UK five CD set comprising the band's first five albums, originally issued on EMI's Parlophone and Harvest labels between 1969 and 1972 (The Climax Chicago Blues Band, Plays On, A Lot of Bottle, Tightly Knit and Rich Man). Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their debut album in September and November 1968 with a line-up of Colin Cooper (vocals, harmonica), Pete Haycock (guitar, slide guitar, vocals), Arthur Wood (keyboards), Derek Holt (rhythm guitar, bass, organ), Richard Jones (bass) and George Newsome (drums). Issued early the following year on EMI's Parlophone label, the album saw the band gain a wider audience. Shortening their name to the Climax Blues Band, the group recorded and released their excellent follow-up album, Plays On, later that year. By 1970 the band had moved to EMI's progressive label, Harvest, and issued their third album A Lot of Bottle later that year. The 1971 album Tightly Knit was arguably their best of this period. The band's final album for Harvest was Rich Man, issued in 1972. The album made commercial inroads in the United States and was the launching platform for their success in that country over the next few years.
01 Mean Old World 02 Insurance 03 Going Down This Road 04 You've Been Drinking 05 Don't Start Me Talkin' 06 Wee Baby Blues 07 Twenty Past One 08 A Stranger In Your Town 09 How Many More Years 10 Looking For My Baby 11 And Lonely 12 The Entertainer
13 Bonus Tracks: 14 Checking On My Baby 15 Arthur's Boogie 16 Stormy Monday 17 Don't Start Me Talkin' (take One) 18 Anybody's Boogie 19 You've Been Drinking (take One) 20 And Lonely (take Five)
Disc 2
01 Flight 02 Hey Baby Everything's Gonna Be Alrigh Yeh Yeh Yeh 03 Cubano Chant 04 Little Girl 05 Mum's The Word 06 Twenty Past Two /temptation Rag 07 So Many Roads 08 City Ways 09 Crazy 'bout My Baby 10 Bonus Tracks 11 Like Uncle Charlie 12 Loving Machine 13 Dance Of The Mountain King's Daughter 14 Flight (first Mix)
Disc 3
01 Country Hat 02 Every Day 03 Reap What I've Sowed 04 Brief Case 05 Alright Blue? / Country Hat Reprise 06 Seventh Son 07 Please Don't Help Me 08 Morning Noon And Night 09 Long Lovin' Man 10 Louisiana Blues 11 Cut You Loose 12 Live Bonus Tracks 13 Flight 14 Seventh Son 15 Reap What I've Sowed
Disc 4
01 Hey Mama 02 Shoot Her If She Runs 03 Towards The Sun 04 Come On In My Kitchen 05 Who Killed Mcswiggin 06 Little Link 07 St. Michael's Blues 08 Bide My Time 09 That's All 10 Live Bonus Tracks 11 Hey Mama 12 Shoot Her If She Runs 13 Spoonfu
Disc 5
01 Rich Man 02 Mole On The Dole 03 You Make Me Sick 04 Standng By The River 05 Shake Your Love 06 All The Time In The World 07 If You Wanna Know 08 Don't You Mind People Grinning In Your Face 09 Bonus Track 10 Mole On The Dole (single Version)