An Anthology -- The Elektra Years is a double-disc, 33-song set that offers a comprehensive overview of
Paul Butterfield's eight years with the label. His first two albums,
Paul Butterfield Blues Band and
East-West, were seminal, groundbreaking records that blurred the boundaries between blues, jazz and rock, suggesting everything from blues-rock to psychedelia. They were stunning achievements which proved difficult to match, but
Butterfield's remaining albums for the label all had a few good cuts.
An Anthology does a nice job of rounding up those highlights, picking the best moments from uneven records; consequently, it's quite a valuable package for listeners who simply want a sampling from those later albums instead of purchasing them individually.
Butterfield's first two albums remain necessary listens in their own right, but this set offers an excellent summary of his entire stint with Elektra. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine