Bobby Bland – “Pity The Fool/The Duke Recordings, Volume 1” – MCAD2-10665

This double CD collection contains seminal work.  Across the landscape of these 44 songs is the indisputable velvety vocal style of a performer man whose panache charted the course for all blues crooners who came after him.  His accounts just seep of raw desire, and Bland, whose taken career nickname is “Blue”, idyllically recognizes how to communicate the longing, indignation, or whatever other human situation is the subject of the song so as to convey to the listener that he abundantly appreciates what the tune exclusively expresses to them.  Bland’s sound is an integration of gospel, rhythm and blues, and soul, constantly bestowed with the utmost attention as to the backing ensemble arrangement.  Bland can effortlessly alternate between a falsetto wail and a guttural sob or growl within the blink of an eye, and it is this clench on the nuances of the potency of the sung word that has ingratiated his blues to audiences across the globe. 

Below are the running track orders of both CDs in this formidable collection.  This is essential blues for any fan of the genre.

Song Titles

CD #1

• O.U. Blues
• Lovin’ Blues
• No Blow No Show
• Wise Man’s Blues
• Army Blues
• It’s My Life Baby
• Lost Lovers Blues
• Honey Bee
• Time Out
• You Or None (alternate)
• A Million Miles From Nowhere
• You Or None
• I Woke Up Screaming
• I Can’t Put You Down Baby
• You’ve Got Bad Intentions
• I Don’t Believe
• I Learned My Lesson
• Don’t Want No Woman
• I Smell Trouble
• Sometime Tomorrow
• Farther up The Road
• Teach Me (How To Love You)

CD #2

• Bobby’s Blues
• Loan Me A Helping Hand
• You Got Me (Where You Want Me)
• Last Night
• Little Boy Blues
• I Lost Sight Of The World (LP version)
• You Did Me Wrong
• I Lost Sight Of The World (single version)
• I’m Not Ashamed
• Wishing Well
• Is It Real?
• That’s Why
• Hold Me Tenderly
• Someday
• I’ll Take Care Of You
• Cry, Cry, Cry
• Lead Me On
• I’ve Been Wrong So Long
• I Pity The Fool
• Close To You
• Two Steps From The Blues
• Don’t Cry No More