Roy Buchanan

I saw this movie for the first time at sixteen and was immediately captured by the music. Sure, I'd heard Mozart in the past...but never quite so well done! Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields brought the music to life on a level I've yet to hear matched.

The choice of compositions was perfect not only for those appreciating the movie, but also anyone interested in a "Greatest Hits" album. Obviously, this is a subjective assessment. But I do believe that the Amadeus soundtrack provides an excellent starting point for someone who might be new to Mozart and interested in some highlights from his amazing career. Here we have selections ranging from chamber music up to the best symphony orchestra and imperial opera.

In September of last year, I had an opportunity to hear the full Requiem performed in Amsterdam's Westerkerk and I was carried back to the first time I heard the composition in the late 1980s. The version of Requiem on this album is abbreviated, but it does represent the high points of Introitus, Dies Irae, Rex Tremendae Majestatis, Confutatis, and Lacrimosa.

This is an exceptional production all around - from the instruments, to the voices, all the way to the recording itself. Every element contributes to a finished work of sophistication and grace. Highly recommended!

How could anything by Mozart that is recorded by such professionals be anything but beautiful? The selection of music is superb, magnificently performed and recorded.

I was disappointed though, that some of the music is not that used in the film. For example, the "Queen of the Night" Aria was sung by June Anderson according to the film credits, but is not on the CD. The soprano on the CD is lovely but June really was special in the film. Also many of the recording in the film were in English were as they are not on the recording. Good English recordings are difficult to find.

Overall, 5 stars for quality, but loses one star for the lack of "trueness" to the film.

A physicist tried to explain to his class the most complex theory in physics, something called the Unified Field Theory that Einstein passed away before solving, and no one has solved to this date. Wait, said the teacher, I have it! The instructor whipped out a CD of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and played the K 492 - Act 4: Ah Tutti Contenti. In the film Amadeus, this is the piece that F. Murray Abraham, in the character of Salieri, praises as the first kind statement of a husband to a wife in years, which explodes into a musical dialog of reconciliation.

I was thinking about this and Russian dolls when I opened a large box that arrived last week. I was expecting a CD, I thought, so what's inside this huge box? Well, 7/8 of the box was air, literally inside bubble wrap. And then the packaging of the box set itself, and then, cut into a small hole in the box set itself, was a standard size CD jewel case. Granted, the reason for the large packaging was the inclusion of a beautiful vinyl album sized collection of pictures and information from the film and track listing.

But, back to the metaphor on physics, after playing the 3 CDs in the case, I felt that no box on the planet, indeed in the whole universe, would have been big enough to contain this music.

No one can say enough about the performances of St. Martin of the Fields. I was also greatly impressed by the piano performances by all the performers, especially Imogen Cooper's playing of Mozart: Piano Concerto In D Minor, K 466 - 2. Romanza.

Also granted, as others have noted here, some of the Opera performances could have been more fully represented, and there are other renowned recordings, especially of the Operas, that are undeniably better.

But as an almost complete collection, any Mozart lover, indeed any music lover, should not be without this box set, the accompaniment to my favorite film of all time.

In the 1830 Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote his "Mozart and Salieri". It followed one of the (many) rumors around Mozart's early death current in Europe of then. According to it Salieri had poisoned Mozart. It is actually from that moment on that this version became a dominant one for a long lasting period. And this is the only vice of Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri".
Salieri was mostly rehabilitated when Peter Shaffer's play was written, than arrived Forman's movie. Both works by themselves are highly talented and exciting, but just as Pushkin's poem they make a great and unworthy injustice with Salieri, who definitely was not a mediocrity, to put it mildly. The Soundtrack just follows the same path. True, there was not much of Salieri music in "Amadeus", but there surely were more of it than just Axur's finale. As one reviewer has noted here, even this 3 CD's compilation is incomplete, and for me this incompleteness shows itself most boldly because of the aforementioned lack of Salieri's pieces.
So it is Mozart's part of Amadeus rater than the complete movie soundtrack. Regarded as such it is undoubtedly great and awesome. One may suppose when it comes to Mozart, no interpretation can injure the music of this genius. It is unfortunately not the case, and actually there exist some performances that completely robes Mozart' music. Happily this is not applied to Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields approach. I can only point to somehow disappointing Eine kleine Nachtmusik interpretation, as also was pointed by another reviewer previously. It makes an impression of superficiality and over-lightness. Amongst many other much more impressing performances, I Musici's one from their Philips's compilation may be noted.
But the rest of the Mozart's trucks are excellent indeed.
Highly recommended.

Unlike an in depth study of his genius, this is a very well put together sampler of Mozart. Performance and sound quality are both excellent. The non Mozart selections included in the set are also very enjoyable. My only wish is that the 3 disc set were a 10 disc set. Enjoy

I got this album - tape cassette - back in 72ish. I had just bought my first car after landing a lucrative commission and played this over and over until - on the hottest day for 50 years - I left it on the dash and it melted! I had seen Buchanan on The Old Grey Whistle Test and was - as they say - gobsmacked - by his virtuosity.

