Queen of the Blues

Queen of the Blues
Studio album by
Koko Taylor
Released1985
GenreChicago blues, blues
LabelAlligator[1]
ProducerKoko Taylor, Criss Johnson, Bruce Iglauer
Koko Taylor chronology
From the Heart of a Woman
(1981) 		Queen of the Blues
(1985) 		Live in Chicago: An Audience With the Queen
(1987)

Queen of the Blues is an album by the American blues singer Koko Taylor, released in 1985.[2][3]

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Recording".[4]

Production

The album was produced by Taylor, Criss Johnson, and Bruce Iglauer.[5] Taylor used her Blues Machine Band on the album, with guest turns by Son Seals, Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks, and James Cotton.[6] "Flamin' Mamie" was written by Willie Dixon.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Robert ChristgauB+[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[5]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[11]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[12]

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album "tough, shouted blues by one of the genre's most vehement practitioners."[12] The Kingston Whig-Standard thought that Taylor "comes across as a gruff earth mother," and noted that her guitar player, Criss Johnson, "more than holds his own on his solos" despite the many famous guest musicians.[13]

The New York Times wrote that Taylor's "penetrating growl is menacing on the Willie Dixon stomp 'Evil', and self-assured on 'The Hunter'."[14] The Columbus Dispatch concluded that "Taylor is in superb form, belting out ballads about passion, slow blues about broken hearts and barroom romance rockers."[15]

AllMusic said that "Taylor's gritty 'I Cried like a Baby' and a snazzy remake of Ann Peebles' 'Come to Mama' are among the many highlights."[8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Evil" 
2."Beer Bottle Boogie" 
3."I Cried Like a Baby" 
4."I Can Love You Like a Woman (Or I Can Fight You Like a Man)" 
5."Flamin' Mamie" 
6."Something Inside Me" 
7."The Hunter" 
8."Queen Bee" 
9."I Don't Care No More" 
10."Come to Mama" 

References

  1. ^ "Blues Singer Koko Taylor, The Blues Machine to Appear at Odyssey Club". The Oklahoman. August 2, 1985. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  2. ^ "Koko Taylor Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Pareles, Jon (June 16, 1985). "Music: Blues by Koko Taylor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  4. ^ "Koko Taylor". Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  5. ^ a b MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 554.
  6. ^ "Koko Taylor, On a Blues Roll". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Salter, Rosa (August 16, 1985). "Koko Taylor's Mainstream Blues". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  8. ^ a b "Queen of the Blues". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "Koko Taylor". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 66.
  11. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 632.
  12. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (July 7, 1985). "Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D8.
  13. ^ Burliuk, Greg (September 7, 1985). "Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
  14. ^ Palmer, Don (September 15, 1985). "A Handful of Labels Preserve the Troubled Blues". The New York Times. p. A21.
  15. ^ Petric, John (August 18, 1985). "Feeling the Blues? Listen to Koko Taylor". Accent & Arts. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 4.
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