5 comments about When October Goes: Autumn Love Songs.

1. I bought this on a whim years ago and it has become one of my top ten all time favorite CDs. This CD has artists I had never previously heard of, like John Gorka and Cliff Eberhardt, but whose music I now happily own. I can't wait for autumn every year so I can break this music out again. Five stars!



2. So glad to see this CD is still in print. This is one excellent compilation. Cheryl Wheeler's "When Fall Comes to New England" is a simple, straight-forward introduction to the album -- Cheryl captures the essense of the season. But wait! This album is great for *all* seasons. I'm listening on a hot, hot summer day and I almost feel a crisp, refreshing autumn breeze. "Are You Happy Now" is the ever-elusive Richard Shindell's best song of all. Cliff Eberhardt/Richie Havens' "The Long Road": also one of the best.



3. This CD speaks to the gentleness in my soul. I like to play this when I'm having a stressful day. The songs are far away from the ruggedness and turmoil that exists in the world. The songs speak to the peace and tranquility that exists in our hearts. The CD makes a beautiful statement, that there is a lot of hope in the music of the human heart.

   Jeffrey McAndrew
   author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"




4. As I write this, autumn is throwing itself into reverse and backing into indian summer, and in a week I'm sure it will make a hard right turn into winter. No matter what, this CD is great listening any time of the year. I can't say much more except to echo the sentiments of those who reviewed this CD before me. It's worth every penny and a fine companion to the "On a Winter's Night" CD. Buy 'em both; They're like potato chips, you can't have just the one!



5. The gorgeous symbolism on this album moves me as well as any piece of Italian opera or classic literature. The lyrics are so poignant, and focus on a fact of life: we get older. I have played this album while doing artwork, and it plays to my soul. This album is for persons of fine vintage, and not for those who are unaware of symbolism.

   It would be well to remove (or repost not as a first review) that first review that appears for this album as it is misleading and may deter those who may love this album from buying it. God knows we need to support our artists. The man may be speaking what he considers truth, but he clearly doesn't understand the depth of these lyrics. The album is profound for us baby boomers who can accept that we are a little older, and look at it face on.

   This is a great album! I am truly moved by these artists and what they have to say.

5 comments about The Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie.

1. Appears to me a modern remix of various songs. Difficult to get through the first play and definitly not worth the purchase.



2. I was very dissappointed with this CD.
   It is only the "songs of" - very few sung by Woody himself.
   Not what I was seeking - a CD by Woody alone.
   Buyers should check this CD out very carefully first, make sure the artists and songs are what you want.



3. There are two reasons why calling this album "The Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie" rather than some variation on the greatest hits idea makes sense. First, Guthrie was out singing these songs before there ever were any Billboard charts to help defiine exactly what constituted a hit. Second, although this album starts with Guthrie himself singing "This Land Is Your Land," clearly his most famous and most popular song, the track shifts to the song being sung by the Weavers. Guthrie sings a few songs and few duets, but mostly his songs are sung by other artists. So what we have here is a tribute album, originally a double-album now on a single CD, that represents some of the best first and second generation folk singers who followed in the path blazed by America's troubadour.
   
   The first generation would be those artists that actually got to play with Guthrie, which would be not only the Weavers with Pete Seeger (the artist who most closely followed in Guthrie's footsteps), but also Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. The next generation is represented on the album by Odetta, Joan Baez, and Country Joe McDonald. Yes, there is an authenticity to hearing Guthrie sing his songs that nobody else can touch, but there is something to be said for other artists replacing his rawness with more of the inherent beauty of his songs (the same way Peter, Paul & Mary did for Bob Dylan). The track information above is incomplete, so here is who sings what on "The Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie":
   
