Buddy Guy’s latest CD, Heavy Love, sounds like he’s doing his darndest to wrestle the blues guitarslinger crown back from the late, great Luther Allison. Before his death, Allison proved himself the hardest working blues guitarist around, even eclipsing the famous Guy by sweeping the W.C. Handy awards the past three years. Buddy now serves notice that he is back – and back with a vengeance.

This new album is chock full of a fusion of rock and blues sounds, and the result is definitely heavy. Naturally, Guy’s guitar plays the center role, and his fretwork is classic Buddy, burning with the wildman licks that made Eric Clapton go back to the woodshed. His tone is saturated with wah, overdrive, and other effects, and the overall feel is closer to rock than blues – but that’s always been Buddy’s style.

Buddy’s Blues 1979-82 prove it. This greatest hits collection includes some far-out jams from the three albums he cut for the English label JSP. Backed on guitar by his brother, Phil Guy, Buddy and his bands rock and rollick through some classic cuts that will leave you breathless.