'The Best of Little Walter', released in 1957 on The Chess label, is a compilation of twelve songs. Ten of these songs achieved the Top 10 position on the Billboard R&B charts between 1952 and 1955. This is the only LP released during Little Walter's lifetime. The Best of Little Walter is arguably, one of the most influential blues harmonica albums ever released.
Normally, I'm a not big fan of "best of" or "greatest hits" albums. There are however exceptions, and this album is one of them.
Walter revolutionized the harmonica by plugging it into a microphone and pushing it through an amp, creating a dirty, distorted tone that forever changed the sound of blues. This compilation features some of "Little" Walter Jacobs' most iconic sides, including "Juke" (the only harmonica instrumental to ever reach the top of the Billboard R&B chart), "My Babe", "Blues With a Feeling", "Off the Wall", and more. These tracks not only set the standard but also became the benchmark for electric blues harp, influencing countless musicians.
Today's freeload, is a 24bit/192kHz vinyl rip of the reissue from the Acoustic Sounds label, released on February 20, 2026. The audio on this is sublime, it was mastered by Matt Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original Chess tapes. This reissue smokes.
Sly & The Family Stone's Greatest Hits. Growing up in NO, it seems like everyone owned this lp and it was played everywhere. Was a rite of summertime to have this playing at outdoor parties. Missing some of his then more recent tracks, but not a dud anywhere on the album.
ReplyDeleteI usually compile my own best of's that I call anthologies, but I've bought my share of 'em. I think Best of Dave Brubeck was one of my first, & I agree with pmac about Sly & the Family Stone's.
ReplyDeleteSeveral that are in frequent rotation, in no particular order:
ReplyDeleteHot Rocks - Rolling Stones
At The End Of A Century - Stevie Wonder
Greatest Hits - Sly & The Family Stone
Legend - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Time Is Tight - Booker T. & The M.G.'s
Thanks Babs
Rolling Stones - Made In The Shade
ReplyDeleteBeatles - A Collection Of Beatles Oldies & Hey Jude
Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits, Vol.1, Vol.2 & Vol.3
Many thanks vor all yout work, time and effort.
Kind regards, Mike
Muddy Waters
ReplyDeleteHowin' Wolf
Elvis Presley Golden Records V1 - V21
Jimi Hendrix – Blues
ReplyDeleteSam Cooke – The Best of Sam Cooke
Al Green - Greatest Hits
Billie Holiday – The Essential Brunswick Recordings
VA - Atlantic Records' Blues Originals Vols 1-6
VA - Atlantic Records' Southern Folk Heritage Series
Does Your House Have Lions: The Anthology - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Charlie Parker - Savoy and Dial sessions
…and virtually everything put out on Mosaic
ANON RF: Although I listen to much much jazz, I find Best Of's generally inadequate (barring anything Charlie Parker)
ReplyDelete[Assuming box sets are not eligible:] Stones Flowers; Beatles Blue & Red expanded; Eric Clapton Blues; Jimi Hendrix Blues (thx apauling); Kinks Kronikles (paired with Great Lost?); Sly & FS Anthology; Best Of Bowie (2 CD version); The Who Odds And Sods expanded (1998); Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady; Beach Boys Endless Summer; could go on and on but won't (cue polite applause)...
"Muddy Waters Greatest Hits" reissued in the 70s as "Sail On".
ReplyDelete"Hot Rocks" and "More Hot Rocks"
"Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol.2"
"The Best Of Otis Redding"
"Greatest Hits: The Best of Al Green" 42 tracks!
"Anniversary: 10 Years of Hits" (George Jones)...
I forgot to say thanks for today's sonic upgrade. Little Walter's Chess reissues of the '70s, especially those pressed during the oil crises, were pretty shitty. Chess's best -of collections issued on Muddy, Wolf, Sonny Boy II, and JB Lenoir are no better.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love the classic Motown records of the 1960s, there’s a lot of "filler" on those records. So I go for greatest hits by The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops etc.
ReplyDeleteMeaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy
ReplyDeleteEndless Summer
Hot Rocks
the records or the titles, Don Farq?
DeleteBoth! You have to respect the confidence of Greatest Hits packages with original titles, and these are perfect. Hot Rocks is, of course, almost identical to High Tide and Green Grass, an even better title.
DeleteBack in the day greatest hits albums were often the quickest way to find out about a badn so I would buy them often
ReplyDeleteRolling Stones - High Tide & Green Grass
Who - Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy
Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Kinks - Well Respected Kinks
Kinks - Sunny Afternoon
Beatles Red And Blue Albums
Gene Vincent - Greatest
Moody Blues - A Dream (dbl)
Zombies - She's Not There (dbl)
Supremes - Greatest Hits I & II
Stevie Wonder - Greatest Hits
Temptations Geatest Hits I & II
Four Tops - Greatest Hits
Small Faces - Rock Roots
Small Faces - Big Hits
Chris Farlowe - Greatest Hits
The Most Of The Animals
Sand in the Vaseline!
ReplyDeleteJD Substance
ReplyDeleteBuddy Holly Onvergetelijke hits
Eddie Cochran/Gene Vincent
Pink Floyd - Relics
Beatles Red/Blue
any Otis compilation
The All-time Greatest Hits Of Roy Orbison
40 greatest hits Hank
Link
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/nuhwB2eHNhF
Hot Rocks, Sly & the Fam, Skeletons From the Closet
ReplyDeleteBuzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
ReplyDeleteKinks - The Kink Kronickles
Chuck Berry - Golden Decade
Beatles - Hey Jude
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (the first one). It hooked me for life.
ReplyDelete