20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of B.B. King

by B.B. King

Overview

Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around -- well, the 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection wasn't too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it's hard to feel that way when it's used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptuous title, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it's impossible for any of these brief collections to be definitive, but they're nevertheless solid samplers that don't feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take B.B. King's 20th Century volume -- it's an irresistible ten-song summary of his MCA recordings. There may be a couple of noteworthy songs missing, but many of his best-known songs for the label are here, including "The Thrill Is Gone," "Ain't Nobody Home," "Let the Good Times Roll," "Don't Answer the Door," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss." Serious fans will want something more extensive, but this is an excellent introduction for neophytes and a great sampler for casual fans, considering its length and price. That doesn't erase the ridiculousness of the series title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/1999
Label:	Geffen / Mca
UPC:	0008811193928
Rank:	50570

Tracks

1. The Thrill Is Gone
2. Ain't Nobody Home
3. Let the Good Times Roll
4. Guess Who?
5. I Like to Live the Love
6. Don't Answer the Door
7. Sweet Sixteen
8. Paying the Cost to Be the Boss
9. I Got Some Help I Don't Need
10. Into the Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

B.B. King   Primary Artist
Bobby "Blue" Bland   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

James F. Johnson   Composer
Charles Mann   Composer
Rick Darnell   Composer
Dave Clark   Composer
Mark Johnson   Composer
Roy Hawkins   Composer
J. Johnson   Composer
Dave Crawford   Composer
Jerry Ragovoy   Composer
Jesse Belvin   Composer
Sam Theard   Composer
Fleecie Moore   Composer
Fleecy Moore   Composer
Joe Josea   Composer
JoAnne Belvin   Composer
Ira Newborn   Producer,Composer
Bobby "Blue" Bland   Performer
B.B. King   Composer
Andy McKaie   Producer