Great Blues Recordings - Koko Taylor, I Got What it Takes

In my continuing series of what I think of as the great blues recordings I want to present Koko Taylor's album "I Got What it Takes."

To say that I love this album is an understatement. It takes me back to a time in my boyhood that I became aware of the women who hung out at juke joints. The kind of woman who would make a statement like "I Got What it Takes" and mean it.

And if you listen to this album you will come away from it secure in the knowledge that Mrs. Taylor has what it takes too. The album was recorded in 1975, and this was just about around the time that I am talking about. This was Taylor's first release for Alligator Records and is a good introduction to her later work for that label. This CD contains 11 tracks which make for the kind of modern party music played in juke joints all over the blues world at the time, they all have that gritty but upbeat sound that I love to wallow in.

The liner notes to the release state, Koko Taylor has "no hesitation at all to put you right down in blues alley. There's total involvement, total commitment to the truth of the blues. Whether you want to or not — she'll make you get down." If you buy this CD and give it a listen, you will have no doubt about this.

Tracks from this CD

01. Trying To Make A Living <- Click here to sample this song.
02. I Got What It Takes
03. Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
04. Voodoo Woman
05. Be What You Want To Be
06. Honkey Tonkey
07. Big Boss Man
08. Blues Never Die
09. Find A Fool
10. Happy Home
11. That's Why I'm Crying

I did a search for some cool Koko Taylor video, but could not find anything from this album. Please take a look at this video to get a sense of what it is like to see Mrs. Taylor perform in person.



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