Dropping in 1967, this album is a great example of the electric Blues being played in Chicago back in the 60s.
12 Songs That Play Like One Club Set
When I listen to this album, I imagine myself sitting in the back of one of those dimly lit clubs on the South or West side of Chicago.
A thin veil of cigarette smoke drifting in the air and a watered down drink in my hand. The club owner takes the mic, introduces the band, the music starts up … and it sounds just like this.
The tunes are ordered just like a live set. Half of the songs are instrumentals. The other half include Charlie’s vocals. And while he’s not a great singer, he growls his way through each tune with all the emotion and grit they deserve.
The band is just 5 musicians. There’s Charlie on harmonica and vocals. (That’s the correct spelling of his name by the way – album cover be damned.) Fred Below on drums, Bob Anderson on bass, Harvey Mandel on organ, and Barry Goldberg on guitar. All experienced Bluesmen who had solid careers.
“I remember it sounded like how I felt. I liked all kinds of music, but Blues seemed like there was more to it than just music…” ~ Charlie Musselwhite
Front And Center Is Charlie’s Harmonica
This was the heyday of Blues harmonica players after all. Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield, & Sonny Boy Williamson II were well known. Charlie, though well connected within the Chicago Blues community, wasn’t. That changed when this record dropped.
His harp is the primary lead instrument on nearly every tune. And he was in complete control the whole way. Strong when the song needed it and restrained when it didn’t. Great musical ideas throughout.
The band had no trouble keeping up either. These guys could play. Guitar and organ got their fair share of the spotlight while the rhythm section was dead solid. I’ll bet it would have been fun to watch.
Charlie was only 22-ish years old when he recorded Stand Back! But you’d think the harmonica work on it was from a journeyman musician – he had all the chops. I wonder if he ever thought he’d still be performing and recording more than a half-century later? Doing it with style too! His last album, ‘Mississippi Son’, recorded in 2022 and featuring his guitar playing, is another kind of classic.
‘Stand Back!’ is a little time capsule of the 60’s Blues scene. The production, fidelity, and perhaps even the musicianship may not compare well to a lot of today’s recordings, but hey, this sounded pretty damn exciting in 1967!
Now excuse me. The band’s gonna play another set and I gotta order another watered down drink.
Preview ‘Stand Back!’
…You can find some excellent quality vinyl versions of ‘Stand Back!’ on Discogs.com. Check them out H E R E!
Thanks for reading!
Jon Beres
I’m one part Blues Fan and one part Digital Native (with a dash of Curmudgeon.) I’m also the publisher of AlltheWayBlue.com. If you love the Blues, I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine - cheers!
Download this FREE Blues Resource Guide and keep up with everything that's going on in the world of Blues Music.
