The Blues Brothers "The Definitive Collection" (1992)

The Definitive Collection (compilation)
release date: 1992
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Bob Tischler, Paul Shaffer
label: Atlantic - nationality: USA

Compilation album by The Blues Brothers mainly produced by Tischler and compiled by Michael A. Mazzareila.
The album comprises many of the duo's better tracks and despite containing 20 tracks, I simply find that too many essential tracks are missing out, and it's also a bit strange to include two tracks from the original motion picture soundtrack The Blues Brothers - one (great track) by Ray Charles and another (fine song) by Aretha Franklin, when Aykroyd and Belushi do not feature on those tracks. The album simply doesn't match its title.

The Blues Brothers "Made in America" (1980) (live)

Made in America (live)
release date: Dec. 5, 1980
format: vinyl (reissue - ATL 50 768)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Bob Tischler & Paul Schaffer
label: Atlantic - nationality: USA

3rd and final album by The Blues Brothers - including the soundtrack for the film "The Blues Brothers" (Jun. 1980). The album is the band's second live album - this time recorded live at the Universal Amphitheater, Jul. 26 - Aug. 1, 1980 by Record Plant, LA.
The album consists of traditional 'blues' and 'rhythm & blues' material but lacks some of the sheer energy that characterised the live debut, Briefcase of Blues (1978), and it doesn't have the star quality as the soundtrack album, which makes this the band's weakest performance.

"The Blues Brothers" (OST) (1980)

The Blues Brothers (soundtrack)
release date: Jun. 20, 1980
format: vinyl (ATL 50 715) / digital (1995 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]
producer: Bob Tischler
label: Atlantic - nationality: USA

Soundtrack album for the John Landis comedy hit film "The Blues Brothers" (1980) starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd - a film based on the characters, The Blues Brothers, invented by Belushi and Aykroyd for the Saturday Night Live comedy show in '78. The album may also be seen as the second of three albums by The Blues Brothers, who made their album debut in Nov. '78 with the live album Briefcase Full of Blues.
The music on the album is a mix of tracks either featuring The Blues Brothers, or some of the stars featuring in the film, which includes Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker, Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. The soundtrack is a great collection of original 'soul' and 'rhythm & blues' made with sheer dedication, admiration and respect for the music.

The Blues Brothers "Briefcase Full of Blues" (1978)

Briefcase Full of Blues (live)
release date: Nov. 28, 1978
format: cd (2014? remaster - 7567-82788-2)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Bob Tischler
label: Atlantic - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Opening: I Can't Turn You Loose" - 2. "Hey Bartender" - 3. "Messin' With The Kid" - 4, "(I Got Everything I Need) Almost" - 5. "Rubber Biscuit" (other live performance) - 6. "Shot Gun Blues" (other live performance) - 9. "Soul Man" (from SNL) - 11. "Flip, Flop & Fly"

Album debut by The Blues Brothers is a live album of 12 tracks with a running time just below 40 mins. It's the live recording of a concert Sep. 9, 1978 at the Universal Amphitheater, L.A. when the band opened for Steve Martin.
It's the collection of traditional blues and rhythm & blues compositions from the 1950's, 60's and 70's. The band, The Blues Brothers, feature the two actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the band's main singers with Belushi as lead vocalist - they are supported by the true musicians of The Blues Brothers' band: Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper and Matt 'Guitar' Murphy on guitars, Donald 'Duck' Dunn on bass guitar, Paul 'The Shiv' Shaffer on Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, backing vocals and as the band's musical director, Steve 'Getdwa' Jordan on drums & backing vocals, and the horns' section with Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin on trumpet & backing vocals, Lou 'Blue Lou' Marini and Tom 'Triple Scale' Scott both on tenor & alto saxophones as well as backing vocals, and Tom 'Bones' Malone on tenor & baritone saxophones, trombone, trumpet and backing vocals. This whole constellation works like a longtime relationship, and the two newbies, Belushi and Aykroyd mingle in rather neatly. Belushi has the rusty vocal that works quite nice in the traditional blues and rhythm & blues arrangements they mostly cover and then Aykroyd fills in and takes the lead on the more unusual tracks like the Otis Redding song "I Can't Turn You Loose" and he simply shines on the fine and crazy "Rubber Biscuit" 1956 doo-wop and comedy song originally by The Chips, and then Aykroyd also plays the harmonica.
It's a typical misconception that the band of The Blues Brothers was created in the aftermath of the film's popularity, when instead the idea of the pair had been created for comedy sketches for the Saturday Night Live Show, Belushi's widespread popularity from the show and his most recent leading part in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978) together with Aykroyd's comprehensive knowledge about the roots of the music led to the actual formation with the above-mentioned musicians in the fall of 1980 and a script for a full-length comedy film about the two brothers and the soundtrack for the film: The Blues Brothers (Jun. 1980) by John Landis, which again led to a third and final album, Made in America (Dec. 1980).
The album became a spectacular success peaking at number #1 on the Billboard 200 in the US and it remains one of the best-selling blues albums ever.

"National Lampoon's Animal House" (OST) (1978)

National Lampoon's Animal House (soundtrack)
release date: Jul. 28, 1978
format: vinyl (reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Kenny Vance
label: MCA Records - nationality: USA

Soundtrack album to the comedy film "National Lampoon's Animal House", or just: "Animal House" (1978) directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi.