West Side Soul is the debut studio album by
Chicago blues musician
Magic Sam. Released by
Delmark Records in 1968, it is often cited as one of the key modern
electric blues albums.[1][2][3] The album includes a re-recording of Magic Sam's first
Cobra Records single, "All Your Love" (1957), and an updated "
Sweet Home Chicago", which became a popular blues anthem.
this isn't an album that should be preserved in amber, seen only as an important record. Because this is a record that is exploding with life, a record with so much energy, it doesn't sound old. Of course, part of the reason it sounds so modern is because this is the template for most modern blues, whether it comes from Chicago or elsewhere.[1]
In 1984, West Side Soul was inducted into the
Blues Hall of Fame as a classic of blues recording. Blues historian
Jim O'Neal wrote in the induction statement:
Magic Sam's soaring vocals and sparkling guitar work enliven the remake of his own Cobra classic "All Your Love," propulsive boogies, and covers of nuggets from
Little Milton,
Otis Rush,
J.B. Lenoir, and others. Sam's "
Sweet Home Chicago" is one of the best versions ever recorded, long before the song became the overdone sing-along theme of every Windy City blues band.[3]