It's not as if Albert King hadn't tasted success in his first decade and a half as a performer, but his late-'60s/early-'70s recordings for Stax did win him a substantially larger audience. During those years, the label began earning significant clout amongst rock fans through events like Otis Redding's appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival and a seemingly endless string of classic singles. When King signed to the label in 1966, he was immediately paired with the Stax session team Booker T. & the MG's. The results were impressive: "Crosscut Saw," "Laundromat Blues," and the singles collection Born Under a Bad Sign were all hits. Though 1972's I'll Play the Blues for You followed a slightly different formula, the combination of King, members of the legendary Bar-Kays, the Isaac Hayes Movement, and the sparkling Memphis Horns was hardly a risky endeavor. The result was a trim, funk-infused blues sound that provided ample space for King's oft-imitated guitar playing. King has always been more impressive as a soloist than a singer, and some of his vocal performances on I'll Play the Blues for You lack the intensity one might hope for. As usual, he more than compensates with a series of exquisite six-string workouts. The title track and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" both stretch past seven minutes, while "I'll Be Doggone" and "Don't Burn Down the Bridge" (where King coaxes a crowd to "take it to the bridge," James Brown-style) break the five-minute barrier. Riding strutting lines by bassist James Alexander, King runs the gamut from tough, muscular playing to impassioned cries on his instrument, making I'll Play the Blues for You one of a handful of his great Stax sets.

Это шестой студийный альбом Кинга на Стаксе. Именно с него начинается все это великолепие звука и аранжировок музыки Алберта. Создавать этот шедевр Кингу помогали ребята из Bar-Kays и Movement (группа и марка Айзака Хейза) - монстры и гении соул-фанк музыки на Стаксе.

На альбоме 8 треков на 40 минут. Великолепный звук и продюсирование вообще. Гитара Алберта звучит очень убедительно, это уже не ранний сырой звук, но очень оригинальный и узнаваемый саунд. Тут есть все: великолепный звук органа, духовые, перкуссия, подпевки, очень серьезная ритм-секция. Очень увлекательная звуковая палитра. На альбоме просто нет слабых треков и звуков. Я лишь хочу выделить несколько треков: I'll Play The Blues For You (Parts 1 & 2); Breaking Up Somebody's Home; I'll Be Doggone.

Оценка 5 баллов. Благодаря своему стилю соул-фанк-блюза и Стаксу Кинг продолжает удерживать само понятие БЛЮЗ на хорошем уровне популярности. На самом же деле, Кинг перешагнул границы блюза и расширил его возможности больше, чем кто либо еще до или после него.

Дмитрий Казанцев