The Holmes Brothers - Righteous!: The Essential Collection

Size: 171.6 MB
Time: 74:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Blues Gospel
Art: Full

01. Got Myself Together (4:54)
02. Promised Land (3:35)
03. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (6:32)
04. Fannie Mae (3:19)
05. The New And Improved Me (3:55)
06. I Surrender All (4:44)
07. Train Song (2:56)
08. None But The Righteous (5:58)
09. Dashboard Bar (3:44)
10. Don't Spare Your Sword (6:09)
11. I've Been A Loser (3:21)
12. Please Don't Hurt Me (4:19)
13. The Final Round (2:51)
14. There Goes My Everything (5:55)
15. There's A Train (3:55)
16. And I Love Her (4:50)
17. Walk In The Light (3:15)

Andy Breslau described the Holmes Brothers' music as "gospel-infused doo wop funk," which pretty much captures the spirit and synthesis of their style. Combining old R&B, soul, and gospel, brothers Sherman and Wendell Holmes along with Popsy Dixon create a rich sound filled with lovely harmony. The intensity of the group's studio performances evokes a live feel, offering an inkling of what their performances at Lynch's in Manhattan must have sounded like during the '80s. Righteous! collects almost 75 minutes of material from the group's four Rounder albums, beginning with In the Spirit in 1990 and ending with Promised Land in 1997. The album kicks off with a bit of electric blues topped with a healthy dose of soul on "Got Myself Together," a song that jumps out of the gate at a gallop and holds to a steady gait for five minutes. Gospel-drenched pieces like "Promised Land," complete with electric guitar, will have non-believers singing along, while classics like "There Goes My Everything" combine classic soul with a touch of country. One also wouldn't want to miss the Holmes Brothers' takes on Tom Waits' "Train Song" and the Beatles' "And I Love Her." Breslau's liner notes, which travel back to the Holmes Brothers' residency at Lynch's, are both edifying and fun to read. While all of the albums the Holmes Brothers recorded for Rounder are worthy efforts, Righteous! offers a solid introduction to anyone who has missed out on their wonderful music.

Righteous!: The Essential Collection MP3
Righteous!: The Essential Collection FLAC

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Holmes Brothers - Jubilation

Size: 118,1 MB
Time: 50:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Blues Gospel
Art: Full

01. Jesus Is Alright (2:33)
02. I Had My Chance (3:31)
03. Amazing Grace (7:55)
04. I'll Fly Away (3:06)
05. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me (4:50)
06. Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Saviour (3:57)
07. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (7:01)
08. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (3:40)
09. All Night, All Day (2:31)
10. Do Lord (2:40)
11. Oh How I Love Jesus (3:11)
12. The Power Of The Lord Come Down (2:36)
13. A Brother's Prayer (2:29)

Jubilation is a revealing, wonderful collection of the Holmes Brothers' distinctive soul. The brothers tie together a seemingly disconnected array of styles -- everything from straightforward blues, R&B, and gospel to worldbeat and country -- and come up with a cohesive whole. Even when the group delves into soukous or works with a Chinese flutist, it manages to retain the pure qualities of American blues and R&B. ~by Thom Owens

Jubilation MP3
Jubilation FLAC

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The Holmes Brothers - Feed My Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:21
Size: 113.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Gospel-blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:57] 1. Dark Cloud
[3:01] 2. Edge Of The Ledge
[5:04] 3. Feed My Soul
[3:44] 4. You're The Kind Of Trouble
[3:12] 5. Something Is Missing
[3:00] 6. Living Well Is The Best Revenge
[4:46] 7. I Saw Your Face
[3:05] 8. I Believe You I Think
[4:02] 9. Fair Weather Friend
[2:56] 10. Put My Foot Down
[2:54] 11. I'll Be Back
[3:38] 12. Pledging My Love
[3:07] 13. Rounding Third
[3:46] 14. Take Me Away

Feed My Soul is the Holmes Brothers’ fourth album for Alligator Records, and like the trio’s first release for the label, Speaking in Tongues, it was produced by longtime friend Joan Osborne, who also adds background vocals on several cuts. Nothing here is startlingly different than what the Holmes Brothers have been doing all along, which is a good thing, really, because the group’s joyous fusion of gospel, R&B, and soul is remarkably comforting and durable. For Feed My Soul, though, Wendell Holmes, Popsy Dixon, and Sherman Holmes, sparked by Wendell’s recent battle with cancer, seem to have found even deeper wells of compassion and wisdom, and if this album isn’t markedly different than the group’s earlier ones, it feels somehow broader and more resilient, and even more hopeful and determined -- which is saying something, because these guys are all about being positive and keeping on no matter how dark the clouds are. There’s so much to like with this release, from the State-of-the-Union “Edge of the Ledge” to the wry “You’re the Kind of Trouble,” the stately devotion of “Pledging My Love,” and the jaw-dropping re-imagining of the Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back.” Imagine the Band playing with a deep dose of gospel in the veins at a Saturday night dancehall with half an eye on having a whole lot of fun and half an eye on redemption. Call it R&B, soul, or gospel, it doesn’t matter. It resonates deeply. ~Steve Leggett

Feed My Soul

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Various - Blues: S**t My Dad Listened To

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:10
Size: 149.2 MB
Styles: Assorted blues styles
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Hound Dog Taylor - Rock Me
[2:39] 2. Junior Wells - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
[2:28] 3. John Hammond, Jr. - Seventh Son
[3:18] 4. Kenneth Banks - Blue Man
[5:29] 5. Michael Messer - Robert Johnson's Wake
[4:01] 6. Corey Harris & Henry Butler - King Cotton
[2:18] 7. James Cotton Blues Band - Cotton Crop Blues
[2:34] 8. Howlin' Wolf - Dorothy Mae
[3:13] 9. William Clarke - Fishin' Blues
[3:39] 10. Lil Charlie & The Nightcats - My Money's Green
[5:12] 11. Koko Taylor - The Man Next Door
[5:05] 12. Shemekia Copeland - The Fool You're Looking For
[2:41] 13. Charlie Musselwhite - My Road Lies
[2:32] 14. Kenny Neal - Early One Morning
[3:11] 15. Jimmy Johnson Blues Band - Ain't That Just Like A Woman
[3:01] 16. Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson - Just Like Mama Said
[3:48] 17. Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Digging New Ground
[2:58] 18. Billy Boy Arnold - Move On Down The Road
[3:07] 19. The Holmes Brothers - Rounding Third

Blues: S**t My Dad Listened To

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VA - Bluesed Up Rock Classics

Size: 214,7 MB
Time: 92:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials - Leaving Here (3:26)
02. Michael Burks - Fire And Water (4:02)
03. Koko Taylor - Hey Baby (4:19)
04. Shemekia Copeland - Steamy Windows (5:02)
05. Nappy Brown With The Heartfixers - It Ain't My Cross To Bear (3:38)
06. Guitar Shorty - A Little Less Conversation (4:02)
07. Buckwheat Zydeco - When The Levee Breaks (5:14)
08. The Holmes Brothers - Bad Moon Rising (2:55)
09. Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows - Polk Salad Annie (4:08)
10. The Kinsey Report - Fire Down Below (4:46)
11. Coco Montoya - Ain't No Brakeman (3:40)
12. Janiva Magness - Bitter Pill (4:08)
13. Chris Thomas King - The Wind Cries Mary (3:52)
14. Tommy Castro - Gotta Serve Somebody (4:54)
15. Koko Taylor - Bad Case Of Loving You (4:24)
16. Tinsley Ellis - One Sunny Day (3:57)
17. Nappy Brown With The Heartfixers - Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (3:07)
18. Buckwheat Zydeco - Back In Your Arms (4:27)
19. The Kinsey Report - Rattlesnake Highway (4:06)
20. Guitar Shorty - I've Been Working (4:32)
21. The Holmes Brothers - (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding (4:13)
22. The Mellow Fellows - Feels Like Rain (5:08)

Bluesed Up Rock Classics

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VA - Telephone Blues: 23 Rare Blues Tracks

Size: 229,3 MB
Time: 98:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01 Detroit Junior - Some Nerve (3:06)
02 John Hammond - Long Distance Call (3:17)
03 Son Seals - Telephone Angel Aka You're On My Mind (5:24)
04 Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women - 1-800-799-7233 (5:32)
05 Long John Hunter - Trouble On The Line (4:57)
06 Kinsey Report - Answering Machine (5:39)
07 Jimmy Johnson - Your Turn To Cry (5:51)
08 Lonnie Brooks - Wrong Number (3:17)
09 Son Seals - Call My Job (4:40)
10 Shemekia Copeland - Suspicion (3:56)
11 C.J. Chenier - You Used To Call Me (3:57)
12 Hound Dog Taylor - Talk To My Baby Aka I Can't Hold Out (3:13)
13 Lucky Peterson - Can't Get No Loving On The Telephone (3:18)
14 William Clarke - Telephone Is Ringing (4:48)
15 Big Mama Thornton - Private Number (6:20)
16 The Holmes Brothers - He'll Have To Go (2:57)
17 Son Seals - I Can't Hold Out (4:13)
18 Michael Hill's Blues Mob - Wrong Number (5:40)
19 Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials - Don't Call Me (3:06)
20 Bnois King - Don't Lose My Number (3:31)
21 Siegel-Schwall - 334-3599 (2:31)
22 Son Seals - No, No Baby (4:27)
23 The Robert Cray Band - Phone Booth (4:38)