Time passes... now after a life that went everywhere but where I wanted I am an old guy who can finally indulge himself - in a modest way - so I bought a Telecaster last week and am currently brushing up my limited guitar skills with the aid of Danny Gatton's incredible DVD. Gatton is for my money the better guitarist - in fact the best guitarist I've ever heard. How odd that both these talents came to such sad ends - hope it's nothing you catch off a Tele! Anyway the point of this review... this album has Buchanan's 2 greatest tracks on it and you'd be denying yourself a rare treat if you didn't rush out and buy it while stocks last! (then again - if you're a guitarist do yourself a real favour and get 'Telemaster')

Roy's first major release.
Very beautiful, a national treasure.
The classic singing Fender Telecaster, heart-full tunes.
Great band, very nice recording sound.
I enjoy the rhythm section.....
Five stars.
PF

A friend of mine had a couple of Roy Buchanan's albums but I hardly gave them a second thought. So when I spotted a cassette of this album in a local record stores free bin I took it and now having listened to it I am happily surprise.Roy Buchacan has the great versitility on his guitar that many of the 60's greats such as Hendrix has,but production wise Roy leaves it to the bare bones-so all you can hear is his great tone on his instrument and (for better or worse) his monotone,egoless vocal stylings.Although I often hear Buchanan listed as a blues guitarist this particular recording is very musically diverse-covering rock,pop,country and even zydeco along with his blues influences.The two zydeco rhythm tunes hear "Cajun" and "Haunted House" are two of the best songs hear with their peppy tempo and equally peppy riffing.The album starts off with two lightweight sounding (but only deceptively so) poppish tunes in the gentle "Sweet Dreams" and the cathy "I Am A Lonesome Fugitive",which has a strong country-rock flavor.As far as the blues goes "John's Blues" has the unusual destinction of adding a very Eastern/Arabic sounding modality into Roy's bluesy guitar solos.On "Pete's Blues" Roy brightens up his blues with a lot of tasty melodic surprises and playful "fluttering" riffs that totally transend the rather stereotypcial blues-rock backing. "The Messiah Will Come Again" is and almost gospelish narrative spoken by Roy in almost a whisper and is a very surprising song to have on an album like this.And yes-Roy has thought you you country swing lovers too with a cover of the Hank Williams classic "Hey Good Lookin" and,if you listen closley even that has a little zydeco/cajun rhythm in it too!During an era when Bob Dylan,The Band and others were really going for a way to try to draw the rootsiness from rock n' roll Roy Buchanan really just showed us how many different American roots oriented music's rocked pretty hard on their own.And by giving the album an unadorned but modern production everyone seems to have gotton the point and really enjoy this music.

This is a guitar lovers' and blues lovers' dream...blazing hot, scorching guitar played with drama and emotion. The tone cries, screams, and elates you.

"Sweet Dreams" "John Blues" and "Petes Blue" are killer blues songs. The muscular bends and abrasive single-pickup telecaster tone will rock your skull out.

The highlight of the album is "The Messiah will come again". It starts out as a somber, spiritual song and then, out of nowhere, a lightning fast guitar run transforms the song into a show case of fast playing and acrobatic bends.

Roy Buchanan is an unheralded guitar god and this album is terrific. Get it !

The old 8-track of Roy Buchanan I listened to growing up has a whole new dimension on compact disc.

Roy's solos literally crackle through the speakers. "John's Blues" is amazing. "Pete's Blue" will make the fine hairs on your neck stand on end. The chord progression he uses on "Pete's Blue" is downright amazing. It's the best thing on the album.

Or maybe "Messiah" is the best thing. It's perhaps his best known song. It's an exhibition on how to play the Telecaster; how to squeeze every last decibel of sound out of wood and steel, which he proceeds to do near the end of the song as he dances all the way up the fretboard.

This album would have five stars if not for the largely uninspired vocal tracks. Roy's guitar saves the day, though.

Even if you don't like the blues, you'll love this album. It's Roy Buchanan 101. And it's scary. But a good scary.

"Can we have a warm New York welcome, please, for Mr. Roy Buchanan!"... When I first heard this album, I was 15. And a budding guitar player. I heard it in the backseat of a friends car sitting outside our bands' practice place... and all I remember was my mouth hanging out... stunned. Twenty-five years later, it still sends chills down my spine. Of course, the solo on Roy's Bluz was meant to overwhelm you, to show you all of Roy's chops in a nutshell. But listen to Can I Change My Mind... so smooth, so tasty... Hot Cha... same thing. Over time I have realized that part of the charm of this album is the Hammond B3... always lending the tasty backbone to Roy's licks... One of my top three albums of all time... maybe number one...

Growing up in Northern Virginia where Roy was home-based for many years, it was pretty easy to become a Roy afficionado. I had seen him several times in various clubs and even recreation centers. Roy always prefered the more intimate venues and never really seeked superstardom. But he definitely had the guitar chops for it.

This album (which I purchased on it's release in '74) captures Roy at one of his best performances during his peak. Roy just squeals the tires off his vintage Telecaster here with no fuzz boxes, wah-wah pedals or delay effects, just straight out of a Fender reverb amp. His harmonics are just devastating as usual especially on his masterpiece Roy's Bluz. The backup musicians are, as always, competent but Roy is the real show here.

That's all I really need to say about this album. There have been other subsequent live albums of Roy in action, but this one (to me) is his most definitive showing him at his best.

it's all good and in particular, cuts 4-7 smoke!

I defy you to not play "Can I change my mind?" over and over and over and over and...

although"second album" is my favorite of roys,"live stock" is awsome.if you love eratic,piercing,diving,frantic guitar playing youll love this.roy has many great albums,but id start here or with "second album"if youre not familiar with roys unorthodox playing.he really cant be compared to anyone else.roy had{s} a sound all of his own.listen and be hooked.

You oughta be ashamed if you're a blues guitar fan and don't have this in your collection. Simply put, one of the greatest live blues CDs I've ever heard. Roy's guitar is mesmerizing, with great backing from his band, and the wonderful ooze from the Hammond organ adds great soul and depth. The highlight is Roy's Bluz followed by the R&B flavored Can I Change My Mind & I'm A Ram. A winning trifecta! Hell, it's all good! Good vocals too, even the 2 by Roy himself.

I love to listen to Roy Buchanan. I like all the cd's I've purchased online from amazon. I wouldn't have purchased them if I didn't trust the source.

Roy brings out the spiritual in his blues. It was and is gospel. His guitar is guided by his soulful heart. Songs like the "messiah will come again" let's the listener be witnessed to jesus's glory through blues because as Roy puts it, he went away. Also Roy can raise hell with his "I'm evil" and spit fire when his guitar stirs up the fever with "hey joe". One fine jam. The album has much to write about and more to listen to from a temporary lost soul. The saddest song to listen to but beautiful just the same is "five string blues". His few short lines are "Jesus this is my final plea,i'm still beg-gin you, don't let the devil get the best of me". sad words when we know Roy Buchanan is no more. i believe Jesus sheltered him from the storm... play on dear brother.......

hey joe will blow your mind playing the vocal harmonies on guitar all through the song during his solo is faster then any hardcore death metal guitar player ever. #1 on the list of best guitar players with zappa hendrix srv dwayne allman. Afraid of stardom. arrested for a dwi he hung himself in jail. What a shame r.i.p. with the rest of the rock gods "I dreamed of heaven i saw my baby."

I recently rediscoved Roy Buchanan at the advice of a friend. I owned one of his albums back in the mid seventies, but didn't follow up on him since. Then it happened. I was mesmerized by this collection, which is excellent except for one loser--"C.C. Rider." Besides this plodding, stupid song--in which Roy lacks the freedom to ascend into the telesphere--all the cuts are good and some are superb.

Roy's tone, given his long-time friend, the telecaster (most bluespeople use a stratocaster or a Gibson), has a bit of a country edge, but the playing is more blues than anything. I used to think that Stevie Ray Vaughn was the best ever, but now I'm not sure. Roy had chops Stevie lacked, especially the "chicken pickin" (I think that's the term for it) technique of choking off a note then hitting one fully. He uses this masterfully.

If you are a blues fan and a Christian, try listening to "The Messiah Will Come Again" without getting a bit choaked up. It is a simple plainspoken (not sung) take on the gospel. The "lonely, lonely, little town called the world" rejoiced at he coming of "a Stranger," but some mocked, and he went away. But "I've walked a lot of places that I never should have been, but I know that the Messiah, he will come again." Confession and hope of final redemption come through, even if the Cross is not explicitly mentioned. And what painfully beautiful playing!

No, Roy couldn't really sing--and he shouldn't have been made to try. The singing on "I'm evil" is barely audible and quite a juxtaposition to the powerful, searing playing. Nevertheless, the lyrics (by Roy) are rather amusing, and, in a strange way, telling. The song is in the Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker tradition of "Watch out for me, I'm bad." Roy sings, "I was born standin' up and talkin' back." Weren't we all? That's the problem, isn't it?

Roy's gone. He died mysteriously in a jail cell in 1988 in this "lonely, lonely little town called the world."

But the Messiah will come again.

Doug Groothuis

Unfortunately, not all artists get the same exposure and popularity that equals the level of their talent. Roy Buchanan is one of those on the raw end of such an analysis. Having heard of him by those who compared him to Clapton (and irritatingly claimed that Roy was better) I decided to check out this Buchanan fellow for the sake of curiosity. My first impression of this disc was that it was very cerebral music, with little lyrics and far from the pop sensibilities Clapton brings to his music- making it less accessible. I was resistant to the music at first because it is very complex guitar work. After getting yoused to the disc, I really enjoy Buchanan's work! This remastered best of is actually quite a good album as compiled, I rarely buy such poorly packaged best of's and the only reason I got it is because it was on sale at the record store (for example I would never buy the millennium collection of Cream as opposed to remastered albums or the box set.) The first song is a wonder, an incredible aural experience, worth the price alone. CC Ryder is also a really fun song, and I find myself walking around with the background vocals repeating over and over in my head. "I'm Evil" is as menacing, cool, and bad to the bone as any hardcore wannabe artist who's all flash but no substance, but comes from a real guitarist who can blast you away with the effect of the song and killer guitar. If you like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Clapton, Zeppelin, Hendrix, and other heavy guitar based music, don't miss this. If you've heard of Buchanan and are wondering if you should devote your energy to what he's done, find this disc and add him to your collection, his guitar work is not to be missed!!

I am a great Buchanan's fan. I've got most of his large discography and I really like it a lot. For me Buchanan is one of the best guitarists of the Blues-Rock, perhaps the best. Guitarists as important as Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck among others have asked him for advice.The record 'Guitar on FIRE (The Atlantic Sessions)' is a compilation of the three Atlantic LP' s original 'Loading zone', 'You' re not alone' and 'A street called straight'. But even if I'm amazed by his fantastic rifs and his Bluesy songs I prefer his work for Polydor and Alligátor. There he was labelled first as ' THE BEST UNKNOWN GUITARIST IN THE WORLD' and later 'THE WORLD' S GREATEST GUITARIST'.
In this record there are some very good themes as the original Blues "Ramon's Blues", "Supernova" or "My friend Jeff", dedicated to Jeff Beck. Also covers like Booker T. Jones' s "Green Onions", Joe Walsh' s "Turn to Stone" or Jimi Hendrix' s "If six was nine" among others. But there are other themes that while very well performed are completely alien to the Blues, as "Hidden" or "Adventures of brer rabbit and tar baby", which in my opinion are not as interesting as you can expect. Nevertheless it is a good record and I give it 3,5 stars.

