The Best Of The Okeh Years (CD)

An influence on everyone from Frank Zappa (who helped revive his career) to Jimi Hendrix, Johnny "Guitar" Watson was one of the most distinctive West Coast blues guitarists. He marked himself as a unique stylist early on with his reverb-laced 1953 single "Space Guitar," and is widely known for his hit "Gangster of Love." In the '70s, Watson reinvented himself as an R&B/funk artist, shockingly scoring more hits than he had in the previous decades as a bluesman. Later on, Watson's songs were a sample source for West Coast gangsta rappers. The relentlessly active performer died in 1996 while on tour in Japan.

• Category:  Music  »  Blues  »  Modern Urban Blues
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: March 14, 2006
• Label: Collectables
• UPC: 090431761922
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106086536
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #79069 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #1797 in Blues (See Top 100 Blues Bestsellers)
• #90 in Modern Urban Blues (See Top 100 Modern Urban Blues Bestsellers)

Browse more products related to "The Best Of The Okeh Years"

Browse more products related to "Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Larry Williams"

Johnny "Guitar" Watson had a long, colorful, and varied career that catered to different aspects of his talent. He began as a straight blues player (with excursions into futuristic sound experimentation, as on 1954's "Space Guitar"), and reinvented himself in the '70s and '80s as a funkster. In between he had a brief stint at Okeh, where he recorded some excellent sides that were heavily inflected with the R&B feel of the day.

Watson recorded three albums and some singles for Okeh in the mid-'60s. And listeners who are surprised at the many "faces" of Watson will find the sides on BEST OF THE OKEH YEARS to be a missing link of sorts. While reminiscent of the blues structures of his earlier recordings, Watson's Okeh material is up-tempo and funky with an ear toward mainstream accessibility ("Nobody" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" made the R&B charts). It's fun, energetic music, with plenty of Watson's trademark pyrotechnic guitar to satisfy six-string enthusiasts.

There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!

• Great Deals on CDs under $9.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Albums all for under $10! Great Music for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on DVDs under $12.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic DVDs all for under $13! Great Movies, TV and DVD Specials for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on Books under $14.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Books all for under $15! Great Reads for Everyone's Tastes!