To point out that Koko Taylor is the queen of Chicago blues is a bit like mentioning that the sky is blue: it's something that anyone with a passing familiarity with the genre knows, even if they've been living under a rock for the past 30 years. This record is a reissue of her self-titled 1969 debut, which definitively marked the beginning of her reign. In truth, she'd already been making waves on the scene for several years, teaming with producer Willie Dixon to record the classics "I Got What It Takes" and "What Kind of Man Is This" in 1964, but this album includes what would become her signature tune, "Wang Dang Doodle," recorded in 1965. Other songs that would develop a permanent association with Taylor's gut-deep, growling delivery include "I Love a Lover Like You" and the salty "Twenty-Nine Ways," but there are other gems here as well. Not the least of these is the downright spooky duet "Insane Asylum," with Dixon, as well as the previously unreleased "Love Sick Tears" and "He Always Knocks Me Out." The record also includes session appearances from some of the other household names of Chicago blues; Sunnyland Slim, Buddy Guy, Johnny Shines, Walter Horton, and, yes, Dixon himself doing bass and vocal duties. Although some of the material is somewhat dated, there's a timeless quality to Taylor's performance that illustrates why she's reigned for so long. --Genevieve Williams.

Tracks:
1. Love You Like a Woman
2. I Love a Lover Like You
3. Don't Mess With the Messer
4. I Don't Care Who Knows
5. Wang Dang Doodle
6. I'm a Little Mixed Up
7. Nitty Gritty
8. Fire
9. Whatever I Am, You Made Me
10. Twenty-Nine Ways to My Baby's Door
11. Insane Asylum
12. Yes, It's Good for You