This was the album that first introduce me to Roy's incredible talent. Perhaps it is the sentimental value but it remains, in my opinion, Roy's best. His style is stamped all over these varied pieces - not all are new or original but none could be done with the uplifting blues style like Roy's. If there was any album that could be deamed "Roy Buchanan's Signature" this would be it.

They say that he is the best unknown guitarist.
I think he could be the best wellknown guitarist too!
Booklet is ok.

I first heard Roy Buchanan in a music store in Pittsburgh in 1978,I was hooked from then on!!!!!!!!! This is a good intro to his playing! There are several other CDs that are better, but if you haven't heard him before, this CD will give you are pretty fair overview, although He has a version of Hey Joe that's incredible, and Royz Blues can't be left out either. Roy Buchanan is one of the GREATEST PLAYERS ever! He didn't get the recognition that others have received, but deserved it! Get him, listen to him! Listen to "Judy" one of my personal favorites. He makes his axe scream and whine sending the listener into an audio ecstacy! He was truly an underrated axeman! Ramon blues, adventures of Brer rabbit and tar baby, as well as several other cuts showcase his awesome chops!!! he's just the BOMB!!!!!!!!! If you like guitar, or are looking for "another" guitar player to hear. STOP. BUY THIS CD! IF you like a song that will touch you heart? "Judy", for afterwards, I am sure his telecaster had to go out an "recharge!" Roy Buchanan is gone now, but he lives through is powerful guitar playing. PLEASE, just check out what he has to say!!!!!!!! His life/death was somewhat tragic, when more folks hear him, maybe he'll posthumously get his propers!!!!!

when we talk about the blues there is no one that compares to roy except maybe jimi hendrix. Fly night bird is worth the price of this album alone, it is the greatest blues solo i have ever heard in my life, and one that will grab your soul, stretch it, give u goose bumps, make u cry, and feel the mans pain,wow blew my mind, i nearly fell back off my chair when i first heard this shiznit....RIP ROY the greatest blues man to ever have lived *uck bb king, roy is the master while the others are commercial frauds

This is an amazing album. Mostly instrumental, but a little bit of singing. Roy is absolutely amazing on the guitar. I found myself picturing him playing and watching his fingers. The music truly takes you away - and that's a good thing. I discovered him purely accidentally. There was one of his pieces on a sampling cd my daughter's boyfriend had given her. He, the boyfriend, is a musician. And let me tell you they know (or at least he does) good music. I think Roy Buchanan has moved me in a direction toward music I didn't know was out there.

The material here has a special feel and shows Buchanan's exceptional guitar playing skills but you won't find much diversity on the CD. To those of you not familiar with Buchanan's music the CD may sound a little too boring. Check out Hey Joe and decide whether it is Hendrix or Buchanan that you find more interesting. However, if you know the man you should already have most of these songs in your record collection.

This is a fantastic intro to Roy Buchanan. It is difficult to decide which is the best Roy Buchanan CD but this one would have to rank high on the list.

Roy's style is unique, technical, mind-boggling, unbelievable. The sounds he created were almost all his inventions later to be mimiced by a new generation of guitarists. His music runs the gamut - country blues, smooth jazz, raging rock. This collection is a great place to start and keep coming back to.

Roy Buchanan showed up on my "rock radar" in the 1970s. Living in L.A., I occasionally heard some of his songs on late night FM "progressive rock" stations and was mildly interested. His talent with the Fender telecaster guitar was hard to ignore, but by the 1980s, histrionic and careening guitar solos had already become a subject of parody in rock journalism and SNL comedy sketches. (Today they persist as self-parody in various air guitar events.) As rock continued to morph, the better songwriters, musicians and bands came to use the lead guitar more economically, integrating it with the rhythm and bass guitars, drums and the vocals - proving the old adage that less is more. In the best ensembles following the thankful twilight (and sunset) of the "guitar gods," the judicious use of keyboards, harmonicas, along with the seasoning of acoustic guitars and brass enriched and nuanced rock and roll.

The best example of a huge guitar talent "knowing his place" is the career of Ry Cooder. He astutely assembles some of the best instrumentalists and integrates his guitar work with their instruments. Think of John Hiatt's BRING THE FAMILY, recorded in the same year as Buchanan's suicide. It is a record that - thanks to its use of Cooder's guitar and his band - has a great range of snappy instrumental work and musical styles. BTF succeeds in lifting Hiatt's songwriting and vocals to a new level and it is arguably his best recording. By the way, Cooder draws from a broad spectrum of musical traditions, respects them and masters them.

By contrast the selections in this 2 CD set of the late Buchanan's career show him up as a monomaniacal bombast - a singular instrumentalist who turns his guitar work into pyrotechnical displays at the expense of everything else in his music. The band mostly seems along for the ride, providing filler for one intense telecaster solo after another, as the straining fretwork grows evermore tedious. Nearly all Buchanan's songs are covers of other musician's work, and this is the terrain of the bar/club band, cannibalizing the mainstream hits of commercially successful rockers for the consumers of Bud "longnecks." Buchanan strikes me as a bar band guitarist who metastasized into a talent that finally had no place to go.

Were Buchanan's monster guitar solos a compensation for his inadequate vocals? Perhaps, and his thin, high vocals sink his songs every time. Troubling, too, is the overworked version of "Hey Joe" here that takes on a surly misogynist edge that gave me the creeps - as if the murderous content needed any further menace from the singer. Was there a Mrs. Buchanan to wonder about her husband's approach to this song?

