Although his name may not be as instantly recognizable stateside as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, or Led Zeppelin, Alexis Korner played an enormously large role in helping launch the British blues explosion of the '60s. After all, such soon-to-be household names as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ginger Baker, and Robert Plant either recorded with Korner, or credit the singer/guitarist as an early inspiration to follow their blues calling. The double-disc. 40-plus-track Kornerstoned: The Anthology 1954-1983 chronicles Korner's entire recording career, from Alexis Korner Skiffle Group in the early '50s, to fronting various bands later in the '50s and throughout the '60s (as Alex Korner's Blues Incorporated, Alex Korner's Blues All Stars, etc.), all of which are included here. Individual standouts include the recently unearthed "Steal Away," which features a 20-year-old Robert Plant (evidence that he had his whole "shrieking sex god" thing down -- even pre-Zeppelin), as well as a laid-back yet funky cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Mighty-Mighty Spade & Whitey" (credited to New Church), which features Free's then-lead singer Paul Rodgers on vocals. Also included is a mostly instrumental cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" (which long served as the theme music for the popular British TV show Top of the Pops), as well as another laid-back funk-rock cover, "The Gambler." Kornerstoned: The Anthology 1954-1983 is a fitting testament to one of rock's most oft-overlooked yet important figures. ~ Greg Prato, AMG
Disc 1: Midnight Special [Alternate Take] (2:49) Roundhouse Stomp (2:55) Rotten Break (3:50) Kidman (2:24) County Jail (3:12) 3/4 A. D. (4:40) She Fooled Me (2:21) I Wanna Put A Tiger In Your Tank (2:54) Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound (2:51) Blaydon Races (2:21) Up-Town (2:28) See See Rider (2:19) Blues A La King (2:52) Sappho (2:59) Taboo Man [Album Outtake] (2:08) I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man [Live] (5:35) Woke Up This Morning (2:43) Please, Please, Please (2:35) I Need Your Loving (2:17) Big Road Blues (2:36) Louise (4:47) Rosie [Alternate Take] (2:13) Mary, Open The Door (3:33) Steal Away (4:44) Mighty-Mighty Spade & Whitey (4:06)
Disc 2: Whole Lotta Love (3:34) Tap Turns On The Water (3:43) Hellhound On My Trail (3:12) Gospel Ship (3:35) Ooh Wee Baby [Live] (3:18) Wild Women & Desperate Men (3:34) Vicksburg Blues (3:26) Get Off My Cloud (5:30) Robert Johnson (4:10) Gambler (4:15) Love You Save (6:04) Pinetop's Boogie Woogie (3:24) Hey, Pretty Mama [Live] (4:21) Lining Track [Live] (3:23) Hammer & Nails (3:43) Key To The Highway [Live] (4:50) Blood On The Saddle (2:58) Juvenile Delinquent (4:00) Mean Fool [Live] (3:35)