Thursday Night in San Francisco (CD - 1990)

Recorded live at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, California on July 27, 1968. Includes liner notes by Lee Hildebrand.

Recorded live in San Francisco in 1968, here's Albert King pretty much at the top of his game, blasting out tons of great guitar and singing his heart to an appreciative crowd of young hippies. With a tight four-piece road band backing him, King fires up his Flying V and slams down hard on material like Freddie King's "San-Ho-Zay," "you Upset Me Baby," "Call It Stormy Monday," "Crosscut Saw," and "Drifting Blues." This is one of two volumes from the same Fillmore stand and both are absolutely essential to any Albert King collection; in many ways, they're the perfect introduction to this blues giant. ~ Cub Koda

Imagine 1968 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, the epicenter of the flower power scene. Before an audience of long haired-hippies attired in day-glo and paisley, the incomparable Albert King steps on stage to deliver the gospel of down-home, Memphis-fried blues. Such is the setting for this entry in King's series of '68 Fillmore recordings (the others are Wednesday NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO and LIVE WIRE/BLUES POWER).

King had a good deal of cache with '60s rock audiences; his fierce, soulful leads had inspired the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, and his 1967 Stax debut BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN had achieved crossover success. Abetted by a tight backing band (generating a sound reminiscent of Booker T. and the M.G.'s), King's blend of raw, traditional blues with smooth, Stax-flavored soul hits the mark. From the jaunty, uptempo opening number "You Upset Me, Baby," through the deep, slow "Drifting Blues," to the rollicking "Ooh-Ee-Baby," King's vocals and chops are in prime form on this excellent live set. minimize