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a musician by their fans - especially those who REMAIN Buchanan fans. Terms like arrested development and perpetual adolescence come to mind. But I suppose someone has to keep the flame at a guitar god's shrine. For me, I'm a convinced "atheist" - unless a lost recording of a DIFFERENT Buchanan turns up to prove me wrong.

If you haven't heard of Roy Buchanan, you will be glad you did. This is the one album to get. In my top 10 of all time for sure.

I only saw Roy Buchanan once, during the mid 80s,I stood five feet from him and I was absolutely Gobsmacked!! Now, here's a man who produced a gumbo of country, blues, rock & roll, jazz, whatever, into a wholly original creation of the most sublime, intense, technically challenging electric guitar music in history. He was a true original, growing up in hillbilly America, backing the likes of Dale Hawkins (that's him on "My Babe"), he was the classic journeyman. Apparently, later, Ronnie Hawkins (Dale's cousin)asked Roy to briefly join the Hawks to teach newbe "Robbie Robertson" some guitar tricks. On their first session, apparently Roy gave Robbie a look which said "You wanna dance?! Then, let's dance!". As he tuned up, Roy went through a whole symphony of sounds, squeals, harmonics, glissando runs, pulverizing the younger guitarist! Roy Buchanan was a legend. His renditions of Don Gibson's "Sweet Dreams" or Neil Young's "Down By The River" place him at the very pinacle of electric guitar greats! it is criminal that this genius of the guitar never got his due! However, ask any tele player worth his salt and, dollars to donuts, Roy Buchanan (along with Danny Gatton) will be at the very top of their list of heroes. As proof, check out the Hellecaster's wonderful tribute to him (their version of Sweet Dreams from their first album). This box includes a firm introduction to Roy Buchanan and his formidable talent. Reader be warned. After hearing this set, you WILL be compelled to go out and buy the remainder of his catalogue. We will NEVER see the likes of him again. So...all you guitar players out there, tune up your teles and BOW DOWN BEFORE A MASTER!!

Roy Buchanan was an exceptionally powerful instrumentalist whose blues-based playing was a nice contrast to his exceptionally untraditional use of a Telecaster. Roy loved to manipulate the volume and tone pots of his Tele to get unearthly volume swells and wah-wah like effects that could make his guitar sound like a violin or a woman screaming. Anyone listening to this collection will notice similarities between Roy's playing and that of Jeff Beck and Dave Gilmour, both of whom were huge fans of Roy's and freely admitted his influence over their styles.

Unfortunately, like many gifted guitar heroes, Roy's studio output was erratic. Most of the first CD, which features Roy's beautiful version of "Sweet Dreams" along with some fine blues covers, is some of the best instrumental music ever recorded. Sadly, Roy also had an absolutely terrible singing voice and either he or his producers insisted on recording vocal tracks. "The Messiah Will Come Again" works because Roy only delivers a spoken intro, but other songs are seriously marred by his flat, deadpan delivery. The second CD is even worse, this time including an overlong jam around "Green Onions".

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of Roy's and his best material is some of my favorite music. As an anthology, however, I'd prefer that he were remembered for his very best music and not some of his most uneven. This could have been edited down to a very good single disc. Instead, we're left with a two-disc set that you'll end up skipping through huge sections out of necessity.

And what a beautiful house it was (sad he didn't get to live in it AFTER it was seriously recognized). I saw him once in a very small venue in St. Louis in the mid-80's (I was 10 feet away), not too long before he died from an alleged suicide. He did seem sad in a way and a bit spaced dealing with the crowd energy, but his brilliant soulfull playing knocked me out that night. He shot right up to the top of my favorite guitar players list for a long while after that, and I have seen many a concert (I often cranked up my guitar to the few albums of his I have). I got this when it came out to have some cd's of his material and because it is a pretty good overview from what I can tell. I am still not completely familiar with his whole catalogue of material, but he really shows incredible diversity on these songs. Recently I took the time to play guitar with the whole deal straight through and at the end I was very satisfied that this guitar man should be played more often (I listen to so much music that it is hard to keep up with everything). Some of the songs are more straight forward, but many of them are worked up to a psychedelic frenzy that even Hendrix or Beck would take notice. There are moments (long ones)of sheer brilliance interspersed through many songs, esp. disk 2 (his later albums are the more intense guitar oriented ones I believe). I didn't take exact notes as to what exact section twisted my noodle, but there were many. There are some songs missing I love from other albums, but there are plenty of others to make up for it! Anyone who loves smokin' guitar (or just great songs played well) will find this or others of his to be well worth owning - trust me! Green Onions never tasted so good!

Recorded at least partly at a Denver nightclub that no longer exists called Ebbets Field in 1974, Roy felt more at ease playing to small crowds which he could interact with and feel a part of. You can really feel the fun and the joy he was feeling by listening to him play on this cd. He was probably at his peak of "popularity" at around this time and the kinetic energy between audience and performer is apparent, driven by a spirited, rousing performance by Roy and his band. However, I have to dock it a point for sound quality. The constant buzzing from an amplifier throughout the recording, especially during the quieter moments, mars an otherwise brilliant recording of a sterling performance by the Telecaster Master. With that in mind, I'd have to recommend "Live Stock" over this which was recorded around the same time, although I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying this as the sound is clear - if you can ignore the amp buzz and just enjoy it for RB's guitar work (like I have)then there should be no problem.
On the other hand, you get more bang for your buck with "American Axe: Live in 1974" (as opposed to "Live Stock") as this is much longer and includes the Buchanan staples "The Messiah" & "Sweet Dreams" that are not on "Live Stock". The highlights here for me are the incendiary "Roy's Blues" (sounds almost entirely different from the "Live Stock" version), the moody "Hey Joe" (Roy's deadpan southern drawl on this is effectively menacing), the r&b cover "Get Out of My Life Woman", a stirring performance of "The Messiah" and the closer "Sweet Dreams" played as sweetly & melliflously as he ever could, as the great one quietly took his exit and left the crowd stunned and begging for more.
The band here is the same as on "Live Stock" and provide perfect support for RB, in particular Malcolm Lukens on the Hammond B3 who provides the perfect enhancement to the master's soulful performance. Unfortunately, Billy Price is not on hand for lead vocals, so the band members trade off with uneven results. So even though the sound quality is not comparable to "Live Stock" I would recommend this for the performance alone, especially to Roy Buchanan fans. I'd also recommend the Roy Buchanan biography "American Axe" written by Phil Carson. It is a brilliant piece of work.

It is really impressive to listen to this wonderful 'American Axe-Live in 1974', by Roy Buchanan, one of the best Blues-Rock guitarists of all times (in my opinion the best). All themes are five stars high, the stunning versions of the self penned "Roy' s Bluz", the traditional "C.C. Rider", "Done your daddy dirty" and Billy Roberts' s "Hey Joe" deserve special attention and they alone are worth the price you have paid for the record.
I have only a single complaint and this is that a few tunes sound as if they were recorded with a hand held recorder from the third row, which is not fit for a record of this quality. Buchanan's 'LIVE STOCK' recorded live about the same time period has a much better sound.
All in all this is a fantastic record of this so personal BUCHANAN's kind of Blues, that could be characterized as a hybrid of the most innovative styles of the years 1970' s and 1980's, and displays amazing harmonic rhythms and solos with plenty of feeling. I recommend it highly not only for blues lovers but also to anyone who loves good music in general. I give it 4 stars and not 5 because of the sound.

During the brief time spent on this planet, Roy Buchanan played to a small cult of diehard blues fans and serious guitar students.
That was it.
Everyday day now, more and more people are "discovering" Roy and wishing they could have been there.

The first song really rocks,its the best on the cd and there are three other songs that are heavy rockers too.
However, the only problem I have with the cd is that a few tunes sound like they were taped from a hand held recorder in the third row.
Almost like it was a bootleg tape.
Other then that small problem it's a cd I've played again and again.
After all, Buchanan is one of the top ten best guitar players ever!!!!!

