There is Always One More Time (1991)

On the liner notes for There Is Always One More Time, B.B. King declares, ''This is the best album I've recorded in my career.'' Considering that One More Time presents a tepid, somewhat jazzy style of blues-pop, rather than the punchy, Delta-gone-Vegas music that he's known for these days, King's opinion says more about his need to stretch out than about the relative merits of this record. With his major-league horn section missing here, the focus turns to King's guitar work, which is effortlessly supple and pungent. Unfortunately, the songs are bland to an extreme.

If you really want to hear King at his peak — sorry, B.B. — check out The Best of B.B. King Volume One. Those tunes, mostly recorded and released in the '50s, include an oh-so-easy version of his signature number, ''Every Day (I Have the Blues),'' as well as a wealth of stand-and-holler classics — all spiced by King's needle-sharp guitar. This is the real deal. One More Time: C-; Best of: A+

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