The Blues Brothers have always been underrated.

Ever since these guys found success playing blues and soul standards over the hardcore artists the blues purists have hated them: they hate outsiders.

The Blues Brothers is a great live band (and yes, nearly everything here is a live cut) that didn't use studio tricks that gives you an authentic sound.

The band itself is an assembaliage of talent I've never see before or since: take Booker T & The MG's, add Blood, Sweat, & Tears horns and Paul Scaefer's excellent arrangments and work on the keyboard plus the Brothers themselves who were comic geniuses, Elwood was a good harmonic player, and Jake approached each song as his last (which it unfortunately was all to soon).

They have great taste in the songs they pick, and as stated Scaefer's arrangments as second to none.

I shall repeat this: every tune heard in the classic movie!

This collection includes all the cuts from the live show albums "Briefcase Full Of Blues" and "Made In America" plus the studio album played like a live album (a la Let It Be before Spectre attacked it). It also includes the rarity "Exchesez Moi" which was the B-side of the Soul Man single and a Expressway, a cut from a incomplete Best Of collection.

The only things that are missing are a full version of Can't Turn You Loose, the live movie version of Everybody Needs Somebody, Stand By Your Man, Come On Up (a song from a bootleg of a live concert which was recorded and never released as they played only one new song), Sink The Bismark (an unknown song that they recorded for the movie after Stand By Your Man).

All those can be found in legal mp3's...

Best cuts: Everybody Needs Somebody, Gimme Some Lovin', Soul Man, Soul Finger, B Movie, FF&F, She Caught The Katy, Sweet Home Chicago, Who's Makin' Love, Green Onions, Going Back To Miami, & the intro/outro.

If you've seen the movie and liked the music don't waste your time on the soundtrack. This has that all and plenty more from the same mold (often better).

There are many albums put out by the Blues Brothers but this one is the best that features the music from the movie. In my opinion the soundtrack is the best soundtrack ever (a close 2nd is Pulp Fiction).

Minnie the Moocher, Sweet Home Chicago and Everybody Needs Somebody are three of the highlights of the cd. I am not a fan of the Blues but I really enjoyed this album and everytime I put it on it brings a smile to my face. This is one album that will have you tapping your feet.

This CD is just like the movie, only better. We've played this over and over and enjoyed it like no other. I even put it on my ipod and use it to walk my 3 miles a day. It really gives me a lift. Don't hesitate. You'll love it. I ordered the Frat Rock CD and Son of Frat Rock with it. We are rockin, out here in California.

I'm reviewing this CD set from a different perspective than most of the other reviewers on Amazon. That is, this set got me interested in the blues from an historical viewpoint. I took Jake and Elwood's advice and bought all of the blues performers they mentioned, "before they're all gone." I started with Willie Mabon, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. I bought music by Cab Calloway, and a blues anthology from Time-Life. I was fortunate to see Waters and Wolf live in Chicago. This CD set, and the 25th Anniversary Blues Brothers DVD are a must for those who enjoy this type of music. I'll also tell you that Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway stole the show. Ray Charles also played an important part. I'm really grateful because I'm still enjoying the blues thirty years after the movie and album were released. I'm still collecting blues and jazz today; from King Oliver to B. B. King. The music is enjoyable, and the movie is good entertainment.

I'm a native of Chicago, a South Sider (Roseland), and I've seen a lot of jazz and blues acts in my favorite city. I lived in Harvey, Illinois, at the time when and where part of the music was filmed, and worked for the Woolworth Company for two years at the Dixie Square shopping center where the chase scene was filmed. Sad to say, the mall is no more. My recommendation is to buy this set, then go out and purchase music by the real bluesmen. It will make you smile!

All I could expect. Don waste money and time to buy selections. It is the complete story:).