Various Artists 25 Years Anniversary Set (CD+DVD)

Pop the champagne: Ruf Records is 25. A lot has changed in rock ‘n’ roll since 1994. We’ve seen a thousand bands rise and fall. We’ve watched a hundred rock scenes blow up and burn out. All the while, Ruf has steadily evolved, from its roots as one man’s vision, to the most respected blues/rock label around, with a roll-call of talent to top any independent on the planet. And if that sounds like a bold statement, you’re holding the proof in your hands…
Of course, Thomas Ruf didn’t expect any of those accolades back in 1994. Back then, Ruf’s charismatic founder and leader created the label simply to give the legendary Chicago bandleader Luther Allison a platform to release some of the best albums of his career. Tragically, Luther himself was lost to cancer in 1997, but Ruf Records never missed a beat, continuing to develop some of the brightest talent in America, Britain, Europe and beyond, while always retaining its fearsomely independent spirit.
Walter Trout, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Mike Zito, Jeff Healey, Savoy Brown, Dana Fuchs, Bernard Allison, Samantha Fish and many more. To anyone with even a passing interest in quality blues, the Ruf roster since 1994 reads like a hall of fame, taking in legends, supergroups and bright young talents. As such, when it came to compiling this special 25th anniversary release, the songs selected by Thomas across these CD and DVD Sampler are all killer, no filler.
So here it is. Twenty-six classic tracks by Ruf artists on CD and DVD celebrating the brightest and best records of the label since 1994.
Twenty-five years. It’s been quite a ride, with one hell of a soundtrack. So here’s to the story so far – and the next twenty-five years…

Selections:

Disk 1 of 2 (CD)
1. Texas Honey (Venable Ally)
2. Straitjacket (Johnson Jeremiah)
3. Backdoor Man (Allison Bernard)
4. Chills & Fever (Fish Samantha)
5. Low Down (The BB King Blues Band)
6. Deep In My Soul (Willson Big Daddy)
7. First Class Life (Zito Mike)
8. Hard Working Woman (Sky Vanja)
9. Why Did You Hoodoo Me (Brown Savoy)
10. Weeds (Lee Michael)
11. Get Mine (Forsman Ina)
12. Boogie Depression (Wainwright Victor)
13. She's Coming After You (Pejak Katarina)
14. Faker (The Ragtime Rumours)
Disk 2 of 2 (DVD)
1. If You want to Leave (Risager Thorbjorn & The Black Tornado)
2. Bliss Avenue (Fox Dana)
3. Moonlight Over The Mississippi (Royal Southern Brotherhood)
4. Diamonds In The Dirt (Taylor Joanne Shaw)
5. Here I Am (Brown Oli)
6. The House Is Rocking (Pejak Katarina, Forsman Ina, Venable Ally)
7. Low Down And Dirty (Zito Mike, Sky Vanja, Allison Bernard)
8. Country Boy Soul Medley (Willson Big Daddy, Collier Vanessa, Cranstoun Si)
9. Honky Tonk Woman (Forsman Ina, Zoe Layla, Taylor Tasha)
10. Join Me On The BluesCaravan (Jones Laurence, Skjolberg Christina, Castiglia Albert)
11. So Sad (The World's In A Tangle) (Canned Heat)
12. Living In The House Of Blues (Allison Luther)