i expected some kind of true mississippi delta blues, where bb would wax poetic in a rather gritty and depressing way about life in indianola. after all, having seen a fair ammount of live blues down here (in the home of the blues no less), the singers and their music are every bit as miserable and soulful as they are caricatured to be. however, this album sounds "bluesy" but not like the down-home blues that one might expect.

first of all, the album is rather slickly produced, with stings oddly inserted in various tracks, and horns blaring in the background. the tracks sound almost more "pretty" than "blue", with a driving drumset and bb's at times joyous voice pushing the rhythm and making you want to move your feet.

in one word, the album is pleasant. very much so, in fact. while i don't profess to know very much about bb king, i imagine it would be a good cd to begin with. that said, the music at times feels like it's pandering to commercial and pop sensibilities. fortunately, it does it well, and i don't see anything wrong with pleasant music.

however, if you're looking for something that feels a little more like the delta, check out some junior kimbrough and other artists currently signed to fat possum reccords.

Beautiful and Relaxed Record
This is a very powerful and moving record. Good for both serious and dilettante blues listeners. You'll never tire of it. Can't recommend it enough. And when you love it, go buy Luther Allison's Motown 1971-75.

wks

Edible
Although not quite as strong and cohesive as B.B. King's previous release "Completely Well", "Indianola Mississippi Seeds" contains some sweetly scintillating, chills up and down your spine musical vibes. These bluesy, rhythmic pulsations are supplied by a bevy of young, then unknown up and coming musicians, featuring the likes of Joe Walsh (rhythm guitar), Carole King (piano/electric piano) and Leon Russell (piano/electric piano). Together, along with "The King Of The Blues" himself, these four individuals (B.B. included) really put their own unique brand of polish to the tracks featured on "IMS", such as "You're Still My Woman", "Don't Ask Me No Questions", "Until I'm Dead And Cold", "Go Underground", and let's not forget the Russell-penned "Hummingbird", where Leon gives his all both musically and lyrically here. "King's Special", the CD's lone instrumental, is indeed special. It is on this track where "Lucille" gets wonderfully downright sassy, and she pulls no punches in the process! The main thing about these "Seeds", is not only are they edible, they also contain an extra amount of sweetness, and will make any set of taste buds come to life! With that ultra-hip, snazzy CD cover (featuring a watermelon carved in the shape of a guitar), including the noteworthy musical selections featured on this disc, one would think MCA would give "IMS" the remaster treatment, to which it rightfully deserves (and thus is long overdue), complete with the original album cover artwork, including liner notes and a lyric sheet. One major drawback to various parts of the instrumentation, as featured on this "Compact Disc-Compact Price" version of "IMS", is that Joe Walsh's rhythm guitar, Leon Russell's and Carole King's piano/keyboard playing comes across as sounding barely audible in spots. Hopefully MCA will adress this issue if they decide to remaster "IMS". These pre-mastered seeds are still quite tasty, nonetheless, and will leave you craving all the moreso. So please, by all means, eat to your heart's content! After all, B.B. wouldn't have it any other way for his devoted fans (even though I consider myself to be more of a casual fan, but a lover of B.B. King's music, nonetheless).
B.B. King in the late 60's and early 70's started to incorporate a more mainstream rock sound into his blues roots. The biggest single success of that merger was the stellar "The Thrill Is Gone" in 1969. The most cohesive album of the period is 1970's Indianola Mississippi Seeds. It contains some stinging guitar work as well as some of Mr. King's best vocal work. His voice is strong and earthy and he digs into the songs with a master's hand. This album isn't for blues purists, but if you are a casual fan of the genre, this is a great album to start with.

Seeds
Asking B.B. King to follow "Completely Well" with anything resembling that album's otherworldly brilliance was something along the line of asking Thomas Jefferson to follow up the Declaration of Independence with something approaching the Book of Ecclesiastes. That said, King seemed wisely to forget about even trying, and just concentrate here on laying his blues across the pop palette with a fluid, easy but soul-on delivery. He rounded up a small crew of southern Californian players not exactly renowned for blues empathy and got them onto his wavelength, seemingly, with little more than a wiggle on Lucille or a shiver of his trademark vocal melisma. Put these songs into the hands of the usual California suspects of the time alone and you'd probably have gotten a sow's ear out of a silk purse. And the feeling you get from King's singing and guitar playing throughout is that not only does he know it, but he knows precisely how to teach these otherwise somnabulistic whippersnappers a little lesson in soul. The result is one of the most likeable and affecting albums in the B.B. King canon. Those who carped that this was like a broken-bat single after the grand slam of "Completely Well" either a) expected unreality, or b) just plain didn't listen to this set. (Surprise treat: King at the piano for a playful tease, "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother," which says a little something extra if you listen closely enough.)
In the late '60s and early '70s, B.B. King made a series of albums in Los Angeles using rock-world ringers and session players as ABC sought to replicate the chart success of "The Thrill Is Gone." These recordings are mostly dispassionate filler, but this album is an exception. Produced by Bill Szymczyk and featuring guitarist Joe Walsh, pianists Carole King and Leon Russell, and drummer Russ Kunkel among its players, B.B. delivers minor classics in the stirring "King's Special" and the hard blues "Until I'm Dead and Cold." He also takes his only recorded turn at piano, vamping briefly through a flippant croon he calls "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother (And She Could Be Jiving Too)." --Ted Drozdowski