Review of B.B. King, 21st Century Masters

***** A Good First Impression Made from a Genre I Usually Don’t Like!

Much of the music I listen to is cerebral. It is difficult to comprehend. And, what’s more, listening to it is often exhaustive to the ears, as it is both busy and highly mathematical. Sometimes I need a break in the mix, something a little softer that can tone it down a notch without sounding moronic. These sorts of albums are hard to find, in my opinion, and I am glad to have this one. Sure, I probably won’t get as much use out of a B.B. King album as a Pat Metheny album, but there is something self-defeating about always selecting an album that is the absolute hardest to get bored of. That is, sometimes every now and then, I like a bit of pop structures provided that they aren’t the moronic stuff commonly pumped out by DJs on the radio and in clubs.

As far as popularity goes, B.B. King is popular enough that I have friends that are fans of his music. And, even though I am a musical isolationist, it didn’t bother me that B.B. King has enough fans that he can draw a crowd.

I generally don’t like the blues, but this one surprised me. There were 2 main reasons why I purchased this album. The first is that I have surmised that any good cd collection should contain an entry from B.B. King. The second is that B.B. King has recorded some songs written by my great uncle, my Uncle Vaughn, a country music song writer who made it into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and that interested me in B.B. King. Really, I had no excuse for not having a B.B. King album.

Blues chord structures are often too simple or to repetitive to draw my interest, and that is the reason I own so few albums that go in the blues section of record stores. For example, I absolutely detest Stevie Ray Vaughn. This is my first B.B. King album, and I was glad to hear that he didn’t fall into the boring same old same old blues combinations. You can tell a same old same old blues fan because such a person thinks that because if it is blues it is good. Definitely, just because something is the blues doesn’t automatically make it good, or sophisticated, etc.

The songs on this album are crafted, and thoughtful. Some people haven’t given it 5 stars, and perhaps these are people that have listened to a few more of B.B. King’s albums and think that they could have selected a better mix for a greatest hits album. This is my first B.B. King album, and I love it. There is definitely an element of sophistication to this sound, and as for someone who typically doesn’t like the bands that fall under the heading, “Blues,” in the music store, this album still had the capacity to blow me away.

21^st Century Masters, B.B. King, blues