The Big Blues

Possessing a fluid, versatile guitar style and a smoky, understated voice, Albert King was a major influence on Stevie Ray Vaughn. (Vaughn readily acknowledged King's influence on him and often praised the elder's immense talent.) By the time of THE BIG BLUES, King had long perfected his sound after years of touring. On "Let's Have A Natural Ball," and "I Get Evil," King's voice is as expressive as any blues singer of his time, including Muddy Waters or Jimmy Reed (he backed the latter on a number of recordings). King is remembered by many for his dabbling in the psychedelic sounds of the late 1960s, which set him apart from the more conservative blues players of the time. However, On 1962's THE BIG BLUES King was already showing an interest in exploring many genres of popular music. On the rumba-flavored instrumental "This Morning" he gets very close to a full-out surf guitar style, while one listen to the intro of "I Walked All Night Long" will reveal his subsequent influence on Stevie Ray.