Albert King: The Velvet Voice and Stinging Guitar of Modern Electric Blues
Albert King stands as one of the most towering, uniquely influential, and revered architects of modern electric blues guitar history. Standing over six feet tall and playing a right-handed Gibson Flying V guitar upside-down and left-handed, he conjured a colossal, instantly recognizable sonic identity characterized by massive, multi-step string bends and a deeply expressive vocal delivery. His innovative style effortlessly bridged the structural gap between rural Mississippi traditions and urban Memphis soul. King's pioneering approach to the instrument fundamentally reshaped the landscape of rock and blues music, serving as a primary sonic blueprint for generation-defining guitarists across North America and Europe.
Albert King is one of three blues singers/guitarists, Freddie, B.B., and Albert, with the surname “King.” Of the three, BB King is by far the most famous, but blues purists will often point to Albert as the best of the trio. King was born in Indianola, Mississippi, in 1923 and died in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1993.
King made his first recordings during the early Fifties for the Parrot label, but his career didn’t get started in earnest until the early Sixties with singles for the King label. King recorded for the legendary Chess Records but may have produced his best work, "Born Under a Bad Sign," for the soul label, Stax.
Other fine albums by King include “The Big Blues” (1963), “Live Wire/Blues Power” (1968), “Years Gone By” (1969), and "King of the Blues Guitar" (1969). King appears on the superb compilation, “The Complete Stax/Volt Singles” series, along with the rest of the stellar Stax roster of blues and soul stars.
Technical Catalog Spotlight: Born Under a Bad Sign (1967)
This landmark studio masterpiece stands out as an absolute cornerstone of modern electric blues and cross-genre roots music history. Recorded at the historic Stax Studios in Memphis, the production features the flawless backing of the house rhythm section alongside a sharp, driving horn framework. The album holds massive historical importance for successfully infusing traditional Mississippi Delta narratives with a tight, syncopated Southern soul groove, creating an authoritative reference work that influenced generations of alternative rock pioneers.
- Released: August 1967
- Label: Stax Records
- Producer: Jim Stewart
- Core Personnel: Albert King (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar), Steve Cropper (Rhythm Guitar), Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass), Al Jackson Jr. (Drums), Booker T. Jones (Keyboards), The Memphis Horns
- Key Tracks: Born Under a Bad Sign, Laundromat Blues, Crosscut Saw
Technical Catalog Spotlight: Live Wire/Blues Power (1968)
Widely considered by blues critics to be one of the most cohesive and powerful live long-playing records ever captured, this release perfectly highlights King at the absolute pinnacle of his improvisational powers. Recorded live over several nights at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, the production showcases his incredible ability to command a predominantly rock-oriented mainstream audience. The stinging, overdriven tone of his guitar work and his intimate, conversational stage manner provide a flawless audio time capsule of late-sixties concert energy.
- Released: 1968
- Label: Stax Records
- Producer: Al Jackson Jr.
- Core Personnel: Albert King (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar)
- Key Tracks: Blues Power, Night Stomp, Please Come Back to Me
As a CD and LP affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