   1. "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie/The Weavers
   2. "Do Re Mi" by Cisco Houston
   3. "So Long, It's Been Good To Know Yuh" by The Weavers
   4. "Pastures Of Plenty" by Odetta
   5. "Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)" by Cisco Houston
   6. "900 Miles" by Cisco Houston
   7. "Roll On Columbia" by Country Joe McDonald
   8. "Hard, Ain't It Hard" by Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston
   9. "Dirty Overhalls" by Woody Guthrie
   10. "Riding In My Car (Take Me)" by Woody Guthrie
   11. "Ship In The Sky" by Cisco Houston
   12. "The Sinking Of The Reuben James" by The Weavers
   13. "Rambling Round Your City" by Odetta
   14. "Jesus Christ" by Cisco Houston
   15. "When The Curfew Blows" by Country Joe McDonald
   16. "1913 Massacre" by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
   17. "Talking Fishing Blues" by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
   18. "Curly Headed Baby" by Cisco Houston
   19. "Jackhammer John" by The Weavers
   20. "The Great Historical Bum" by Odetta
   21. "Pretty Boy Floyd" by Joan Baez
   22. "Buffalo Skinners" by Jim Kweskin
   23. "Hard Travelin'" by Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston & Sonny Terry
   
   My favorite track is Odetta's "Pastures of Plenty," simply because it best represents how far you can go with Guthrie's music from its folk roots and make it work. When you listen to Cisco Houston do "Do-Re-Mi" you are moving a notch up on the authenticity level, and with the Weavers singing "So Long (It's Been Good to Know You)" and "Jackhammer John" you get a real sense of how these songs were popularized. Of course, everytime you actually get to hear Guthrie sing on one of these tracks, such as the duet with Houston on "Hard, Ain't It Hard" you want to go listen to one of Guthrie's own albums, so those tracks tend to be a bit intrusive given the overall theme of the album.
   
   Not everything will sit just right with you. The tempo of Country Joe McDonald's "Roll On Columbia" is just too slow for me, and I have to admit I was surprised that Joan Baez is not the one singing "Deportee," because her cover of that song is one of her better ones. But you look over the play list and it becomes clear that the old vanguard is not letting the new kids have many bites of the apple here (strange to think that in 1972 when this album first came out that Baez would be restricted to the second tier on an album like this). But whatever faults you might find with some of the tracks, the overall idea and execution and exactly what you would want to find on an album like this. There are several solid Woody Guthrie tribute albums, and this would have to be considered one of them.



4. Great material in some definitive versions, but a few weaker ones as well. I have never found Joan Baez's voice appealing; maybe I can't get past her politics, but that warbling vibrato gets on my nerves. And though one wouldn't want to over-represent Cisco, his Pretty Boy Floyd is among my favorites of all his recordings. Ramblin' Jack can also ramble elsewhere as far as I'm concerned.

   But the passion and commitment and fire, back when folk musicians really did think they could change the world for the better, shines through. Inspired musicianship and great material; very, very, very good stuff. A great intro, not just to Woody but to a few other forgotten talents. Go check them, expecially Cisco Houston, for the most authentic voice of America you'll hear.




5. This has a nice variety of Woody's material and a nice collection of performers, some who were friends of his, not just admirers. I have grown over the decades to prefer Woody's own singing, or interpretations by Cisco Houston and Ramblin' Jack Elliot...whole albums worth. But especially for a beginner in the lore and legend of Guthrie, this is a great starter set.

5 comments about Live At The Cafe Au Go-Go (And Soledad Prison).

1. John lee seemed like he had the blues his hole life.Maybe he did maybe he didn't. He played the hole blues man thing to a T. He seemed like the coolest of all cats when he was up on stage. That's because he was. The people bought it hook line and sinker as they should.I have heard,lived and felt the blues since I was 8 yrs.old. I can totally relate to what he was doing and singing about back then and now.Hookers blues and boogie music is and will always be timeless. That to me is the conection I have with him.Pure blues, no nonsense music that hits you like a ton of bricks. This CD does just that and more.



2. If I was stranded on a deserted island and I was to have one CD this would be the one , thought that Hooker and Heat was good , this blows it away ...............



3. This is actually two live albums combined. Cafe Go-Go finds Johnny earlier in his career and Live at Soledad prison finds Johnny mid-career right in the middle of his endless boogie phase.
   
