B.B. King - Blues Kingpins

There has been a plethora of B.b. King compilations since the beginning of the new millennium, most of them not worth the plastic they are made of, but there have been some fine ones, too, such as the Ace four-CD box called The Vintage Years or their complete Modern Recordings set. In the States, the pickings are somewhat slimmer, but this little item adds immeasurably to the King discography. Issued as part of the Blues Kingpins series, this 18-track collection focuses on King's recording career between the years 1952, when he scored his first monster smash, "Three O'Clock Blues," and 1962 with another jukebox burner, "Rock Me Baby." These collections are, for the price, simply the finest money can buy in that they include tracks that may have been overlooked but are at least as necessary to an artist's oeuvre as her or his hits. Read More