It's not as if
Albert King hadn't tasted success in his first decade-and-a-half as a performer, but his late-'60s/early-'70s recordings for Stax did win him a substantially larger audience. During those years, the label began earning significant clout amongst rock fans through events like
Otis Redding's appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival and a seemingly endless string of classic singles. When
King signed to the label in 1966, he was immediately paired with the Stax session team
Booker T. & the MG's. The results were impressive: "Crosscut Saw," "Laundromat Blues," and the singles collection
Born Under a Bad Sign were all hits. Though 1972's
I'll Play the Blues for You followed a slightly different formula, the combination of
King, members of the legendary
Bar-Kays, the Isaac Hayes Movement, and the sparkling
Memphis Horns was hardly a risky endeavor. The result was a trim, funk-infused blues sound that provided ample space for
King's oft-imitated guitar playing.
King has always been more impressive as a soloist than a singer, and some of his vocal performances on
I'll Play the Blues for You lack the intensity one might hope for. As usual, he more than compensates with a series of exquisite six-string workouts. The title track and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" both stretch past seven minutes, while "I'll Be Doggone" and "Don't Burn Down the Bridge" (where
King coaxes a crowd to "take it to the bridge,"
James Brown-style) break the five-minute barrier. Riding strutting lines by bassist
James Alexander,
King runs the gamut from tough, muscular playing to impassioned cries on his instrument, making
I'll Play the Blues for You one of a handful of his great Stax sets. [The 2012 reissue of the album adds alternate versions of two songs, plus unreleased tracks "I Need a Love" and "Albert's Stomp."] ~ Nathan Bush