Bobby Bland earned his enduring blues superstar status the hard way: without a guitar, harmonica, or any other instrument to fall back upon. All Bland had to offer was his magnificent voice, a tremendously powerful instrument in his early heyday, injected with charisma and melisma to spare. Just ask his legion of female fans, who deemed him a sex symbol late into his career. For all his promise, Bland's musical career ignited slowly. He was a founding member of the Beale Streeters, the fabled Memphis aggregation that also included B.B. King and Johnny Ace. Singles for Chess in 1951 (produced by Sam Phillips) and Modern the next year bombed, but that didn't stop local DJ David Mattis from cutting Bland on a couple of 1952 singles for his fledgling Duke logo.
CD1
01. Farther Up The Road 2:58
02. Stormy Monday Blues 4:00
03. Little Boy Blue 2:36
04. Lead Me On 2:02
05. Who Will The Next Fool Be? 2:24
06. Call On Me 2:29
07. I.O.U. Blues 3:10
08. It s My Life, Baby 2:42
09. You ve Got A Bad Intentions 2:29
10. Woke Up Screaming 2:44
11. Bobby's Blues 2:17
12. You're The One (That I Adore) 2:30
13. Hold Me Tenderly 2:16
14. Two Steps From The Blues 2:31
15. How Does A Cheating Women Feel 2:35
16. Close To You 2:02
17. Don t Want No Woman 2:37
18. You Did Me Wrong 2:34
19. Teach Me (How To Love You) 2:07
20. Last Night 2:52
CD2
01. Ain't That Loving You 2:30
02. Yield Not To Temptation 2:34
03. Cry, Cry, Cry 2:39
04. I'll Take Care Of You 2:22
05. Lovin' Blues 3:16
06. Time Out 2:47
07. Blue Moon 2:12
08. I've Been Wrong So Long 2:17
09. I Learned My Lesson 2:44
10. I Don t Believe 2:36
11. I Smell Trouble 2:29
12. You Got Me (Where You Want Me) 2:26
13. I Lost Sight On The World 2:34
14. Wishing Well 2:33
15. Is It Real 2:25
16. Your Friends 2:28
17. I've Just Got To Forget You 2:31
18. That's Why 1:52
CD3
01. Turn On Your Love Light 2:32
02. I Pity the Fool 2:39
03. I'm Not Ashamed 2:32
04. Don't Cry No More 2:22
05. St. James Infirmary 2:22
06. That's The Way Love Is 2:36
07. Someday 2:09
08. No Blow, No Show 2:58
09. Army Blues 2:38
10. You Or None 2:50
11. I Can t Put You Down Baby 2:36
12. Blues In The Night 3:32
13. Jelly, Jelly, Jelly 3:21
14. Loan A Helping Hand 2:24
15. Twistin' Up The Road 2:27
16. 36-22-36 2:25
17. You're Worth It All 2:20
18. Sometime Tomorrow 2:32