Seeing this reissue made me chuckle a little. 

Not because of the reissue. Oh gosh, no! This album simply brought back a memory...

When I was about 9, I very vocally declared my hatred for blues. I also vowed never to listen to any of it. EVER! 

My brother was big into blues (still is, actually) and his records reverberated throughout the house all the time. 

I was into metal so, well, go figure...

But of course, over time, I started reaching for other music. I eventually heard "Mannish Boy" from Electric Mud and, nothing was the same again. 

I got the blues.

So, I can openly state this now: Albert King's I'll Play the Blues for You is an absolute masterpiece. It's, perhaps, not the most orthodox blues album out there. You can hear plenty of soul and funk here, too.

But you know what, that's half of its charm.

And the other half is ... the bass.

Bass lines make this album to me. And I know, this is Albert King we're talking about here, not a bass player from The Bar-Kays (King's backing band on this record.)

But there's plenty of King here, too, of course. There's his voice, naturally, and he's in top form vocally. You hear plenty of his guitar, too, with its unique sound, almost as if he was playing it in a tunnel.

The spoken parts that he loves doing so much are present as well (listen to that bridge in the title track... Would it be the same without King's chatting?)

But at the core of every song is that groovy, soul-infused bass.

The mix accentuates it further. Bass is sitting practically on its own in the far left, sounding mighty and meaty. Only on several tracks you hear organ, gentle percussion, or a rhythm guitar behind it.

Drums and keys (with horns, whenever they come on) are placed in mid-right.

And King naturally takes the center stage.

The groove on this album is incredible, too. What I also love about this one is that King and his backing band are given enough time to develop each song. Unlike his more popular outing, Born Under a Bad Sign which was compiled from short tracks recorded for singles, I'll Play the Blues for You includes some lengthy playing.

Two of the tracks cross the seven-minute mark. A few more are close to or just beyond 5 minutes. And only two songs follow the same 2-3 minute format as pieces on Born...

And originally they could have been even longer. Many tracks end with a fade out, which is actually a shame. I'd love to hear how far they took those tracks on those sessions.

But nonetheless, there is plenty of fine playing here.

The title track is all about that amazing, soulful vocal performance from King. Oddly enough, given its length (over 7 minutes), it contains very little soloing with a big chunk of the song taken by a spoken word section.

Little Brother, one of the two short pieces, is a quick funk/soul piece that will get your foot stomping.

Breaking Up Somebody's Home is another giant groove. Bass and horns work incredibly well together. Their playing is mesmerizing. And King finally gets enough time for some really great soloing. I particularly love that incredible moment when King shifts from pure blues to more funky playing in the solo. He's switching so naturally you can miss it, but it's there and it really pushes the song forward.

I'll Be Doggone is an intriguing track. For one, you can hear the audience throughout, including a call and response between them and King. But I haven't found any information that this is a live recording. Plus, you can hear studio banter at the end of the piece...

Answer to the Laundromat Blues is clearly a poke at Laundromat Blues from the Born Under a Bad Sign album. It contains, perhaps, not the most correct lyrics by today's standards but we have to remember that it was 1972.

The album closer, Angel of Mercy, is a heavy, slow blues with quite a dark overtone. It's the second track featuring wonderful organ backing, and you can also hear another guitar behind the bass.

A quick note on the reissue itself. Craft Recordings, the label responsible for this reissue has done a marvellous job.

I'll Play ... was mastered from the original tapes and it shows. The sound is warm, analog, even tubey (and mind you, I own a hi-res FLAC digital release, not the vinyl.)

The mix is preserved beautifully. Instruments sound clear and again, warm. There's no sibilance.

It's just a pure joy to listen.

And sure, I could complain that the additional tracks available on an earlier, 2012 reissue aren't present. Or that more information about the release isn't available (my hi-res edition didn't come with any insert.)

But let's face it: these are minor things.

On the whole, this is a must-hear album reissued with the absolute care it deserves.

I'm happy to be able to play it.