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His Best (Sonny Boy Williamson II album)

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Portrait of a Blues Man (1996)
  
His Best (1997)

Release date
  
20 May 1997

Artist
  
Sonny Boy Williamson II

Label
  
MCA Records

His Best (Sonny Boy Williamson II album) cpsstaticrovicorpcom3JPG500MI0000135MI000

Released
  
May 20, 1997 (1997-05-20)

Recorded
  
August 12, 1955 - April 30, 1964 at Chess Studios Chicago, Illinois

Compiler
  
Andy McKaie, Dick Shurman

His Best (1997)
  
Boppin' with Sonny (1997)

Genres
  
Chicago blues, Country blues

Producers
  
Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon

Similar
  
Sonny Boy Williamson II albums, Chicago blues albums, Other albums

His Best is a 1997 greatest hits compilation album by Sonny Boy Williamson II (real name Rice Miller) released by Chess and MCA Records in May as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection which released many albums titled His Best for artist such as Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and others.

Contents

Songs

The album features all three of Williamson's singles that charted on Billboard's R&B Singles chart; "Don't Start Me Talking" (#3), "Keep It to Yourself" (#14), and "Help Me" (#24). The album also features "Bring It On Home" (later covered by Led Zeppelin) and "One Way Out" (covered by Allman Brothers Band).

Track listing

All tracks written by Sonny Boy Williamson II, except where noted.

  1. "Good Evening Everybody" – 2:36
  2. "Don't Start Me Talking" – 2:36
  3. "All My Love in Vain" – 2:51
  4. "Keep It to Yourself" – 2:50
  5. "Fattening Frogs for Snakes" – 2:23
  6. "I Don't Know" – 2:28
  7. "Cross My Heart" (Williamson, Greg Guidry) – 3:24
  8. "Born Blind" – 2:35
  9. "Ninety Nine" – 2:40
  10. "Your Funeral and My Trial" – 2:33
  11. "Keep Your Hands Out of My Pockets" – 2:51
  12. "Sad to Be Alone" – 2:59
  13. "Checkin' Up on My Baby" – 1:59
  14. "Down Child" – 2:37
  15. "Nine Below Zero" – 3:30
  16. "Bye Bye Bird" (Williamson, Willie Dixon) – 2:35
  17. "Help Me" (Williamson, Dixon, Ralph Bass) – 3:11
  18. "Bring It On Home" (Dixon) – 2:39
  19. "My Younger Days" – 3:24
  20. "One Way Out" (Williamson, Elmore James) – 2:46

Personnel

All personnel per Allmusic

Performers
  • Sonny Boy Williamson II – lead vocals, harmonica
  • Buddy Guy – guitar
  • Robert Lockwood, Jr. – guitar
  • Matt "Guitar" Murphy – guitar
  • Eugene Pierson – guitar
  • Jimmy Rogers – guitar
  • Luther Tucker – guitar
  • Muddy Waters – guitar
  • Willie Dixon – double bass
  • Jack Meyers – bass
  • Milton Rector – bass
  • Lafayette Leake – piano
  • Otis Spann – piano
  • Fred Below – drums
  • Al Duncan – drums
  • Clifton James – drums
  • Jarrett Gibson – saxophone
  • Donald Hankins – saxophone
    • Production
  • Leonard Chess – producer, engineer
  • Phil Chess – producer, engineer
  • Willie Dixon – producer, engineer
  • Andy McKaie – producer, compiler
  • Dick Shurman – liner notes, compiler
  • Erick Labson – remastering
  • Bill Inglot – remixing
  • John Strother – remixing
    • Artwork/Design
  • Vartan – art director
  • Geary Chansley – photo research
  • Meire Murakami – design
  • Val Wilmer – photography
  • Galen Gart – photography

    • Songs

    1Good Evening Everybody2:37
    2Don't Start Me to Talkin'2:37
    3All My Love in Vain2:51

    References

    His Best (Sonny Boy Williamson II album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA