An Anthology: The Elektra Years [Best of]

The track selection is debatable, of course, it always is on compilation albums, and a few really good songs are missing (where the hell is "Get Out Of My Life Woman"?). It would have been nice to have some more songs from the December, 1964 sessions, but you can get those on "The Original Lost Elektra Sessions", and overall "The Electra Years" does a nice job of rounding up most of the highlights, picking the best moments from sometimes uneven records.

Butterfield's first two albums were seminal, and they remain two of the best "white" blues records of all time, but later offerings didn't quite maintain the same level of quality. Consequently, the "Anthology" is quite a valuable package for listeners who simply want a sampling from those later albums instead of purchasing them individually.

Without question, Butterfield's best recordings were done for the Elektra label. Therefore, it would make sense that Elektra's two disk anthology would be the perfect place to go for a one stop shot at this remarkable band. In fact, with both discs running over 75 minutes in length, this package is a bargain and then some.

Like all of the greatest bands, Butterfield's group had a very distinct sound, one which was both revolutionary and a treat to listen to. This anthology captures that sound and allows the listener to hear the evolution of the band throughout the years. Begining with some of their earliest sides in 1965, this anthology covers their careers all the way to 1971. There's a lot of great music to be found, particularly on the first disc. Classics like "Born In Chicago" (both the recognized version from their debut and an earlier take) and the ground-breaking "East West" are here along with lots of other great material. The second disc is a bit weaker, but still features pleanty of great tunes, especially the live songs "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and "Driftin' and Driftin'," which are my favorite songs on the set. Butterfield's sound was always very contemporary and cutting-edge; I often find myself forgetting that these were late sixties and early seventies recordings.

By virtue of the outstanding music and the sheer amount of material on this set, I can wholeheartedly reccomend this. Any fan of the blues should hear this at least once; most will probably find themselves playing it again and again.