   Live at The Cafe Go-Go is recoreded with Muddy Waters band (Muddy always had the best bands!) including the great Otis Spann on Piano. Muddy even plays guitar on one of the tunes. Sound quality is excellent and John Live is in fine form, but a little restrain. You get the feeling the band had not played that much together. Hearing JLH with Otis Spann in keys is pretty cool however. Bad like Jesse James is one of the creepiest songs made and is made even more haunting by Spann's parse piano.
   
   Live at Soledad prison catch John Lee is his Endless Boogie phase, which for me is where it is at. Sound quality is surprisely very good and his band, including his son John Lee Jr., are tight. Bang Bang Bang is a great jam all the way from the Motor City. This contains all but two cuts of the original Live at Soledad album. These two tunes were sung by John Lee Jr. I love how at the end of the album the prison plugs the plug on the band and it takes a while for everybody to figure out what happened.
   
   Looking for some more great live John Lee Hooker check the live Album with Albert King (they don'y played together, but share the same CD) 'I Play the Blues for you'. For me this is some of the finest JLH caught live on tape. JLH studio album 'Never get out of these blues alive' is also another great album.
   
   This is a great album for anyone who enjoys the blues, live blues, John Lee, or enjoys Otis Spann. Album should be the staple of any basic bblues collection. I highly recommend this CD.



4. Hearing John Lee Hooker backed by the Muddy Water's band from the 1960's is a real treat. The version of "I'm Bad Like Jessie James" that opens the CD is one of the most menacing songs I've ever heard; John Lee describes in detail how he will "take care of" a former friend he took in who went around town telling everybody that he slept with John Lee's wife. This song is a perfect example of how John Lee Hooker was the personification of badass. John Lee also runs through some of his classics like "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" and "Bang Bang Bang Bang". I prefer the Cafe Au Go Go set to the Soledad Prison set, but both sets are worth hearing and are full of good performances from John Lee and the band. This is definitely worth getting if you are fan of John Lee Hooker or the blues.



5. It's hard not to get shivers when listening to this recording. John Lee Hooker had such an incredible voice and it's as if his singing and playing encapsulates all misery imaginable. He extracted so much emotion from these songs that made me feel as though I'd actually lived the experience. It's so incredibly painful to listen to in places that I expected the heavens to open up in response. This is a man who knew what he was doing.
   
   The band is in top form and John Lee uses them to get the crowd rocking as he works his magic. Everything is spot-on! From slow, painful numbers to upbeat, rollicking shuffles, John Lee Hooker and his band can do it all.
   
   This is a landmark album that shows a man (and a band) at the top of their game and it's something no self-respecting blues fan should be without! You'd have to be dead not to be affected by this!

5 comments about New Orleans Piano.

1. For me these Atlantic tracks are by far his best recordings.I have the LP but felt I must purchase the CD as well.Backed by Dave Bartholomews best musicians and produced by the excellent Atlantic Records team of Jerry Wexler,Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson it can't get any better!!What an excellent mix!!!These Atlantic greats should have made more trips to New Orleans (sorry Cosimo!)



2. These recordings date from 1949 and 1953 and are essential recordings for lovers of New Orleans music. Professor Longhair is the Godfather of modern New Orleans Piano and here he is on top form.
   
   Playing with him is a star-studded collection of New Orleans players, some of the better known are:
   Lee Allen - Tenor Sax
   Red Tyler - Baritone Sax
   Earl Palmer - Drums
   
   The recordings were produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, the kingpins of Atlantic records. Of course what counts is the music and in this department you are guarenteed a good time. Fess is steaming on "Ball the Wall" and Lee Allens tenor sax solo is blisteringly good. There are no weak tracks on this album and all of Fess's best known songs on here. Enjoy...



3. This is a GREAT collection of Professor Longhair's piano-dominated songs.... he is just amazing. I can't believe it took me this long to stumble across his work. This CD is perfection.



