B.B. King: The Essential Album Guide

LIVE AT THE REGAL (1965)
Key Tracks: "It's My Own Fault," "How Blue Can You Get?"
Quick Take: King's commercial breakthrough came in 1952, when a cover version of Lowell Fulson's 1948 hit "Three O'Clock Blues" reached #1 on the R&B chart. By the mid-sixties, King's career appeared to be winding down, as black audiences began to turn their backs on the blues. But the British blues revival — which saw the Rolling Stones making a pilgrimage to Chicago's Chess Studios — introduced the blues to young, white American rock fans. Live at the Regal, recorded in Chicago in 1964, paved the way for King's appearances on the rock-concert circuit and FM radio. It remains his definitive live set. His guitar sound was precise and powerful, driving emotional versions of some of his most influential songs, including "Everyday (I Have the Blues)" and "How Blue Can You Get?"

Live at the Regal (MCA)

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