If you had to make up a list of the top 5 most technically brilliant and influential guitarist in the world of rock music, it would be a very hard job and one that would be open to a mountain of debate . But if pushed in no particular order I would come up with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Roy Buchanan. If you were just going for influence then a few more names would have to come into the frame ,Robert Johnson,Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page,even the likes of Toni Iommi and all would come in. For just plain technique some of the new guys would have a say Satriani, Vai or Stevie Ray Vaughn would have a shout, and more than a handful of votes. But to combine the two I would have to stick to my original five. Now three of those might be up to negotiation,but not Jimi or Roy.
We all know Jimi Hendrix , the man was a genius, no question there,changed the way people played the six string, what a showman too, setting fire to his guitar, playing with his teeth etc.He wrote songs that will remain classics until we blow up this little planet of ours. Jimi Hendrix was the male sex symbol of his time to boot, liked by all who met him. The man had everything except for enough real friends to keep him alive. If a star ever burnt brighter as it raced across the sky before crashing to earth ,the earth would not have stood it.
If Roy Buchanan stood at those crossroads with the devil to make a deal , he did not make as good a deal as Jimi did. Oh sure he could play guitar ,by the time he was twelve there was nobody that could touch him. But he certainly never got the looks, stage charisma, writing ability, or the ability to get along with people. If you were a friend of Roy Buchanan you had a loyal friend but if you crossed the man, real or imagined you were written out of the book. Throughout his career he had a reputation as being difficult to get along with ,how much of this was deserved is up to conjecture, but certainly his relationship with Jack Daniels ,does not seemed to have helped matters.Roy Buchanan was found dead in a police cell in his hometown of Reston Virginia, he had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly,and later found dead, the circumstances were considered very suspicious, but like a lot of things will remain a mystery.
But at the end of the day it is the music that counts ,and when Roy Buchanan picked up a guitar he could make it dance ,sing, or anything.'American Axe' is a fine example of Roy Buchanan live on stage . Backed by friends who were also all superb musicians ( He could not have been all bad) .These recordings are all gems and give you a fair idea of what the man must of been like in concert. The show opens up with the MC introducing Roy Buchanan as the best guitarist to have stepped the boards, and Roy gets up there to prove the guy right.
The band stretch out on opening song 'Too Many Drivers' in similar style to the way the Rolling Stones would open with ' Jumpin' Jack Flash' just loosening up the band , the rhythm section slips into its groove , and Malcolm Lukens even gets to put in a short solo just to get his fingers going ,before the governor comes in with the first of many guitar breaks that lift the roof off the place. A good place to start , preparing you for what is to come .
Next up is Roy Buchanan's own 'Roy's Bluz' a walkin',talkin' blues , allowing Roy to rap about how he feels , before hitting out at the audience with some sparkling stun guitar .At nearly nine minutes long Roy Buchanan has plenty of time to tell you what he thinks , and to stun the audience with his guitar, and when he calls out " When I get to hell" with such certainty, the guitar licks that follow it send shivers up and down your arms.' Get Out Of My Life, Woman' is the band giving the blues groove a seventies feel, the only song on the album that is to be more dominated by the keyboards than the guitar, the problem with this band was that they did not have a really talented vocalist amongst them all. As well as the keyboards Malcolm Lukens gets his turn to sing on this number , and while it is not a bad job, you really paid your money to hear Roy Buchanan play guitar.
'C.C. Rider' is then trundled out for a ten minute workout , where we the paying audience start to get what we paid for Roy Buchanan playing guitar, and although the inclusion of so many covers does show up the weakness in Roy Buchanan's song writing abilities , the old chestnut is turned on its head and the guitarist devours it , taking it from a slow blues to a rip roarin' climax.To bring the emotion level down , but the tempo up we are then treated to quick romp through Dave Bartholomew's 'I Hear You Knockin' . Then it is back to the serious business with ' The Messiah Will Come Again' which is begun by a sombre Roy Buchanan with a spoken introduction,before playing some of the most dramatic guitar on the album, making every note count showing it is not what you play but ,how you play it, a fine centrepiece to the album. On 'Done Your Daddy Dirty' Roy Buchanan turns the tables by reverting to the old adage if you have got it flaunt it , just ripping up the rule book, and shredding his guitar strings for seven solid minutes, by which time the band have given up any hope of keeping up with him, and you feel they would rather just sit back and applaud. This is what Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin wanted to sound like.
How could Roy Buchanan possibly mess this up by next playing 'Hey Joe'? Well he does , the guitar playing as you would expect is straight out of the top drawer and a fine example to any budding young guitarist. But the vocals are appalling, weak at best, with Roy Buchanan sounding as if he was standing six feet from the microphone. When Jimi Hendrix did Billy Roberts song he sounds as though he means every word of the lyrics, you knew that Jimi was going to shoot his old lady down, here it sounds if the lyrics are being read from a book . The guitar playing is outstanding though, with a nice touch at the end when the band break into a refrain of 'Foxy Lady' to bring the song to a rockin' end with a nice nod to his fallen comrade.
Perhaps wisely bass player John Harrison then gets his turn at the vocals , as the band thunder through 'Johnny B. Goode' . No complaints here for this , and it is interesting to notice the different way that Buchanan and Hendrix, handled covering these two songs , both differently, but also brilliantly,hard to say who comes out on top in the guitar playing stakes. By now the band are really enjoying themselves and have a party playing ' Further On Up The Road' with Byrd Foster huffing and puffing behind his drum kit as he handles the vocal duties.
To close the show Roy Buchanan dismantles and then puts back together Don Gibson's 'Sweet Dreams', when people say they heard a guitar sing this is the sort of thing they were talking about.A stunning way to bring the show to it's conclusion.Later Mick Ronson would play his own version of this as the centrepiece to his solo spot whilst touring with Ian Hunter.
If anyone disagrees with my assessment of the worlds most influential and technical top 5 guitarists have a listen to 'American Axe ' and it may well change your mind.
Mott the Dog.

I first heard this album in 78... fell in love with it instantly. Time passed and I forgot about it. Stumbled across it last week on Amazon and ordered it. I can't imagine how I could have forgotten about it. He's truly one of the rare guitar Gods you hear of. Picking out a personal fav on the cd is tough.. they're all unbelievable. But, I'd have to pick '1841 Shuffle'. If you don't find your whole body moving during the song, you have no soul.

This is Roy Buchanan at his most experimental and dangerous. After this album, he recorded three (quite good) straight blues albums. This one must've worn him thin. The opening track, MILES FROM EARTH (Roy doesn't feature here) sets the mood: a vast soundscape is formed as the mesmeric piano plays and the space-like synthesizers fade in and out. Anything is possible now. The next song, from the opening whip, will flatten you - TURN TO STONE. Roy hasn't rocked this hard since HEY JOE. The Joe Walsh cover then drops into a jazzy cruise before picking up where it left off with 2 mins to go. The next track, FLY NIGHT BIRD, will give you 2 minutes to breathe before the bird takes flight. Then we are given a moody blues song that betters with every listen. Though not my personal favourite, there are some amazing periods in this when Buchanan makes his guitar imitate the hovering, soaring and screeching of seagulls - again, with a backdrop that seems set in space.The next tracks, 1841 SHUFFLE and SUPERNOVA are fairly standard blues riffs that struggle to materialise because Roy's Telecaster is having a well-earned rest. DOWN BY THE RIVER however is brilliant stuff. (If you want the best RIVER experience, listen to the original by Neil Young, then this, then the live version on the SWEET DREAMS compilation)

Then the title song. Through the slow drums and bass buildup, the synthetic cries and the atmosperic keyboards, we board the ship into space. Our captain Roy Buchanan then signals liftoff with a flick of the wrist and we soar. In the unknown we discover Roy's world - his final frontier. And with 3 mins remaining, keyboards drop the platform and ring out the message that Roy Buchanan believes and we come to believe through him - that we aren't alone. When we drift through this new world with Roy's indefatigable fretwork leading the way... THE END.