4. To quibble about the sound quality (as a previous reviewer saw fit to) of these classic tracks is perhaps expecting too much from "modern" sound technology. I can only imagine what opinions would be forthcoming on the Delmark live Magic Sam releases! 6 STARS for the man I would consider to be the father of the New Orleans rock and blues sound !!



5. I have a copy of this CD from BMG and the sound quality is awful. Not sure if this version is re-mastered but I would not take the chance. I recommend Crawfish Feista and Rock and Roll Gumbo as far better examples of Fess's work.

5 comments about Billie Holiday - Ultimate Collection.

1. There was a good amount of footage of her, but not nearly enough and I didn't get to see her perform some of my favorites, but still worth owning.



2. This is a great collection to my Billie collection. Its great to see how she moved and smiled. It's almost like I was there!



3. Indeed, the footage of Lady Day is preciously rare, they say, so this DVD might contain basically everything. However, the film with Duke Ellington's orchestra is not complete. They shouldn't have cut it after the part where Billie appears, regardless of the fact that this is definitively not the best Ellington perfomance of the period (to say the least...). Also, the fabulous "Sound of Jazz" performance with Young, Hawkins, Eldridge, Mulligan, Webster and Dickenson is seen and heard in much better shape on the "Sound of Jazz" DVD (the one with Henry Red Allen, Count Basie, Miles Davis and others)...
   
   On the other hand, it's a great thrill to see and hear Billie in other rare TV occasions (even as her self-destructive life obviously took its toll, she is still impressive even in her last TV appearance...)... The very useful "timeline" feature mentions, among other things, an appearance on British television; it would be very nice if that footage would surface at some point....
   
   The interviews audios (with Billie, John Hammond...) and the rehearsal with Jimmy Rowles on piano are also very useful and interesting...
   
   BTW; the Bessie Smith flick is a welcome addition (as is the Armstrong big band number), but they should have presented the entire film...
   Also; although the interactive part is useful and amusing and the interviews at times amazing, the selection of songs for the audio part should have been a bit more "ultimate"...
   
   Also, there are some mistakes in the liner notes: James P. Johnson is the musical director, not the director of "St. Louis Blues" short film while, although Jo Jones is listed as the drummer on "Fine and Mellow" video-number, the announcer in the beginning of the clip mentions Ossie Johnson at the drums (still, in this case the announcer might be wrong...).
   
   All in all, this is a must have for a Lady Day fan, but the editors and producers should have done better...



4. ...you will want this. If this is indeed complete, then there is not much footage of Billie Holiday actually performing live. What does exist is wonderful, the "Stars on Jazz" is priceless. Some of the clips are soundies, that is, the musicians are fake-playing to a prerecorded track. They were the true precursors of MTV-type video clips, and show Billie at the early stages of her career. Two of the tracks are from the movie "New Orleans" (and also lip-synced). And for some reason, there are two clips by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong that do not contain Billie. Think of them as bonus tracks. There is are also 5 audio-only live performances, and a Mike Wallace radio interview with Billie, a great discography and photo slide show. The kicker is an audio-only rehearsal with pianist and drummer, working out the arrangement for "Jeepers Creepers", with Billie's salty language as she jives with the players. The dvd also comes with a classy and informative booklet which covers all the details. They did a nice job on this release.



5. What an amazing DVD of collected Billie Holiday snips. Lots of things that someone spent considerable time pulling together, not just video but audio recordings and interviews. This was my first time seeing Billie sing, after having listened to her for the past 25 years on albums and CDs. Wanted to see how she stood, how she held her mouth, all that. I was mesmerized watching her; dazzled and calmed all at the same time, watching her nonchalantly let lyrics float from her mouth, easy as 1,2,3. You have to remember that most clips come from later in her career; they didn't have MTV in the 1930s! Billie's rendition of Fine and Mellow on this DVD is worth the purchase price all by itself. I had dreams about her after watching this collection last night. Fine and mellow dreams.

5 comments about Drive You Home Again.

1. If I were to ask someone, in the year 2008, to name a male folk singer from the 1960's I would assume that if I were to get an answer to that question that the name would be Bob Dylan. And that would be a good and appropriate choice. One can endlessly dispute whether or not Dylan was (or wanted to be) the voice of the Generation of '68 but in terms of longevity and productivity he fits the bill as a known quality. However, there were a slew of other male folk singers who tried to find their niche in the folk milieu and who, like Dylan, today continue to produce work and to perform. The artist under review Chris Smithers is one such singer/songwriter.
   
   I do not know if Chris Smithers, like his contemporary Bob Dylan, started out wanting to be the king of the hill among male folk singers but he certainly had some things going for him. He plays that signature blue guitar for all it is worth of such as Steel Guitar yet can turn it down several notches for a song like Rattlesnake Preacher and then goes softer on reflective songs like So Long. Moreover he is as capable as a songwriter as any of writing of longing, lost love, thoughts of mortality and...being stupid in the world. Witness No Love Today on that last point. Then turn it up a notch with a bittersweet song like Don't Make Promises. Yes, Chris had the tool to go out and slay the dragons of the folk world. That work may not be well known outside the precincts of the graying folk world, but it should be.



2. In the spirit of Mississippi John Hurt, this is The Blues. 4get the Folk label some have marked him!
   Like other fans of Chris, I discovered his beauty from his 2nd LP.
   "I'm A Stranger" quickly then became a "Must-Have".
   
   Many, many years later [2004] I had wondered what became of Chris Smither, while visiting Tempe, AZ. I found "Drive You Home Again" -used- at ZIA Records while searching for anything by him other than what I already owned, and was surprised to find something 'fairly' recent!
   Yeah, I was a bit late discovering this gem, but feel compelled now to say he hadn't missed a beat since his 2nd release, "Don't Drag It On"!
   
   The music here is timeless, and must be heard by any Blues Fan.
   If you're like me, pissed that you missed "Mississippi" John Hurt in his prime, you'll be glad to know you can still hear/listen to a Chris Smither now, perform as comparably as possible. He does add a bit of Jazz, though, to his Folkish-Blues on occasion. Nuttin' wrong with that, eh?



3. My only answer to the question I posed in my review title is that Chris Smither sings the type of music that is not usually played on the radio. If he were on the radio, everyone would own a Chris Smither album.
   
   I saw Chris Smither at a show at the Old Town School of Folk Music several years ago. The tickets were free (from a friend who couldn't go). I had never heard of Smither before and I was bowled away. Not only did I love the music, but he is an excellent concert performer.
   
   Smither combines a great voice, amazing guitar playing (influenced by Mississippi John Hurt), and extremely clever lyrics that make you think, laugh, or get wistful, often in the same song.
   
   This is a superb album that I would recommend to anyone.



4. After falling in love with Smither's newest CD, Waiting on a Train, I decided to try this one. A big disappointment! What I love about Smither on the new CD is how wonderful his guitar playing is and how well he accompanies himself. On Drive You Home Again, Bruton overproduced the album. There are too many musicians and just too much stuff going on that you only hear Smither as a singer. The arrangments lack all of the sweetness that makes Waiting on a Train so great. I would not recommend this CD.



5. This CD is really one of my all time favorite CD's. For me, this CD provides moments like at a Grateful Dead show when, the music lifts the top of your head, allowing pure thought below. Really don't know how else to put it.
   P.S. the other reviewer was absolutely correct about the last two tracks.

5 comments about Complete Recordings 1929-34.

1. Comments about the treble roll off (see note below) of JSP's edition compared with other editions (I have Yazoo's on vinyl, and Document's & Revenant's on compact disc) are reasonable, but the person who appreciates Charley Patton enough to acquire any edition of his complete recordings should be or become familiar with the quantitative and qualitative limitations of the source recordings: not a lot of copies of any Patton record exist, they're often pretty beaten up, and Paramount's studio where Patton recorded most of them was notoriously primitive. Many of us may be quite willing to accept some sort of sonic compromise in the remastering process. Really it comes down to a matter of how much the listener wants to struggle through varying amounts of surface noise to get to the music--some of Patton's recordings have been, until now, nearly inaudible behind so much surface noise. Give the folks at JSP credit for trying to do something a little clearer than the purists at Yazoo and Document (not to slight them in any way--God bless your souls, Nick Perls and Johnny Parth!) and more economical than the lavish designers at Revenant (God bless you too, John Fahey!).
   
   However, one reviewer's remarks about royalties are NOT irrelevant: Charley Patton's estate actually does exist, and if anyone deserves royalties, it's Patton's descendants, still alive and well in Mississippi. That said, the whole business of reissuing blues and old time music from the twenties and thirties (this business dating back to the fifties) is largely a case study in "bootlegging" by the independent labels and the withholding of royalties by the major labels. Why shouldn't the folks at JSP get their fair share in exchange for making such a crucial set of historical documents available at a reasonable price?
   
   With regard to the payment of royalties, how many of us REALLY care? Intellectual property rights are a legal fiction, and generally serve the interests of the privileged few. You want a company that's likely to pay royalties? Buy overpriced product from the major labels, most of whom wouldn't touch the music JSP sells with a ten foot pole since no mass market audience exists for it and there are, consequently, no big bucks to be made from it. Ideally, of course Patton's estate would get money from the sales of any Charley Patton product. Maybe I'm just really selfish, but if it came down to one or the other--honest business or dissemination of music--I'd take the music every time. I'd like to believe that someone like Charley Patton would agree (though I can imagine he would not!). If we buy JSP's box sets because we love this music, how important is the question of royalties? JSP seems to be about the music, not the money, so let's just be grateful for what we've got!
   
   Now quit reading this rambling drivel and pay attention to something worthwhile: Charley Patton or Blind Lemon Jefferson, also in a wonderfully remastered (and slightly rolled off) box set by JSP.
   
   Note--"Treble roll off" occurs in the remastering process when surface noises are removed: when the frequencies in which surface noise occur are removed so as to clean up the sound of the record, some of the frequencies we associate with the treble qualities of the music are removed too, making the music sound less bright.



2. I haven't had time to listen carefully through all five CD's yet but they're very interesting examples of early blue recordings and I'm glad I have them.



3. An earier reviewer was whining about JSP records not paying royalties. Who does this chump think the royalties would be paid to ??? Charley Patton is long dead so quit your carping about the copyright owners not getting their fair share. These SOB's are making money anyway. Besides its about the music.



4. There are both good and bad things about this set. The 5 discs of very rare and valuable material make up a rather incredible compilation. The layout of the inserts is somewhat user-friendly; requiring the listener to pull individual CDs out in order to locate artists. The discography information does not include song titles, which causes a lot of back-and-forth cross-reading. A little confusing.
   
   The sound quality is only fair; when I compare these to Yazoo reissues, I feel like there is no presence in the JSP versions. Too much treble has been rolled off.
   
   My biggest concern is that I believe I recognize many of these remastered sides from other reissues. A little 'tweaking' to try and hide their origin doesn't do the trick. Is this just a 5 CD set of bootlegs? This bothers me for the original engineers who found the recordings and did all the work, just to have it lifted and reissued at a cheaper price by another company.



5. With this review I am officially retracting my Catfish Records Patton box review of a few years ago. I must have escaped my mind somehow back then, because in the past couple years I haven't even been able to listen to the couple Catfish boxes I purchased back then. Skip them, both for the sound as well as for the occasional missed sides and edited snips of tunes that exist in whole elsewhere.
   
   Now for the music itself... as far as I am concerned, Charley Patton gave the world one of the best musical bodies of work ever produced by an American. "Delta Blues" does not even begin to contain him. Charley Patton IS a genre. He created it. He perfected it.
   
