Some of Koko's best
I picked up this CD on a whim since I have most of her music on vinyl and I have to say for a CD its very very good. They really captured her energy, power and detail with this pressing. If your new to Koko pick up this CD, I am sure it won't be your last.

Koko Taylor music
This was a gift for my daughter and she is thrilled with it. Koko
at her best....SG

Queen of Chicago Blues: Koko Taylor's Greatest Hits on Alligator, 1975-1999
Before marrying "Pops" Taylor, Koko Taylor was Memphis native Cora Walton. She had a number of hit songs on Chess records in the 1960s. After her time at Chess she went without a record label until she signed with Alligator Records; this 2002 collection is taken from those seven studio albums and one live album.

DELUXE EDITION consists of 15 songs, including one live recording (track 8) and one previously unreleased track (track 7), recorded 1975-1999 (most from '78-'93). Disc packaged in clear jewel case; total running time: 64:07. Booklet includes track information, but it is not easily discerned. There is also a six-panel fold-out with a mini-poster on one side; the other side is an assortment of captioned photographs, a discography (that does not provide release dates), and a short essay. Sound quality is excellent.

Track listing & info:
01. I'm a Woman [1978] mid-tempo, from "The Earthshaker"
02. Beer Bottle Boogie [1985] up-tempo, from "Queen of the Blues"
03. Born Under a Bad Sign (with Buddy Guy: vocal & guitar) [1993] mid-tempo, from "Force of Nature"
04. Mother Nature [1993] mid-tempo, from "Force of Nature"
05. Hey Bartender [1978] up-temp, from "The Earthshaker"
06. I'd Rather Go Blind [1981] ballad, from "From the Heart of a Woman"
07. Man Sized Job [1998/1999] up-tempo, previously unreleased
08. Let the Good Times Roll (LIVE) [1985] mid-tempo, from "Live from Chicago - An Audience with the Queen"
09. Voodoo Woman [1975] up-tempo, from "I Got What It Takes"
10. Wang Dang Doodle [1978] mid-tempo, from "The Earthshaker"
11. Stop Watching Your Enemies [1987] slow-tempo, from "Jump for Joy"
12. Sure Had a Wonderful Time Last Night [1981] Jazzy up-tempo, from "From the Heart of a Woman"
13. Come to Mama [1985] mid-tempo, from "Queen of the Blues"
14. Time Will Tell [1987] ballad, from "Jump for Joy"
15. Blues Hotel (with B.B. King: vocal & guitar) [1999] up-tempo, from "Royal Blue"

Familiar songs include "Born Under a Bad Sign", Etta James's "I'd Rather Go Blind", "Come to Mama" (recorded by Ann Peebles), "Let the Good Times Roll", and a remake of her own 1965 hit "Wang Dang Doodle".

This is a really fun CD. Koko Taylor is very deserving of the title "Queen of Chicago Blues" and any other accolades she receives. She has a powerful voice, as amazing as Bessie Smith, Mahalia Jackson, Big Mama Thornton, and Etta James. Long live the queen!

My God, That Voice!
If you have stumbled across this page because you are looking for a great blues CD to add to your collection, then congratulations--you have found it. If you buy this CD, or any other CD by Koko Taylor, you will be rewarded with moving songs that hit you right in your gut. In other words, this is not background music. This is music for when you actually want to listen to music. Koko need only sing one note and I have chills from head to foot. Not a lot of artists can do that to me. This is the real thing.

****1/2. A really nice sampler
Koko Taylor has been hailed as "Queen of the Blues" for almost forty years. Born Cora Walton in Mississippi in 1935, she made her first recordings for Chess Records in Chicago, but signed with Bruce Iglauer's Alligator Records in 1975 when Chess went under.
This 2002 compilation brings together 14 songs from her first seven Alligator albums. And the good people at Alligator have included a new song, of course...if they can make a few thousand diehard fans buy 14 songs they already have in order to get one new one, they'll do it.

Still, "Deluxe Edition" is a really fine collection.
The opening track is a somewhat predictable rip-off of Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy", and a couple of numbers are a little bit too polished for their own good.
But most of what is here is top-notch. Koko Taylor has a deep, powerful voice which was simply meant to sing the blues, and she excels on tough, swaggering grooves like "Come To Mama" and "Beer Bottle Boogie". The previously unreleased "Man Size Job" is one of the highligts of this set, and Taylor is equally convincing on soulful R&B numbers, dirty mid-tempo blues grinds, and a smouldering rendition of Etta James' soul ballad "I'd Rather Go Blind". It's just too bad that one of the best songs of her career, "Find A Fool, Bump Her Head", is missing.

As I said, great compilation. The only "problem", if you will, is that almost all of Taylor's original albums are so good that you are actually missing out on a whole lot of good music if you only ever buy this compilation.
But "Deluxe Edition" is a really good place to start, no doubt about that. Just remember that albums like "The Earthshaker", "Force Of Nature" and "I Got What It Takes" are equally fine...