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This single disc neatly collects everything of importance that Chicago blues belter Koko Taylor released through Chess and its subsidiary Checker label, presenting a thoroughly enjoyable, collection as historically important for Taylor's sizzling performances as it is for Willie Dixon's sublime compositions and sympathetic production. Those who know these formative years from Taylor's immortal "Wang Dang Doodle" will thrill to realize that the classic isn't even the best entry here. It's a toss-up as to which others challenge it, but "What Came First the Egg or the Hen," with Dixon joining in on vocals, is in the running, as is the absolutely chilling "Insane Asylum," where Dixon interestingly kicks off the song before Taylor appears over a minute later. The producer/bassist/songwriter/singer pens all but one of the 18 songs. Of those, Taylor takes sole songwriting credit on 1964's "What Kind of Man is That?" and covers J.B. Lenoir's "Good Advice." The latter is an unusually pop-oriented moment that she still roughs up with her usual dynamic vocal attack. Taylor tackles politically charged territory in "Bill, Bills and More Bills," one of the few times that the material leans in that direction. While her later Alligator years might have exposed her talents to the world and helped crown her Queen of the Blues, this is where it all started. It shows how Taylor developed, with assistance from Willie Dixon over this fertile, seven-year stretch, to her well-earned legendary status.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
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WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Ron Malo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Malcolm Chisholm, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
James Johnson, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Ron Malo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Betty James, ComposerLyricist - Malcolm Chisholm, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Buddy Guy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Fred Below, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Lafayette Leake, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Donald Hankins, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Meyers, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny "Twist" Williams, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Ron Malo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Malcolm Chisholm, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1967 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Ron Malo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Malcolm Chisholm, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Ron Malo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Malcolm Chisholm, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1968 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Walter Horton, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Buddy Guy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Fred Below, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Meyers, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Mcauley Murphy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1969 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Gordon Jenkins, Author - Joe Bishop, Composer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1972 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1972 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1972 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1972 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, ComposerLyricist - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Esmond Edwards, Producer
℗ 1972 Geffen Records
Koko Taylor, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Dick Lapalm, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 Geffen Records
Koko Taylor, MainArtist - Johnnie Mae Dunson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
J.B. Lenoir, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1966 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Gene Barge, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1968 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Koko Taylor, MainArtist
℗ 1969 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
This single disc neatly collects everything of importance that Chicago blues belter Koko Taylor released through Chess and its subsidiary Checker label, presenting a thoroughly enjoyable, collection as historically important for Taylor's sizzling performances as it is for Willie Dixon's sublime compositions and sympathetic production. Those who know these formative years from Taylor's immortal "Wang Dang Doodle" will thrill to realize that the classic isn't even the best entry here. It's a toss-up as to which others challenge it, but "What Came First the Egg or the Hen," with Dixon joining in on vocals, is in the running, as is the absolutely chilling "Insane Asylum," where Dixon interestingly kicks off the song before Taylor appears over a minute later. The producer/bassist/songwriter/singer pens all but one of the 18 songs. Of those, Taylor takes sole songwriting credit on 1964's "What Kind of Man is That?" and covers J.B. Lenoir's "Good Advice." The latter is an unusually pop-oriented moment that she still roughs up with her usual dynamic vocal attack. Taylor tackles politically charged territory in "Bill, Bills and More Bills," one of the few times that the material leans in that direction. While her later Alligator years might have exposed her talents to the world and helped crown her Queen of the Blues, this is where it all started. It shows how Taylor developed, with assistance from Willie Dixon over this fertile, seven-year stretch, to her well-earned legendary status.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 24 track(s)
- Total length: 01:12:14
- Main artists: Koko Taylor
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Blues
© 2009 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2009 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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