Elmore James – The Complete Fire And Enjoy Recordings [3 CD, 1960/1995]

Elmore James made a career from one slide lick – but oh, what a lick! In his ruthless, overdriven slide work, James’ electrified blues evoke the spirit of Robert Johnson and send a shiver down your spine.

Collectables has collected all of James’ 1959-’63 sides for the Chicago Fire and Enjoy labels, the last songs James waxed before his death in 1963. This three-CD set is packed with 63 songs, including covers of most of James’ hits, several alternates, studio chatter, and unreleased takes. While some cuts may lack the youthful vigor of his early sides, the sound quality is much better – and these are still rowdy, supercharged blues by the master. 

1-1 Make My Dreams Come True

1-2 Bobby's Rock

1-3 The Sky Is Crying

1-4 Held My Baby Last Night

1-5 Dust My Broom

1-6 Baby Please Set A Date

1-7 Rollin' & Tumblin

1-8 I'm Worried

1-9 Done Somebody Wrong

1-10 Fine Little Mama

1-11 I Can't Stop Lovin' You

1-12 Early One Morning

1-13 I Need You Baby

1-14 Strange Angels

1-15 She Done Moved (Instr.)

1-16 Something Inside Me

1-17 You Don't Have To Go

1-18 Stranger Blues

1-19 Stranger Blues (Alt.Version)

1-20 My Bleeding Heart

1-21 Standing At The Crossroads

1-22 On Way Out

2-1 Got To Move

2-2 Person To Person

2-3 So Unkind

2-4 My Kind Of Woman

2-5 Woke Up Screamin' & Cryin'

2-6 Do It If You Wanna

2-7 Shake Your Money Maker

2-8 Look On Yonder Wall

2-9 Poor Little Angel Child

2-10 Mean Mistreatin' Mama (Take 1-Incomplete)

2-11 Mean Mistreatin' Mama (Take 2-Alternate)

2-12 Mean Mistreatin' Mama

2-13 Sunnyland Train

2-14 You Know You're Wrong (Take 1-Incomplete)

2-15 You Know You're Wrong (Take 2-Alternate)

2-16 You Know You're Wrong (Take 3-Master)

2-17 Going Back Home Again

2-18 Look Up On The Wall

2-19 Find My Kind Of Woman (Take 1)

2-20 Find My Kind Of Woman (Take 3)

2-21 Dust My Broom (Alt.Take)

2-22 My Baby's Gone

3-1 Hand In Hand (Take 1)

3-2 Hand In Hand (Take 3)

3-3 Hand In Hand (Take 4)

3-4 I've Got A Right To Love My Baby

3-5 Everyday I Have The Blues

3-6 Dust My Broom (Alt.Take)

3-7 It Hurts Me Too

3-8 Talk To Me Baby

3-9 Can't Stop Loving My Baby

3-10 She's Got To Go

3-11 Pickin' The Blues

3-12 Twelve Year Old Boy

3-13 Up Jumped Elmore (False Start)

3-14 Up Jumped Elmore

3-15 Up Jumped Elmore (Black Snake Slide)

3-16 I Believe

3-17 I Gotta Go Now

3-18 Make My Dreams Come True (Alt. Take)

3-19 Back In Mississippi (Studio Conversation)