The remaining six tracks on Albert King’s Funky London were previously unreleased. All were recorded in 1974 with various backup musicians including bassist Duck Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr., who also produced these sessions.

You can often hear why some material was better left unreleased but these new tracks prove exceptional and seriously dig into King’s blues groove. You can tell that Albert’s rockin’ just by listening to all his wordless vocal exclamations, especially numerous ejaculatory “Whoos!” that would make even Ric Flair proud. (I know that pro wrestling is generally considered lowbrow entertainment, but I also know – or at least strongly suspect – that many more folks enjoy this entertainment than care to admit it. And although “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man” may be Flair’s most famous saying, several generations also know Flair’s trademark “Whoos!,” and King rips off several that would do the master proud.)

Albert’s feeling it so good, in fact, that two of these six tunes sound and feel too damn happy to be blues: The title “Sweet Fingers” also describes King’s bright, concise playing in an instrumental that bounces upon its loose New Orleans backbeat, while “Bad Luck” opens with the thumping bass and drum beat that powers James Brown’s fatally funky “The Payback.”

Of course, the others sound like classic powerhouse King blues and worthy additions to the guitarist’s considerable Stax legacy. “Lonesome” comes complete with a false start and stop, then slips right back into its deep blues pocket, pure liquid lowdown in which the leader bathes for nearly nine minutes. “Lonesome” must have burned a hole in King’s heart because he says at the end, almost to himself, “That’s it – I just wanted to get that one down.”

Funky London ends with the full-length version of “Lovingest Woman in Town,” where the hot tonal buzzsaw of King’s guitar reflects the impact of psychedelic blues-rock acolytes such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, circling back around into King’s own sound. (An edited version of this song also appears on King’s Stax Profiles compilation.)

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