Review: Albert King’s Blues Classic ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ Returns

Albert King
Born Under a Bad Sign-reissue
(Craft Recordings)
Music-4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Reissue-4 out of 5 stars

It took a while for Albert King to wend his way to Memphis and Stax studios but when he finally did, in 1966, it was worth the wait.

Although King wasn’t a total unknown at the time (“Don’t Throw Your Love On Me So Strong” (1961) was a Top 14 R&B entry), he was far from a major player in the blues scene. That all changed when, at the rather advanced age of 44, he hooked up with the established Stax label and notably their house band, Booker T., and the MG’s along with the Memphis Horns. The collaboration was instantly successful with “Laundromat Blues” in 1966. King’s stinging lead guitar was underpinned by the greasy vibe of the backing outfit which, along with his instantly identifiable throaty vocals, pushed the slow blues into the red zone. It was the beginning of a run of further killers like “Oh, Pretty Woman” (not to be confused with Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”) and the mesmerizing puttering drums of “Crosscut Saw,” two covers that King and his band crafted in their own image.  

But these were just warming up for King’s triumph, this album’s title track “Born Under a Bad Sign.” Penned by Stax regulars William Bell and Booker T. specifically for King, everything clicked on the 1967 gutsy slice of mid-tempo blues. The lead-off horn lick jumps out of the speakers closely followed by King’s meaty, single-note riff. Although it only notched No. 49 on the R&B charts, once Eric Clapton grabbed it and cranked out a tough version on Cream’s Wheels of Fire a year later, the song entered legendary status.

It was now time to collect these singles onto an album and Born Under a Bad Sign was born. Its eleven cuts reprised every 45 and B side King had already recorded, adding some more soon-to-be-classics in the throbbing “The Hunter” and the smoother but memorable ballad “As the Years Go Passing By.” Original material was in short supply, so King included more covers. Of these, the standard “Kansas  City” worked fine in a credible if not terribly innovative take. But the addition of a few sappy ballads— “The Very Thought of You,” a hit for Nat King Cole, and Ivory Joe Hunter’s “I Almost Lost My Mind”—nearly derail the raw attack of the rest and still bring the total time to less than 35 minutes.

Regardless, the quality of those nine other gems create what has become over the subsequent decades, one of the most durable and lauded blues albums of the ’60s. It has inspired numerous guitar icons such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mike Bloomberg, Gary Moore, and many others.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that Born Under a Bad Sign has been reissued multiple times. This latest incarnation, cut from the initial stereo tapes onto vinyl and also re-released in the outdated SACD format, is the priciest and best sounding this will likely ever get. Unfortunately, five alternate takes, available on 2013’s previous reissue, are MIA here.

Music lovers, or at least those with high-end systems, that appreciate classic roots music, will find this deluxe package worthy of lightening their wallets, although the rest of us can make due with existing versions. In either case, it’s an album that, even after nearly 60 years, hasn’t lost an ounce of its spontaneous intensity.

Photo by Bill Carrier/ Concord Music Group