West Side Soul ranks among many blues aficionados as one of Delmark Records’ two ‘desert island discs’ from the 1960s along with Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues. Both were fresh, spirited distillations of the blues as it was being played in Chicago’s ghetto clubs, capturing the phenomenon at a peak before the waves of generic albums that followed began wearing the repertoire thin. Magic Sam’s soaring vocals and sparkling guitar work enliven the remake of his own Cobra classic ‘All Your Love,’ propulsive boogies, and covers of nuggets from Little Milton, Otis Rush, J.B. Lenoir, and others. Sam’s ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ is one of the best versions ever recorded, long before the song became the overdone sing-along theme of every Windy City blues band. The original LP liner notes make special note of the inclusion of soul music in the blues (as reflected in the album title), and the disc kicks off with the soulful melody of the gospel-rooted ‘That’s All I Need.’
Recorded in Chicago, July 12 and October 22/25, 1967. Released on LP as Delmark DS-615 in 1968; on CD as DD-615 in 1991.
— Jim O’Neal
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