This is one of the greatest albums of all time — not exactly blues, but a superior compilation of New Orleans R & B.  Once, back in the 80s, I was rambling around New Orleans with a famous rock guitarist.  We checked out a record store at some point and he saw this album and insisted that I buy it.  He said that if he was ever having trouble getting into a girl’s pants he’d put this on the turntable and then suddenly there would be no problem.  I think it really does have some special mojo to it.  It makes you slightly delirious, as New Orleans R & B can.

The Minit label issued a follow-up album, Home Of the Blues Vol. 2, heavy on Irma Thomas, which is sweet, too, but not as perfect as this collection.  The two volumes were released as a single CD five years ago by EMI abroad, and can be had as an import via Amazon.

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