Newbie in blues asking what to listen advice...

[badweather]

Hi all!
To be honest - I do not know much about blues, have just recently started to read about this genre. I used to listen to classic hard rock and heavy metal bands, like AC/DC, Judas Priest, WASP, Diamond Head, Rose Tatoo, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and so on.
I'm almost sure that I wrote here something you can qualify as totally dumb or even worse. Please don't blame me for that, I tried my best to write with sense and correctness, and I'm sorry in advance for any mistakes :-)

What I'm asking: please give me a few bands or artists that I can start listening with.
What I'm looking: a blues music similar in style and sound to Otis Taylor's song "Ten Million Slaves", version played with electric guitar, not a banjo one. I guess this song is included in Public Enemies movie soundtrack, but not 100% sure. I heard this one a few days ago and it really hits me in the head. I'm looking for something similar.
I used Google, searched Wikipedia and I think it can be qualified as electric blues. But I tried some artists from this genre and that's not quite it. There's lot of bands sounding like rock band, not blues band, like ZZ Top. I like ZZ Top, but this is more rock than blues for me :-)
I also listened to Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues" album (highly recommended for all blues wanna-bes) and found it to be something pop or rock style. Nice songs but bad remix/cover/sound/version etc.

Saying it short: looking for rather fast-paced songs, electric guitar, simple riffs, probably based on 12bar chord progression, similar in sounding to mentioned Taylor's song.

Could you help please?
Thank you very much.
Andraž

P.S. Sorry for language errors - I'm not quite fluent in English.

[Bertje]

Hey Badweather,

There is a topic here about the best bluesalbums ever.... You can find it when you click here. Try to find some of these albums, there must be something in the list dat you will like 

[oskiper]

On this case, I would start by something you may found familiar sound-wise...

Try Stevie Ray Vaughan and his record "In Step" or "Family Style", another would be Eric Clapton´s "From The Craddle" were you´ll find a compilation of classics, "Me and Mr Johnson" from Clapton is a great choice also.

If you wanna go up tempo you can try some Buddy Guy, if you wanna get into some European style blues you can also check The Yardbirds, the band that had the best guitar players in Europe back in those days (Clapton, Jeff Beck and Plant)

If you´re getting started, sit back and enjoy, you gotta a LOT to listen and even more to enjoy.

[mr.scorpion]

I'm agree with oskiper.

More blues artist:
Omar & The Howlers (Texas blues / Bluesrock )
Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserocker. (A great slide guitarist, and a must!!)
Magic Slim & The Teardrops. (Always great blues, and guess what.....a must!!)
Lil' Ed & The Blues imperials. (Great blues albums)
John Mayall and The Blues Breakers (start with this 3 albums: A hard road, The blues alone, with Eric clapton)
Joe Bonamassa: A new yesterday, Live. (Wow, if i could play guitar, and play it that way.)
the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. (the album with the same name, his first album, a fantastic heavy blues album....and can you guess what....a must!!!)

Just my opinions

Below: Magic Slim and The Teardrops / Raw magic (get it!!!!)

[Ziggy]

...
What I'm looking: a blues music similar in style and sound to Otis Taylor's song "Ten Million Slaves", version played with electric guitar, not a banjo one. I guess this song is included in Public Enemies movie soundtrack, but not 100% sure. I heard this one a few days ago and it really hits me in the head. I'm looking for something similar.
....
Saying it short: looking for rather fast-paced songs, electric guitar, simple riffs, probably based on 12bar chord progression, similar in sounding to mentioned Taylor's song.
...

I did not know the Otis Taylor song, so I looked for hit on Youtube:

Otis Taylor - Ten million slaves

I don't know if there is a name for this kind of blues?

[darkestdepth]

Well, this isn't strictly blues. Of course Otis Taylor is great. But I think your approach to look for "something similar" is vicious. Every genuine blues artist is unique in conveying their deepest emotion. By all means, look for artists, not genres.

I'm also a heavy metal girl. Halford is true blue in my book; however, I've come to discover hard rock and heavy metal have been robbing and distorting the blues for decades, without the due respect. I lost any sentiment for Led Zeppelin when I discovered Willie Dixon actually had to sue them in order to receive his songwriting credit. Of course, that's not always the case and many rock artists have significantly helped bluesmen.

Some of my blues favourites: Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes, John Hurt,  of course anything by John Lee Hooker and BB King, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray...the list could go on and on.

I wish you a lucky (self) discovery. As Fred said..."This ain't no rock'n'roll, yo, just plain and natural blues".

Sleepy John Estes - The Girl I Love She Got Long Curly Hair

Luther Allison - One More (2001)

BB King - Please See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

LARRY DAVIS - HELP THE POOR - Deep Soul Blues 1992

Cash McCall "Can't Quit You Baby" Live!

Charlie Musselwhite - My Road Lies In Darkness

Fred McDowell My babe

[roadharp]

muddy waters  willie dixon. thats the blues groove.and they both have great harp players backing them.lots of 12 bar blues.

[Lil Blee]

If I were I would listen to some real blues. In the delta where I'm from all these albums people called out here are considered rock. I listen to some other guys such as Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Freddie King, and even some guy's that kinda lean toward rock such as 601 Blues. Alot of people haven't heard of 601 blues, The guy's name is R.J. Blair and he's got his own flavor that he considers hard edge blues. He's got a really tasteful style when it comes to his licks. These are the guys that you need to be listening to.