Allison Wonderland: Anthology

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tippo, Mississippi's Mose Allison is a natural treasure, a "jazz sage" (as one of his best '60s albums on Atlantic aptly crowned him) whose laconic drawl, worldly perceptions, and drolly hip piano jazz have spawned their own imitators. Had he never opened his mouth, Allison's piquant mix of tart blues and pre-rock pop impressionism could have fueled a solid career as a pianist working through post-bop and cool jazz stratagems. But his deep feeling for classic blues and R&B, a poker-faced vocal mien gifted with razor-sharp timing, and an often mordant world-view translated to a long string of classic jazz vocal performances that mix humor, rue, and introspection to unique effect. This terrific 2 CD anthology culls definitive studio performances and smart live performances that canvass his "cotton sack" vignettes (including his own sophisticated variants on Delta blues and shrewd investigations of Percy Mayfield and Willie Dixon), shaggy dog stories, and secular sermons. --Sam Sutherland

Tracks:

Back Country Suite: Blues (a.k.a. 'Young Man's Blues')
Lost Mind
Parchman Farm
If You Live
The Seventh Son
Eyesight To The Blind
Baaby, Please Don't Go
Fool's Paradise
V-8 Ford Blues
Ask Me Nice
Hey, Good Lookin'
Back On The Corner
Your Mind Is On Vacation
Meet Me At No Special Place
I Don't Worry About A Thing
I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues
Swingin' Machine
Stop This World
I'm Not Talking
I'm The Wild Man
Your Red Wagon
Foolkiller
Wild Man On The Loose
You Can Count On Me To Do My Part
Smashed (Live)
I Love The Life I Live (Live)
That's Alright (Live)
Fool's Paradise (Live)

Tracks:

If You're Goin' to the City
Everybody Cryin' Mercy
Feel So Good
Molecular Structure
Monsters Of The Id
Hello There, Universe
I Don't Want Much
How Much Truth
Western Man
I'm Just A Lucky So-and-So
The Tennesee Waltz
Ever Since The World Ended
Top Forty
Josephine
Gettin' There
Ever Since I Stole The Blues
You Call It Joggin'
Big Brother
The Gettin' Paid Waltz

Amazon.com

Tippo, Mississippi's Mose Allison is a natural treasure, a "jazz sage" (as one of his best '60s albums on Atlantic aptly crowned him) whose laconic drawl, worldly perceptions, and drolly hip piano jazz have spawned their own imitators. Had he never opened his mouth, Allison's piquant mix of tart blues and pre-rock pop impressionism could have fueled a solid career as a pianist working through post-bop and cool jazz stratagems. But his deep feeling for classic blues and R&B, a poker-faced vocal mien gifted with razor-sharp timing, and an often mordant world-view translated to a long string of classic jazz vocal performances that mix humor, rue, and introspection to unique effect. This terrific 2 CD anthology culls definitive studio performances and smart live performances that canvass his "cotton sack" vignettes (including his own sophisticated variants on Delta blues and shrewd investigations of Percy Mayfield and Willie Dixon), shaggy dog stories, and secular sermons. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

This guy is unbelievable........2005-04-16

I have just been newly exposed to an artist that I can only describe as a legend. I caught Mose play last night in Miami and what a fan he turned me into! His voice is as good now as it was recorded in the studio, no lie. As I was sampling and purchasing his anthology, that is all I was thinking; you can still see an icon like this, 70something years old, convincingly in his prime.

The anthology is a great place to start, considering I recognize half of the songs from the show immediately.

The Ultimate From The Ultimate Hipster.......2000-05-20

Mose Allison is the ultimate hipster: his laconic yet never lazy delivery as smooth as a sunny summer afternoon breeze, his songs wry and sardonic set pieces filled with just the right amount of irony and wit, the music surrounding them uncluttered and casual. This double CD set of his "best" material gives casual buyers a superb overview of the man's fifty years in the biz. It starts with early cuts for Riverside in the fifties and winds on down through his Atlantic years (thanks to keenly biting songs like "Your Mind Is On Vacation" and "Your Molecular Structure") and ends up in the late eighties and mid nineties for Blue Note. Especially cool is hearing a grand cut like "Ever Since The World Ended", a post-Apocalypse blues that's genuinely funny and heart-warming at the same time (it's taken from the album of the same name on Blue Note, a totally recommended yet sadly deleted disc should the reader come across it). Here's the amazing thing: whether you listen to a classic like "Parchman's Farm" or his most recent material, Mose Allison sounds like he hasn't aged. Or maybe it's just that then and now, he was/is always just that much more ahead of us. We are not worthy! But we'll gladly enjoy this great anthology!

One of the greatest music finds I've have in some time.......2000-02-29

For how superb these songs are, I'm acutally quite shocked I had never heard of Mose Allison before. I heard a song of his from the soundtrack of a movie (It was "I Don't Worry About A Thing" from the movie "The Whole Nine Yards") and absolutely had to wait until the credits rolled to look for the song title and artist. I'm glad I did it.

I recently visited Las Vegas (and will be returning soon!) and had been curious about where all of the great music that I was listening to the whole time was hiding. I've heard some good stuff from various players, but nothing snuck up on me quite like this. If you enjoy the sound of a smooth bass line and a man who not only knows how to play the piano but has a fantastic voice, I highly recommend buying his works. I'll be purchasing more of his titles soon.

sound wonderful.......1999-03-23

It is soothing and wonderful music for the soul.bilahsira

Excellent!.......1999-03-08

Mose Allison is one of the greatest songwriters ever, and has all of the skills needed to get the most out of his instrument. If you havent heard him yet, this is the chance.

Music:

Music

Music