Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. You Don't Have to Go
2. High and Lonesome
3. Boogie in the Dark
4. You Upset My Mind
5. I Ain't Got You
6. Come on Baby
7. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
8. My First Plea
9. You Got Me Dizzy
10. Little Rain
11. Sun Is Shining
12. Honest I Do
13. Ends and Odds
14. You're Something Else
15. Down in Virginia
16. I'm Gonna Get My Baby
17. Going to New York
18. Take Out Some Insurance

Disc 2:

1. Baby, What You Want Me to Do
2. Hush Hush
3. Found Love
4. Big Boss Man
5. Close Together
6. I'm a Love You
7. Bright Lights, Big City
8. Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth
9. Down in Mississippi
10. Let's Get Together
11. Oh John
12. Ain't No Big Deal
13. Help Yourself
14. Left Handed Woman
15. I'm Going Upside Your Head
16. Devil's Shoestring, Pt. 2
17. I'm the Man Down There
18. When Girls Do It

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47302 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-15
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Album Description
36 of the late great blues guitarist/ vocalist's finest recordings for the Vee-Jay label, including 'Bright Lights, Big City', 'High And Lonesome' and 'Ain't That Lovin' You Baby'. Double slimline jewel case. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews

A Significant Man of the Blues--How Did He Manage?
When white folks used to say that they couldn't understand the words of a blues song, they might well have been talking about Mathis James Reed born in the 1920s in Mississippi. Also Jimmy Reed did not have nearly the musical ability on the tools of the trade, guitar and harmonica, that his contemporaries had. And he suffered from epilepsy but was such an unabashed drunk that his malady was not diagnosed for years as he seemed just to have the predictable "DTs"(delirium tremens) from his excessive use of alcohol. It's said that his friend and collaborator Eddie "Playboy" Taylor used to nudge him when it was time for him to sing or to play his blues harp. Reed's own wife ("Mama Reed") can be heard singing along with him on some recordings as he would often forget the words. So how did he put a dozen or more songs on the Top 100 (more than any of the other arguably more talented bluesmen of the time?) Simple beats, easy-to-remember words and it was clearly the heartfelt blues. His "Big Boss Man" is a classic and was appropriated successfully by Charlie Rich to the point it was almost Rich's theme song. "Bright Lights, Big City" was another heartfelt tune. Elvis Presley recorded Jimmy's "Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" as well as others. More good ones by JR include "Baby, What You Want Me to Do?" and "Take Out Some Insurance". They are all included in this package. Pay the fair price for those named tunes and the rest is gravy, a kind of "easy listening" blues. You won't think it's anybody but Jimmy Reed. "Mama Reed" was still with him when he died in 1976 in his early 50s. This is his legacy.

Caution: Mistake
I got this CD specifically for the song "I'm Going Upside Your Head", which is listed as track #15 on CD 2. This song by Jimmy Reed is hard to find except on multi-disc boxes, which are generally more JR than anyone needs, since JR's sound and songs really do become quite repetitive from one track to another. Only problem is that track #15 on CD 2 is NOT "I'm Going Upside Your Head" -- it's something else, not very good. A major disappointment! The rest of the 2 CDs are as listed, and do include most of JR's best known numbers. So if you don't particularly mind not having "I'm Going Upside Your Head", this collection is really pretty good (4 stars). Again, if you don't mind not having the song mentioned here, the single disc collection on Rhino ("Blues Masters: The Very Best of Jimmy Reed") is really your best bet (5 stars).

Boss Man: Best of Jimmy Reed
I had tried for years to find a Jimmy Reed CD. He was one of my favorite blues artists in the 50's. My favorite was "Ain't That Lovin You Baby" which is on this album along with many other great songs.

I have just about worn it out already.