Why you must have this recording
This recording contains what has to be the one of the greatest blues/rock songs of all time. The song is East West which contains some of the greatest music I've ever heard. It is a preview of what the bands later in the 60's will produce and remains one of the finest example of the extended guitar solo pieces.

At this time the Butterfield Blues Band had two of the best guitarist around, Elvin Bishop and (my favorite) Mike Bloomfield. They each take an extended solo, Elvin Bishop first. Elvin throws out a blazing fast mountain of notes. It is what happens next that makes this an unique experience. It is Mike Bloomfield's turn next, not with another show stopper solo, instead he pares back the music to the absolute minimum. His clear ringing notes lifts one from out under the mountain into the clear blue sky. From this he slowly builds, never to excess, an exquisite solo that sends us flying above the mountains. There is nothing else like it that I've ever heard. I cannot do it justice, this music must be heard. It is unique moment that everyone deserves to experience.

For this reason along, the song East West, makes this recording a must. But there is also all of the rest of the songs, including Butterfield's catchy solo on Work Song.

Better than ever!
I sampled all tracks and was surprised that I knew all of them since I had never owned it or even heard it in 30 years. Bought it and love it.

YOU ARE BUYING THE RIGHT CD....................
I too had this on vinyl and wore it out 5 times and one listen to "I've got a mind to give up living" will send you out of your head. Maybe this is one of the cd's or of of the bands youeither love or hate because I don't love evry cd they have made. But with this versions line-up, the Butterfield Blues Band ain't s***. Sorry to all u die hards.

There are many more memorable sond here than on any other PBBB albums, but go ahead and listen and u be the judge.

Good, but not Great Blues
I'm a huge fan of Chicago blues and a big fan of Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, but this album doesn't do it for me. The title cut East West is great and is nearly half the album hence the three stars. This album sounds a bit dated and I its due to the slightly heavy phycodelic rock influence found on this album. PBBB was on of those groups (like the ned of the Peter Green Fleetwood Mac era) that was trying to push the boundries of the blues art form. What you have 30 years later is an album that just doesn't sounds that good. that doesn't do it for me. I don't think this album as aged well. The blues are timeless and should hold up to the test of time. Great artist like Magic Sam and Lowell Fulson still sound great today. This album doesn't. Buyer Beware I guess.

Seminal Blues-Rock-Jazz Fusion
The Jazz-Rock fusion movement of the late 70's (Weather Report, Spyro Gyra, Tony Williams) was born on this album. If I could only keep one record in my collection, this would probably be the main contender for that position. This album is a musical safari including a remarkable variety of musical idioms in a Blues context that goes way beyond Blues. Obviously, the East-West track is the pinnacle of this exploration. Listen closely and you will hear East Indian, Calypso, New Orleans Jazz, Bluegrass, and 4 or 5 other distinct musical styles each in a separate movement with very striking transitions. When I first got this album as a sophmore in college in 1966, I used to put on the East-West title track in the late afternoon and drift off into a wonderful, dreamy nap carried off in a magical concoction of World music as I think no one had ever heard before.

This is just a glorious masterpiece, a high-point in American popular music. It feels as good today to listen to it as it did in 1966.

Oh, aspiring blues guitarists would be wise to try to copy Mike Bloomfield's delicate, complex and powerful solo on "I've Got A Mind to Give up Living." I wore out my vinyl copy trying.