LPS-127 in the USA and issued October 1969 on Chess CRL 4556 in the UK (both 2LP vinyl sets).

CD tracks 11 to 14 are previously unreleased studio tracks (14 being unreleased in the USA on album, it’s Chess 7” single 2085).

The studio tracks (1 to 14) were recorded 21, 22 and 23 April 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, while the live tracks were recorded on 24 April 1969 (with the same band) at the “Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree” also in Chicago, Illinois.

The band for the sessions were:
MUDDY WATERS – Vocals and Guitar
OTIS SPANN – Piano
MIKE BLOOMFIELD – Guitar
PAUL BUTTERFIELD – Harmonica
DONALD “DUCK” DUNN – Bass
SAM LAY – Drums

Guests were:
PHIL UPCHURCH – Bass on “All Aboard” only
JEFF CARP – Chromatic Harmonica on “All Aboard” only
PAUL ASBELL – Rhythm Guitar on “Walking Thru The Park”, “Forty Days & Forty Nights” and “Sugar Sweet” only)
BUDDY MILES – Drums on “Got My Mojo Working, Part Two” only

Digitally remastered by ERICK LABSON of Universal, the sound quality is typically fantastic (he has over 800 mastering credits to his name), the 12-page booklet informative with the contributors pictured and the artwork faithful to the original. Highlights would include a mournful yet fun cover of Eddie Boyd’s “Twenty Four Hours” (lyrics above), the live version of Willie Dixon’s sex song “The Same Thing” and in-your-face rocking of “Blow Wind Blow”. Then there’s the accompaniment – Donald “Duck” Dunn of Booker T & The MG’s providing tight-as-a-nun’s-knickers bass playing, Mike Bloomfield blissed out and licking away on Guitar - while Paul Butterfield and his mean harmonica simply blast their way through the songs like a pair possessed!

This is a great Muddy Waters record – and this cool CD reissue does it proud. Highly recommended.


PS: this title is part of Universal’s “Blues Classics – Remastered & Revisited” Series – I've listed all 10 titles in another Blogger entry