Telephone Blues

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Various - The Alligator Records Playlists: Gospel Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 100:45
Size: 230.7 MB
Styles: Gospel blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:33] 1. The Holmes Brothers - I Shall Not Walk Alone
[2:55] 2. Corey Harris - Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning
[4:29] 3. Gaye Adegbalola - Let Go, Let God
[5:01] 4. The Holmes Brothers - Farther Along
[5:38] 5. Katie Webster - Lord, I Wonder
[2:18] 6. The Holmes Brothers - God Will
[5:53] 7. Corey Harris - Just A Closer Walk With Thee
[4:18] 8. The Holmes Brothers - Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down
[5:47] 9. Joe Louis Walker - Soldier For Jesus
[4:45] 10. Mavis Staples - Step Into The Light
[2:30] 11. Corey Harris - Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel
[4:28] 12. The Holmes Brothers - New Jerusalem
[4:47] 13. Mavis Staples - I Wanna Thank You
[4:46] 14. The Holmes Brothers - Jesus Is The Way
[3:47] 15. Corey Harris - You've Got To Move
[2:42] 16. The Siegel-Schwall Band - Hey Leviticus
[2:18] 17. The Holmes Brothers - Jesus Got His Hooks In Me
[4:34] 18. Mavis Staples - Have A Little Faith
[3:59] 19. Shemekia Copeland - Whole Lotta Water
[3:23] 20. The Holmes Brothers - I've Just Seen The Rock Of Ages
[5:48] 21. Mavis Staples - God Is Not Sleeping
[4:08] 22. The Holmes Brothers - Speaking In Tongues
[3:29] 23. Mavis Staples - I Still Believe In You
[3:21] 24. The Holmes Brothers - Thank You Jesus

If American music is unique, it is largely due to its bedrock foundation of blues and gospel music, two forms of music that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century. Anchoring the sounds of African America, these styles underlay the musical innovations of the century: jazz, rhythm and blues, rock, soul and hip hop. They are known and cherished around the world and in every corner of the U.S. It would be impossible to imagine American music without them. ~Charles McGovern

The Alligator Records Playlists: Gospel Blues mc
Album split into 2 files: file 1 / file 2 zippy

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Various - Alligator Records Playlists: Prison Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:02
Size: 77.9 MB
Styles: Assorted blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Gaye Adegbalola - Jail House Blues
[4:54] 2. Billy Boy Arnold - Prisoner's Plea
[3:03] 3. Big Leon Brooks - Thirteen Years In Prison
[5:09] 4. Lonnie Mack - Cincinnati Jail
[4:47] 5. The Kinsey Report - Down In The Dungeon
[4:17] 6. The Holmes Brothers - Three Gray Walls
[3:36] 7. Charlie Musselwhite - Cook County Blues
[3:23] 8. Clarence Gatemouth Brown - My Own Prison

Songs of prison and captivity shaped what we have come to know as the blues. Angela Davis suggests that imprisonment was a central theme in blues music. This is borne out over and over. One of my favorite musicians, the great John Lee Hooker (who Bonnie Rait re-introduced to the mainstream in the 1990s) recorded his version of Prison Bound in 1949. In the song, he tackles the important ideas of the separation from loved ones and the sense of abandonment that can come from being incarcerated.

When they had my trial, baby
You know you couldn’t be found
When they had my trial
Baby, you could not be found
But it’s too late to cry, baby
Your daddy’s prison bound

~Prison Industrial Complex

Alligator Records Playlists: Prison Songs mc
Alligator Records Playlists: Prison Songs zippy

