This is an extremely brief single-disc summary of B.B. King's MCA output beginning with his first single for the label, 1963's "How Blue Can You Get?" through his pairing with Robert Cray on "Playin' with My Friends" from 1993's Blues Summit all-star recording. Among the many highlights are two tracks ("Every Day I Have the Blues" and "Sweet Little Angel") from the essential Live at the Regal, "The Thrill Is Gone" (which went to No. 15 in 1970, making it the highest charting blues song ever on the U.S. pop charts!) and the chilling "When Love Comes to Town" with U2. While condensing 30 years of music onto a single disc is an impossible task, this makes an excellent primer for novice fans on a budget. RECOMMENDED [Note: Last November MCA released the 2-disc B.B. King Anthology. It includes EVERY song on Greatest Hits, plus an additional 18 songs. For a few extra bucks, this would be the album to get instead.]

Known as the "King of the Blues," guitarist B.B. King, (short for "Blues Boy King"), who has been performing for well over half a century now, turned eighty in September of 2005. His album "80" was released just in time for the birthday party. King is known for his distinctive sound - especially his use of the sliding "bent" note, and for calling his electric Gibson guitar "Lucille." And he sure loves making love to Lucille!

A star studded cast of musicians join King for this celebratory album, including: Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Bobby Bland, Billy Gibbons, Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Daryl Hall, and Gloria Estefan. This is far from my favorite King album. The great man's booming voice and uncluttered guitar style, liberal use of bends, his signature tremelo, tend to overpower those he performs with. His talent casts a huge shadow, making it difficult for others to shine as he does. The commanding performances here, and the enjoyment, are provided by Mr. B.B., and the much younger artists have to strive to keep up with him.

"Early in the Morning," with Van Morrison is one of my favorite cuts and sets the bar high for those that follow. "The Thrill Is Gone," with Eric Clapton's fabulous guitar solos and B.B. playing his vocal chords, is an outstanding track, as is "Funny How Time Slips Away," with blues veteran Bobby "Blue" Bland. Mark Knopfler ("All Over Again'') and Billy Gibbons ("Tired of Your Jive'') are also CD pluses.

I am not at all thrilled with Gloria Estefan's "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere," nor with John Mayer's treacley ballad "Hummingbird." King's strong presence manages to salvage these pieces, however. And although I occasionally like Elton John, he cannot pull off "Rock This House," even with help.

King grew up sharecropping in the Mississippi Delta and learned to play gospel music on the guitar when he was a teenager. In the late 1940's he turned to playing blues and moved to Memphis, Tennessee to start a music career. He and his band toured almost non-stop, performing hundreds of shows a year. The birth of Rock & Roll music made stars of many black performers such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, James Brown and Chuck Berry. Unfortunately for B.B., "black" music, the blues, remained isolated from mainstream white America. He finally had a breakthrough success in the late 1960s, when white audiences began to discover the blues. Guitarists like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards sang his praises. B.B. King has recorded more than 50 albums, won 13 Grammys and received dozens of awards and honors over the years. Rolling Stone magazine recently named King as the third-greatest guitarist of all time, with Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band taking first and second positions. The technique of rock guitar playing is, to a large degree, derived from B.B,'s playing. Many great guitarists, like Bono, Clapton, and Richards pay tribute to him by dittoing that statement.

I love the blues, have since I was a little kid. My Dad did too, so maybe I have "blues" genes. B.B. King is so special to me because he's the reason blues hit the mainstream. During a recent interview, King commented about his lack of interest in retiring, even at 80 years-old, afflicted, as he is, with diabetes and aching joints. "I couldn't afford to do it,' King laughed. 'I have days off, but we don't get airplay like other styles of music, so I learned at an early age that unless I go out and carry music to the people, it sure don't come to them by air.'"

JANA

This certainly isn't everything you could ever want from the Beale Street Blues Boy, but it does give the first-time listener a pretty accurate idea about what to expect from B.B. King. For better or worse.

His excellent and highly influential 50s singles are missing, which is a shame, especially since some of those were actually sizable hits and this compilation has the audacity to call itself "Greatest Hits".

There are lot of great moments here anyway, like the swinging "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss", the epic "Why I Sing The Blues", and the slow burner "How Blue Can You Get" among them, and they sit next to two cuts from King's highly succesful "Live At The Regal" album, an excellent "Sweet Little Angel" and a hideous "Every Day I Have The Blues" which falls miles short of Memphis Slim's potent original ("Nobody Loves Me").

And there are just too many mediocrities on this album. B.B. King experimented with some sort of pop-blues fusion in the 70s and 80s, and the compilers have included "To Know You Is to Love You", "I Like To Live The Love" and "Hummingbird" from that unfortunate era. The duets with Robert Cray on "Playin' With My Friends" and rock group U2 on "When Love Comes To Town" are not much more uplifting, and too much of this material was recorded well after King's prime.

If you like B.B. King at his most pop-friendly, you will probably enjoy this compilation. If you like him at his grittiest, you will certainly be disappointed. May I suggest the new "Ultimate Collection" instead.

This collection shows the awesome power of B.B. and his lady Lucille. A long time fan of the King of blues it was nice to see such a colorful collection of his best. It is a must hear for all blues lovers young and old.

This will win a Grammy, as sure as I'm sitting here...and I am sitting here....you won't skip a track....every guest delivers the goods and B.B....well Mr King here's to 80 more...and thanks for bringing joy to the world.