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Title: Desert Island Disc but I prefer Black magic
Review: If a half star was allowed, I would have given this 4 1/2 stars. I know I am in the minority when not rating this 5 stars but this is a very good but flawed album. Sam was a terrific singer and guitarist and this album of what were mostly covers shows how he put his own personality in all the tracks. A few places the rhythm gets a bit clinky and on My Love Will Never Die, Sam's vocal goes a bit over-the-top and sounds shrill. Sam's rendition of Sweet Home Chicago, which he learned from Roosevelt Sykes, likely is the source recording for this Robert Johnson number ending up as the overplayed blues tune that it is now. But do not blame Sam for that as his version is first-rate. Other highpoints include his remake of his own All Your Love and I Don't want No Woman. Incidentally when I compiled the Desert Island Discs list for Living Blues two decades ago, this was one of the top ten choices.
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