This 2003 release compiles tracks from
the Blues Brothers' two live albums and The Blues Brothers soundtrack. Of the 12 songs, five come from 1978's
Briefcase Full of Blues, five from 1980's
Made in America, and two from 1980's soundtrack. The songs from
Briefcase Full of Blues are the highlights; tracks like "Messin' With the Kid," "Rubber Biscuit," and the huge hit "Soul Man" are loose, full of fun, and alive with soul -- they capture a cultural moment and will have you dancing around the room. The two tracks from the soundtrack, "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," are less successful; Joliet Jake and
Elwood need a raw, live setting to shine -- coop them up in a studio and their flaws (mainly weak vocals) are very obvious. By the time
Made in America was released,
the Blues Brothers' schtick was wearing a bit thin (
Elwood sounds especially dorky on his molasses-slow rendition of
the Robins/
Coasters' "Riot in Cell Block #9"), the music was sounding a bit tired and overly professional, and the covers less obscure. There is enough energy in the presentation to make the music fun, but it doesn't have the same punch that the first record did. An essential
Blues Brothers release would probably have more songs from the first record, less from the second, and a couple more tracks from the soundtrack, like the funky "She Caught the Katy." You might as well choose The Definitive Collection. It sells for about the same price but has 20 songs instead of 12, including seven from
Briefcase; takes more songs from the movie, including
Aretha Franklin's storming version of "Think" (but not "She Caught the Katy" for some reason); and has a weird version of "Expressway to Your Heart" unavailable elsewhere. ~ Tim Sendra