Personnel: B.B. King (guitar, vocals); Hugh McCracken (guitar); Paul Harris (piano, electric piano, organ); Gerald "Fingers" Jemmott (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums).
Includes liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason.
Personnel: B.B. King (guitar, vocals); Hugh McCracken (guitar); Paul Harris (piano, electric piano, organ); Gerald "Fingers" Jemmott (bass); Herbie Lovelle (drums).
Includes liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason.
Personnel: B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Hugh McCracken (guitar); Paul Harris (piano, electric piano, organ); Herb Lovelle (drums).
Liner Note Author: Ralph J. Gleason.
Recording information: Hit Factories, East and West.
Photographer: Philip Melnick.
Arranger: Bert de Coteaux.
Completely Well was B.B. King's breakthrough album in 1969, which finally got him the long-deserved acclaim that was no less than his due. It contained his signature number, "The Thrill Is Gone," and eight other tunes, six of them emanating from King's pen, usually in a co-writing situation. Hardliners point to the horn charts and the overdubbed strings as the beginning of the end of King's old style that so identifiably earmarked his early sides for the Bihari Brothers and his later tracks for ABC, but this is truly the album that made the world sit up and take notice of B.B. King. The plus points include loose arrangements and a small combo behind him that never dwarfs the proceedings or gets in the way. King, for his part, sounds like he's having a ball, playing and singing at peak power. This is certainly not the place to start your B.B. King collection, but it's a nice stop along the way before you finish it. ~ Cub Koda
COMPLETELY WELL may have Peter Max-meets-YELLOW SUBMARINE cover graphics, but the original liner notes ("B.B. is to the blues guitar what Ernest Hemingway was to the novel...") are the only evidence of late-1960s excess. This album is raw, gritty, and real. King is in top form, playing his distinctive brand of blues with all the heart and soul of his greatest work. Contained here is "The Thrill is Gone," perhaps King's signature song. Reaching number 15 on the pop charts, it was his biggest hit, one that helped establish him as the premier blues man of his generation. King's powerful, poignant vocal--a mixture of regret and menace--is augmented by a simple but chilling string section and his lacerating guitar work.
Beyond that, the album is chock full of great tracks. The crackling opener, "So Excited," features a sassy horn section, subtly percolating organ, and wah-wah lead guitar. "You're Losin' Me," a sprightly funk number, is augmented by supple bass playing courtesy of the aptly named Gerald "Fingers" Jemmott. "You're Mean" is an extended jam session in which the only vocals are King's defiant cries of "You been mean!"
COMPLETELY WELL may have slightly psychedelic cover graphics, but the original liner notes ("B.B. is to the blues guitar what Ernest Hemingway was to the novel...") are the only evidence of late-1960s excess. This album is raw, gritty, and real. King is in top form, playing his distinctive brand of blues with all the heart and soul of his greatest work. Contained here is "The Thrill is Gone", perhaps King's signature song. Reaching number 15 on the pop charts, it was his biggest hit, one that helped establish him as the premier blues man of his generation. King's powerful, poignant vocal--a mixture of regret and menace--is augmented by a simple but chilling string section and his lacerating guitar work.
Beyond that, the album is chock full of great tracks. The crackling opener, "So Excited," features a sassy horn section, subtly percolating organ, and wah-wah lead guitar. "You're Losin' Me," a sprightly funk number, is augmented by supple bass playing courtesy of the aptly named Gerald "Fingers" Jemmott. "You're Mean" is an extended jam session whose only vocals are King's defiant cries of "You been mean!"
Elsewhere, the album is chockfull of great tracks. The crackling opener, "So Excited," features a sassy horn section, subtly percolating organ and wah-wah lead guitar. "You're Losin' Me," a sprightly funk number, is augmented by supple bass playing courtesy of the aptly named Gerald "Fingers" Jemmott. "You're Mean" is an extended jam session whose only vocals are King's defiant cries of "You been mean!" minimize