record collection revisited: Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper & Stephen Stills "Super Session"

Here is a record near and dear to my heart.  When I first heard "Super Session", that made me really begin to dig into Mike Bloomfield.  I'd heard the name before, but not much as far as what he could do with a guitar.  Holy smokes!  I'd heard Clapton, Hendrix, Duane Allman and the like.  But hearing Bloomfield's Les Paul through a Fender Twin Reverb amp made me see that someone could achieve a very strong, beautiful tone on a Les Paul without it becoming overly huge and have nuance to it.  OK.  So, that's the guitar geek in me coming out.  But, still, that's what makes this record, even though Bloomfield played on I think just four or five tracks and while he was out of commission due to some substance (obviously, this thing was still recorded during the '60s revolution), Steve Stills also played on the record.

But, it's Bloomfield's work along with Al Kooper on organ on some of the opening cuts like "Albert's Shuffle", "Stop", and "Really" that just floor me.  There is something unique about this record's sound even though it could very well just be considered a regular ol' electric blues record.  I met someone (actually a college professor who I never worked with but who I knew a little bit), who was a '60s rock and roll fan.  I mentioned I was a guitarist.  He said, "have you heard Mike Bloomfield?"  I said, "no, I haven't".  Well, from the time the prof told me who he was, I KNEW I had to check him out.

I subsequently got into his work with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and his collaboration in that band with Elvin Bishop who I was familiar with already from his '70s boogie rock chart toppers.  But Bloomfield was someone who I latched onto the style of almost instantly as he gets a tone out of a Les Paul that maybe hasn't been heard before or since.  For a guitarist, this is a must have record.  I'll say that much.  Here's the track listing.

1. Albert's Shuffle
2. Stop
3. Man's Temptation
4. His Holy Modal Majesty
5. Really
6. It Takes A Lot To Laugh (It Takes A Train To Cry)
7. Season Of The Witch
8. You Don't Love Me
9. Harvey's Tune
10. Albert's Shufffle (2002 remix w/o horns)
11. Season Of The Witch (2002 remix w/o horns)
12. Blues For Nothing (bonus track)
13. Fat Grey Cloud (live) (bonus track)

Great record.  Check it out.