I first was exposed to this recording when in 1988 my father gave it me as he purchased it thinking it was more Al Dimeola in style not rock (apologies if misspelt) I had no idea what to expect but was instantly hooked by the superb atmosphere created by the outstanding support muscians and synth backgound with his raw searing emotion packed rythym and lead playing - to this day I wwould consider this recording among the best Ive ever heard

"You're Not Alone" was Roy Buchanan's 3rd album of his Atlantic trilogy ("A Street Called Straight" the 1st and "Loading Zone" the 2nd) and his 1st endeavor recording using a Gibson Les Paul instead of his signature wood grain Fender Telecaster. The results were phenomenal. Roy's Tele-twang transforms into a spacey soaring tone best decribed as flying, thus the airborne themes on 4 of the 7 tracks. Also using synthesizers here more extensively than on previous outings makes this album by far Roy's most unique album ever. Along with fabulous session musicians considered some of the best are backing Roy on this one including Willie Weeks on bass and Andy Newmark on drums, who have appeared on many other successful albums. The great Luther Vandross also makes an early career appearance on backing vocals.
Highlights include Joe Walsh's (Barnstorm's) "Turn To Stone" lending itself to be ripped to shreds by Roy in one of his most hard rocking cuts ever.
"1841 Shuffle" was a reflection of the struggles Roy received from the Atlantic Records 1841 Broadway address bigwigs.
Neil Young's "Down By The River" had long been part of Roy's live act but is forever caught here in studio as a totally new and distinct expression unto itself. While playing off the fret board, Roy quite possibly hits his highest notes ever. Absolutely eardrum piercing.
The final track "You're Not Alone" is the ultimate proof of Roy's genius.
I would recommend all 3 albums of the Atlantic trilogy, but "You're Not Alone" is the finest of the 3 and may be the best of all Roy Buchanan albums depending on your particular taste. It is my favorite for blasting in the car turned up to 11 on a hot summer day.

This is an excellent album from the late Roy Buchannan. I don't know all his recordings but so far consider this album his best. I came across two very different of his songs by accident: "Fly... Night Bird" (from Carl Sagan's Cosmos) and "The Messiah Will Come Again".
That got me interested enough to sample and get a couple of his collections "American Axe: Live in 1974" & "Deluxe Edition".
I was a bit dissapointed... while he is a superb virtuoso I couldn't fully appreciate those CDs as I thought.

"You are not alone" surpassed all my expectations. In this CD his playing reminds me of shared styles from David Gilmur (Marooned) , Clapton (Double Trouble), Jeff Beck (Cause we've ended as lovers...) and even Hendrix (All along the watchtower). If that rings a bell, you won't be wrong with this CD.

ROY BUCHANAN has been described as `The greatest unknown guitarist in the world'. He never had the deserved recognition until he passed away. It is very difficult to make up a list of the top guitarist in the world of Blues and rock music but for me Roy is one of the best guitarist in the world together with a selected list of luminaries like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Ronnie Earl, Magic Sam, Magic Slim, Elvin Bishop, Tinsley Ellis, Dave Specter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Otis Rush or Duke Robillard among others, I also think is good to know than Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck ask Roy that he explained something to them about his accuracy technic.
`LIVE IN JAPAN' is another of his great records, It is worth to listen every bit of his soul more and more he is hitting his guitar, all the songs recorded in there are very good although I have a little complaint, I prefer That's what I'am here for's `Hey Joe' cover than Live In Japan's cover so I give it 4,5 stars and not 5 but I recommend it highly.

A concert within a concert, this cd has the best in which Roy himself has dubbed his finest. I agree. Roy went to extra lengths and finely tuned the songs, this cd will make you an instant fan. The only downfall is the songs in which you do not hear. The concert itself was much longer that the cd.

I said it in my other Roy Buchanan reviews and I'll say it again, Nobody before or since has played electric guitar with more power than Roy. By "power" I don't mean volume or distortion,etc., I mean emotional weight. In the world of classic Black gospel groups of the 1940's and 50's (Soul Stirrers, Pilgrim Travelers) this kind of musical-emotional intensity is called "house-wrecking" and "pew-burning". Roy Buchanan definitely knew how to wreck the house like no one else. As many reviewers have pointed out, he used nothing more than an old Telecaster straight into his Fender amp. But most importantly he used his awe-inspiring technique to pour his soul into every note. Just as on his other live recordings, on this night in Japan, he scorched the place.

I was wondering if this would ever be released on cd. "Live In Japan" was released by Polydor only in Japan in 1978. "Live In Japan" documents Buchanan's tour of Japan in 1977 and was his gift to his Japanese fans. This disk was supposed to be Roy's favorite among all of his releases. Buchanan's live disks tend to be much more explosive than his studio albums. The standout cut is a great live rendition of "Hey Joe" with "Foxy Lady" as a coda. The disk begins with an excellent cover of Booker T. & the MGs instrumental "Soul Dressing". The disk also includes the upbeat "Sweet Honey Dew" a cover of Larry Williams' "Slow Down" and an inspired version of "My Baby Says She's Gonna Leave Me". "Sweet Dreams" one of Roy's personal favorites is also included. Roy's playing shines throughout and if you are a fan this release along with the new "American Axe" another live set from 1974 are essential. My only regret is that the disk is only about 46 minutes long. A number of other songs were played during Roy's tour of Japan including a smokin' cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love". Maybe at some point this will be released stateside in an expanded edition with some of the outtakes from this tour! Until then enjoy the master of the Telecaster!

This was recorded during a tour of Japan in the late 70s. Roy stated that of all the albums he released this was his favorite-many of the others he refused to acknowledge. Listening to this CD helps the listener understand why Roy thought so highly of this album- Roy was on that night and the band was tight. My only complaint is that the whole show isn't available. This is the editted show, some 46 minutes of the two hour event. Still if your a fan of this amazing guitar player you owe it to youreself to pick this CD up along with American Axe to hear this guy make that guitar cry!