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Various - Shout, Sister, Shout! A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 66:14
Size: 151.6 MB
Styles: Gospel blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Joan Osborne With The Holmes Brothers - Nobody's Fault But Mine
[4:03] 2. Maria Muldaur With Bonnie Raitt - My Journey To The Sky
[5:07] 3. Toshi Reagon - Rock Me
[3:21] 4. Odetta With The Holmes Brothers - Two Little Fishes And Five Loaves Of Bread
[4:57] 5. Michelle Shocked - Strange Things Happening Every Day
[2:41] 6. Janis Ian - This Train
[3:00] 7. Marcia Ball - Shout, Sister, Shout!
[3:51] 8. Phoebe Snow - Beams Of Heaven (Feat. The Holmes Brothers)
[4:57] 9. Sweet Honey In The Rock - Precious Memories
[3:13] 10. Marcia Ball - I Want A Tall Skinny Papa
[4:22] 11. The Holmes Brothers - My Lord And I
[2:49] 12. Rory Block - Stand By Me
[3:44] 13. Maria Muldaur - Up Above My Head
[4:04] 14. Joanna Connor - Don't Take Everybody To Be Your Friend
[3:59] 15. Angela Strehli - That's All
[4:13] 16. Maria Muldaur - I Looked Down The Line (And I Wondered)
[3:43] 17. Marie Knight - Didn't It Rain

The music of the late Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of those buried treasures of Americana periodically exhumed to delight the previously unaware. Nominally a gospel singer, she was in fact a triple-threat performer: singer, guitarist, and composer. Of course, the respectful and tasteful covers by the all-female roster here reveal only Tharpe's compositional contributions. Festival staples like "This Train," sung by Janis Ian (with some snappy guitar picking of her own), and "Precious Memories," done in haunting but near tuneless fashion by Sweet Honey in the Rock, are joined by spirited renditions of lesser known Tharpe originals like "Beams of Heaven" (taken to church by Phoebe Snow) and "Up Above My Head" (Maria Muldaur). Other contributors like Victoria Williams, Rory Block, Odetta, and Michelle Shocked bring Tharpe's repertoire into their own stylistic realms. Tharpe's former singing partner Marie Knight most closely approaches the fervor of her late friend on "Didn't It Rain," with Jimmy Vivino hinting at Tharpe's guitar style. Thankfully the CD includes an MPEG of the Sister herself singing and rocking out on electric guitar with an energy unequaled elsewhere on the record. This video and her fascinating story as told by Gayle Wald in the extensive notes make Shout, Sister, Shout! a must-have. ~Michael Ross

Shout, Sister, Shout! A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe mc
Shout, Sister, Shout! A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe zippy

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Various - Alligator Records Playlists: Songs Of The City

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:22
Size: 140.5 MB
Styles: Assorted blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Koko Taylor - Bad Avenue
[4:06] 2. Son Seals - Gentleman From The Windy City
[3:51] 3. A.C. Reed - Moving Out Of The Ghetto
[4:59] 4. Michael Hill's Blues Mob - Living For The City
[5:23] 5. The Holmes Brothers - Concrete Jungle
[4:15] 6. The Kinsey Report - This Old City
[7:08] 7. The Kinsey Report - Code Of The Streets
[4:05] 8. Shemekia Copeland - Ghetto Child
[3:20] 9. Kenny Neal - Big City Ways
[4:43] 10. Maurice John Vaughn - Small Town Baby
[5:23] 11. Luther Allison - Big City
[3:42] 12. Luther Allison - Move From The Hood
[5:04] 13. Shemekia Copeland - Up On 1-2-5

Alligator Records Playlists: Songs Of The City mc
Alligator Records Playlists: Songs Of The City zippy

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The Holmes Brothers - Brotherhood

Released: 2013
Size: 123.6 MB
Time: 53:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Blues Soul Gospel
Art: Full

1. Stayed At The Party [3:29]
2. I Gave Up All I Had [3:13]
3. Passing Through [2:57]
4. You've Got To Lose [3:07]
5. Lickety Split [3:44]
6. Soldier Of Love [4:30]
7. Gone For Good [3:04]
8. Loving You From Afar [5:11]
9. My Word Is My Bond [3:04]
10. Drivin' In The Drivin' Rain [3:25]
11. My Kind Of Girl [3:20]
12. Darkest Hour [4:24]
13. Last Man Standing [2:44]
14. Amazing Grace [7:39]

Over the course of a 30-year career, with 10 acclaimed albums and thousands of live performances, revered roots trio The Holmes Brothers have garnered heaps of critical praise and countless loyal fans with their timeless blend of gospel-drenched blues, soul, funk and country, highlighted by heavenly vocal harmonies. Their four previous Alligator releases have sold over 83,000 units worldwide

On 'Brotherhood' The Holmes Brothers dig deep to deliver a wealth of authentic, joyous blues, funk, R&B and soul. Dominated by eight new Holmes Brothers originals, the album also includes sparkling versions of songs by Ike Turner, William Bell & Booker T. Jones, Ted Hawkins and more. The band's unparalleled version of "Amazing Grace," which opens every Holmes Brothers performance, is a soul-stirring highlight of the album.

Thanks To Mr.Walker :)

Brotherhood

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