This handsomely packaged 4-disc box set brings together the vast majority of B.B. King's 50s and 60s recordings for the various labels in the Modern family.

King's many excellent 50s singles are often overlooked by compilers, which means that those who "only" own, say "The Anthology" or MCA/Chess's "Greatest Hits" will find that 95% of this material is new to them.

The large 76-page booklet is thoroughly researched and well-written, and each individual CD focuses on a theme of sort: Disc one concentrates on hits like "Sweet Little Angel", "Sweet Sixteen", "How Blue Can You Get" "3 O'Clock Blues", "Did You Ever Love A Woman" etc, and it is the best and most varied, with numerous highlights and only a couple of clunkers (two boring, saccharine ballads).

The disc titled "Memphis Blues 'n' Boogie" is probably the least exciting...the material is consistent but unvaried with very few real highlights. The third disc is devoted to King's more or less succesful forays into soul, gospel, doo wop, and rock & roll, and the final one, "King Of The Blues", focuses on King's urbane 60s recordings.

Serious B.B. King fans will want to add this set to their collection right away, but more casual fans will probably find that five hours of B.B. King is just too much. You can get the best of these 106 recordings on "Do The Boogie: B.B. King's Early 50s Classics" and the twofer CD reissue of his first to LPs, "Singing' The Blues/The Blues", and most people will be happy with that, especially since much of King's output in the 50s and 60s (and 70s, 80s, and 90s output for that matter) was more consistent than varied.

Like the other review said, this might be too much for some but if you managed to find this page than you must be a fan of BB King.

I picked this box set up a few years ago but didn't listen to it too much at first. But I figured it would probably be out of print eventually and I would regret not picking it up. Just last week I listened to the entire thing, and now I can't stop playing it. The discs are divided really well. You get one disc of the more popular stuff, one of the early Memphis recordings, etc. It's incredible how consistant the entire box is. BB's guitar playing is great throughout and his singing is superb. The bands are always very tight. Great arrangements that will keep your foot patting the entire time.

So go ahead and indulge yourself. There are other single CD collections from this era. But I garuntee you once you dig in you're gonna want more. You deserve it so get the whole thing and turn it up!