Confessions of a Fanboy

Going home for lunch, checking the mail, and finding a new CD waiting for me never gets old. Today’s prize is extra special.

You might not have noticed yet, but I am an Otis Rush obsessee. I didn’t know when I fell in love with his music that I had chosen one of the most frustrating-to-collect discographies known to man- just lucky, I guess. The first couple albums were easy enough to find. I spent a lot of time and money on eBay after that.

Finding his music was a graduate-level research project. I had to figure out when he recorded what and for which label. The first song I ever added to my collection was “So Many Roads, So Many Trains,” included on the Chess Box Set. I knew he recorded at Chess. That was a start. I later purchased the Chess’ Willie Dixon box which included another Rush side. As far as I could tell, those were the only two songs from his stint at Chess released on CD. I was curious about what might still be in the vault, or what might be on vinyl but figured anything that was going to be released was already available. I knew he hadn’t been there long, so I let it go and pursued other leads.

While doing all this research, I saw an album that featuring Albert King and Otis Rush called Door to Door. Having seen enough knockoff, budget compilations in my time I never gave this much thought. Big mistake. King, like Rush, spent a brief period on the Chess roster. Neither artist enjoyed their greatest success at this legendary label. As such, each man only recorded a few sides there. Instead of releasing meager EPs for each man or releasing these as separate albums with a bunch of outtakes, their respective eras at Chess were collected on one album. Had I paid closer attention, I could have solved this mystery and own this music a year ago. Damn it!

As a Rush completist, I’m thrilled to have this. From a reviewers’ perspective, it’s not the Holy Grail. “So Many Roads” is a stunning song and having it included in two different sets doesn’t bother me and “So Close” is a nice R&B tune.

The other songs included are barely more than rehashes of his other songs. “You Know My Love,” a great song, is a re-write of “My Love Will Never Die.” We get yet another version of “All Your Love (I Miss Loving).” This Chess version is not particularly special. “I’m Satisfied” was better when it was “Keep on Loving Me Baby.” “I Can’t Stop” is a blatant rip off of “I Can’t Quit You Baby.” Otis’ searing falsetto wails and some stinging guitar work make it listenable, but it is inferior to its classic ancestor.

Say what you will about Phil and Leonard Chess- they guessed right more often than they guessed wrong, but they missed the boat on Otis Rush. It is no wonder Otis became so disillusioned with the record business. His talent demanded better treatment. It makes me sad to wonder how many more great songs he might have recorded had he signed with a well-run label that appreciated his talents.

The Albert King songs are very good. The only one I had previously heard is “Calling On My Darling” (as it is listed on the Chess Blues box, “Howling For My Darling” is how Door to Door lists it). The other cuts are worthy additions. These won’t replace his classic Stax output, but these cuts are never anything but a pleasure to hear.

Filed under: Tags: Bloggin' the Blues, Otis Rush