Cheap Best of Jimmy Reed (Music) (Jimmy Reed) Price

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From 1955 to 1963 with Vee-Jay Records Jimmy Reed put 18 selections onto the Billboard R&B charts, eight of which crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts, and added another four to the Hot 100 only. In 1966 he had one more R&B entry with the Exodus label. Here you get exactly 10 of those and just two of their B-sides. Which means eight tracks do not fit into the category of "best" no matter how you define it.

His first hit was You Don't Have To Go which, billed to Jimmy Reed And His Trio, went to # 5 R&B in May 1955 b/w Boogie In The Dark [both included here]. Later that year I Don't Go For That rose to # 12 R&B b/w She Don't Want Me No More, but both are omitted.

Ain't That Lovin' You Baby? became his third hit in the spring of 1956, peaking at # 3 R&B, and while that's included, the flipside - Baby, Don't Say That No More - is not. Nor are both sides to his next two hits: Can't Stand To See You Go [# 10 R&B b/w Rockin' With Reed in June 1956] and I Love You Baby [# 13 R&B in September 1956 b/w My First Plea]. And only the A-side to the late 1956 entry is here - You've Got Me Dizzy [# 3 R&B], omitting Honey, Don't Let Me Go.

Of his four 1957 hits, just one is included - Honest I Do which hit the $ 4 R&B slot in November and became his best pop Hot 100 crossover, reaching # 32. The B-side - Signals Of Love - is excluded, as are both sides to the double-sided hit Little Rain [# 7 R&B] and Honey, Where You Going? [# 10 R&B] in April 1957, and The Sun Is Shining which actually was his first pop Hot 100 crossover, reaching # 65 in June [and # 12 R&B]. It's B-side, Baby What's On Your Mind is also omitted.

1958 produced two hits, the first being Down In Virginia [track 7] which just made the pop Hot 100 at # 93 in August [but was shut out on the R&B charts], and I'm Gonna Get My Baby [# 5 R&B]. The latter is not here nor are both B-sides - I Know It's A Sin and Odds And Ends. Only one hit ensued in 1959, I Told You Baby [# 19 R&B in January b/w Ends And Odds] but both are excluded.

In 1960/61 he really hit his stride, commercially speaking, with no less than six hit singles, beginning with my Jimme Reed favourite Baby What You Want Me To Do [track 11]. Covered by everyone from Etta James to Elvis Presley, it went to # 10 R&B/# 37 pop in the spring of 1960 b/w Caress Me Baby [not here]. A couple of months later Found Love [track 9] peaked at # 16 R&B/# 88 pop b/w Where Can You Be? [not here], while in November Hush Hush reached # 18 R&B/# 75 pop b/w Goin' By The River which became a pop "bubble under" at # 104. Neither side is included.

Also missing is the hit side of his first 1961 release - Close Together [# 12 R&B/# 68 pop] - whereas they include the uncharted B-side Laughin' At The Blues. Big Boss Man, another covered by Elvis, is here, however, and this reached # 13 R&B/# 78 pop in June b/w I'm A Love You [not here]. Bright Lights, Big City [track 15] - later a Country smash for Sonny James - hit # 3 R&B/#58 pop in October 1961 b/w I'm Mr. Luck [omitted].

His last three Vee-Jay hits, coming in 1962/63, were inexplicably shut out on the R&B charts. Aw Shucks Hush Your Mouth [track 16] topped out at # 93 pop in February 1962 b/w Baby, What's Wrong [track 19], Good Lover rose to # 77 pop in July b/w Tell Me You Love Me [noth excluded here], while Shame, Shame, Shame [track 18] topped out at # 52 pop in May 1963 b/w There'll Be A Day [not here].

His final charter, in June 1966 for Exodus, was Knockin' At Your Door which made it to # 39 R&B b/w Dedication To Sonny. Neither is included here.

That's an awful lot of missing material for an 18-track best-of album, and while I admired Jimmy as much as the next person, I simply cannot assign 4 or 5 stars based on his name alone. The contents simply have to fit the label - and this one misses the mark badly. Also, the sound quality is only adequate as befitting an early CD [later Jimmy Reed compilations offer much better sound], and the one page of liner notes written originally for the vinyl album by Leonard Feather are informative - but you'll need a magnifying glass to read them. There is no discography.

Mathis Jimmy Reed, singer/harmonica player/guitarist - in addition to writing most of his material - suffered all his life from epileptic seizures, and on August 29, 1976 died as the result of one at the age of 50. You have to think he had plenty more to offer. In 1991 he was rightfully inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame.

The most rhythmic, sensual blues ever!
Absolutely the best music ever invented for exotic dancers. Rhythm, drum and cymbal work on "Honest, I Do" are beyond compare. Nobody ever played a more soulful harmonica. Absolutely essential for any R&B fan. This is my favorite of 100's of CD's in my collection.

Simply wonderful!
Bright Lights, Big City and Honest I Do will have you dancing in the isles. Put in this disc, open a bottle of wine, put the lights low, turn up the volume and groove til your legs can't take any more. I had never heard of Jimmy Reed before, and bought the record on a recommendation of a used music store. What a wonderful surprise!