Vote For Your King!!

[Fretz]

Hello

It's hard to talk about blues guitar without mentioning one of the three kings. Freddie, BB and Albert.
Personally, I love all 3 of these guys, but who I'd consider to be my favourite changes on an almost weekly basis.
So I thought it might be fun to hear what you think...

So it's time to vote for your king (and maybe give a reason for your choice)

BB King, Albert King or Freddie King?

 

[hubberjub]

Burger

 

[R_of_G]

My vote went to Freddie.
Of the three, he has the tone I most prefer.

 

[sumitomo]

I like 'em all,but since I can only vote for one,I have to agree with R of G Freddie's tone and phrasing,heart energy.Sumi

 

[Retro Hound]

I too love all three, but something about B. B. just sends chills down my spine.

 

[poodlesrule]

I was lucky to see the three in live performances (in some now distant past...).

Live, Albert King was most impressive to me. Fantastic drive.
A mountain of man, BTW!

Love, love Freddie's craft and emotion though!

 

[kidsmoke]

As R of G says, that tone, and sheer joy of playing. Freddie, if I HAD to pick one.




Check him out at 4:50, backs up in front of his amp and starts the nastiest smoothest bends, eyes closed. Wonder if he even cares if anyone's listenin'

 

[Jx2]

Im went with Albert and Id venture to guess he'll loose this debate. Outside of true blues fans I think Albert is the lesser known of the 3. But if your not familiar with Albert but love SRV, you gotta check out the In Session album. Plus Albert is my favorite blues artist period.

 

[Katastrophe]

How can you choose?

I mean just listen.

Powerful version of this tune.



Listen to that V cry!



He must have played this tune a thousand times... I love the subtelty in this version. A lesson in song dynamics.



I vote, "all of the above!"

 

[duhvoodooman]

I give BB bonus points for the interplay of his guitar with his voice....

 

[R_of_G]

I also feel compelled to say...

King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.

Woman: Well how'd you become king then?

King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.

Dennis: Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

-----------
You may now return to your regularly scheduled discussion of three blues legends.

 

[Tig]

Having watched MP&THG on the US opening night (knight?) I must commend your perceptivocity-ness!

 

[Commodore 64]

I'm partial to Freddie myself, although I like 'em all.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

First off, R_of_G made may day by segueing this over to one of my favorite Python scenes. LOL!!

Next, based on my limited familiarity, I have to vote BB, though many of my more modern guitar favs took many, many licks from Albert.

 

[Retro Hound]

Interesting that Freddy King is in the lead, I expected Albert. Jx2 claims that Albert is the least known, but I thought Freddy was. B. B. is the most well known, but I figured Albert was the most respected... if that's the word.

And see, I didn't even know Freddie well enough to spell his name right!

 

[ZMAN]

Unfortunately all three of them are gone. Paul Butterfield, SRV, and Albert.
One thing that must be said is that without Albert there would have been no SRV. And Albert played the damn thing upside down!

 

[Jx2]

Interesting that Freddy King is in the lead, I expected Albert. Jx2 claims that Albert is the least known, but I thought Freddy was. B. B. is the most well known, but I figured Albert was the most respected... if that's the word.

And see, I didn't even know Freddie well enough to spell his name right!

Must have alot to do with locations. Here in Southern Indiana, you say blues people say SRV, Jimi, Clapton with really the exception of Clapton I consider SRV and Jimi a more aggresive style of blues than what most played. One reason I think they might just be the best known bluesman in the buisness. If you say ask someone what about other's. You'll get some KWS fans, I beleive mostly because of th raido friendly song Blue on Black, and the rarely mentioned Johnny Lang. But when it comes to the forefathers for a lack of a better term. Its BB King and John Lee Hooker, Ive hard more guys localy mention Freddie than Albert and thats what I based my previous post on. Now the guy that taught me the most on guitar, he was into them all. All the way back to Robert Johnson, he was the one that turned me on to Shuggie Otis, well the blues in general. If I ever became a lead guitarist my solo's would almost diffently turn out really bluesy I think thats one reason Im so drawn to Slash's work. Alot of that would be because of my "roots".

 

[deeaa]

Don't know these well enough to vote.

 

[kidsmoke]

I would have agreed that Freddie is the least known, partly because he's been gone so much longer. BB is far and away the best known.

And not a single Fender between them...

 

[GreyBee]

Very interesting poll . . . . . . . but I can't decide! How about all of the above? :thwap

 

[ZMAN]

Must have alot to do with locations. Here in Southern Indiana, you say blues people say SRV, Jimi, Clapton with really the exception of Clapton I consider SRV and Jimi a more aggresive style of blues than what most played. One reason I think they might just be the best known bluesman in the buisness. If you say ask someone what about other's. You'll get some KWS fans, I beleive mostly because of th raido friendly song Blue on Black, and the rarely mentioned Johnny Lang. But when it comes to the forefathers for a lack of a better term. Its BB King and John Lee Hooker, Ive hard more guys localy mention Freddie than Albert and thats what I based my previous post on. Now the guy that taught me the most on guitar, he was into them all. All the way back to Robert Johnson, he was the one that turned me on to Shuggie Otis, well the blues in general. If I ever became a lead guitarist my solo's would almost diffently turn out really bluesy I think thats one reason Im so drawn to Slash's work. Alot of that would be because of my "roots".

I think age also has a lot to do with the voting. I discovered Albert in the late 60s, then BB, John Lee. Then I heard a pop song on the radio 15 years later and swore it was Albert. It was of course SRV. I am reading Claptons Bio and he credits Robert Johnson and all of the great early Bluesmen for his style.
Also if you get the chance you HAVE to listen to the Album, Blues for Elvis, The king does the Kings thing. It is a collection of Elvis Presley songs done by Albert in his own style. Just a joy to hear.