   Let's not forget all the other worthwhile musical nuggets here, though. Louise Johnson, the Delta Big Four, Willie Brown, etc... are very good as well. Louise will certainly never win any awards for creative lyrics, considering that 3 of her 5 sides begin with a standard blues lyric..."woke up this morning, had the blues all 'round my bed", but her delivery and piano playing more than make up for it. Who wouldn't have wanted to get trashed in a juke joint while she spanks the piano and belts 'em out?? As for the Delta Big Four, if you've not heard them before, you will probably enjoy their versions of tunes you already know. The Big Four's style is lined-out music, but delivered in a tame manner. It's not the large, polyphonic, drawn-out praise-crying of actual lined-out hymnody. Good stuff, though! It's really too bad Willie Brown was not recorded more often. In fact, it's downright pathetic that he only recorded a couple sides, while an annoying hack like Sonny Terry recorded tons of sides.
   
   Son House's Paramounts are here also, if you have not yet upgraded from your old Document discs. JSP has now re-released Son's sides twice, as he is also on the excellent Legends of Country Blues box (the complete pre-war sides of Skip James, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Bukka White, & Ishman Bracey).
   
   My one minor gripe about this box is that the other artists sides are mixed in with Charley's. Maybe it's just me, but often times when I'm in a Patton mood, he is all I want. 70+ straight minutes of uninterrupted slurring and rhythmic invention. It's tough to ever get that on this set though, considering Disc D, for instance. The first two tracks are Patton, and the rest is other people. Kind of a drag since Bird Nest Bound is one of my favorite Patton performances. Having said that, I still cherish this box. It's the best sounding Patton sides I've had, and I could actually afford it.
   
   5-star music, but I give the box 4 stars for breaking up Patton's sides. An essential purchase nonetheless. Oh one more thing, I'm not convinced that JSP just grabs other releases, tweaks them a bit, and then re-releases them. When I asked them if a complete pre-war Lonnie Johnson box is in the "coming soon" category, I was told that they would like to do him, but that his sides are difficult to get a hold of and a project like him takes a long time to get ready. If all JSP does is tweak previous cd releases, they could just go out and buy the Lonnie Johnson discs on Document and re-release them.

5 comments about The Legend of Blind Joe Death.

1. Its snowing hard outside and I have the stereo on,not too loud.As I try to decide how to write this review,turning it over and over in my head I get visions of times gone past when you had to prove how good you were a song at a time,one person at a time.One man,one guitar.....John Fahey posesses a guitar playing style influenced by many but written,arranged and performed like no other person on this planet.
   Covering recording sessions from Joe Bussards basement studio in 59 thru to 63-64 and 67 in Berkley,this disc is what that vision from the past and one extraordinary guitarist capable of lyrical songs with no words and sounds new to all but some can achieve - the sound called American Primitive.
   On the 78`s of yesterday were all the ingredients needed to provoke the feelings needed to create this great music we`re talking about.Mr. Fahey will play for you and you will listen....you say you don`t like the sounds of those scratchy records then you should be afraid of someone on par with anyone from the history of modern music recorded cleanly and performances equal to any human beings in this or any world.
   Enough talking has been done...buy it and listen for yourself and marvel at the talents of this great man.



2. While it's true that both the 1959 version and the 1967 version of BLIND JOE DEATH are contained on this CD, the disc is missing the 1967 version of "The Transcendental Waterfall." While that is certainly no reason not to buy this disc, buyer should beware that this track is missing. In my opinion, this missing track smokes the 10-minute version that was included on this reissue. This missing track is why I did not give this disc five stars. But get the disc anyway; it's still worth your time and money.



3. This album is a great combo of some of Fahey's early material. In many ways, it's a perfect place to start if you're just getting into Fahey--not only is it chronologically (kind of) his first release (he re-recorded the album multiple times), but it also finds the guitarist at an earlier stage in his signature guitar technique--he basically innovated an idiosyncratic technique all his own, and Blind Joe Death finds him first finding his own [guitar] voice.
   
   This album includes the '64 and '67 versions of Blind Joe Death, as well as a bonus track or two from the very old and less quality-recorded original. Like several of Fahey's CD reissues, this one's a great bargain, since you get both versions on one CD which can be found pretty cheap on alternate sellers here at Amazon. Unlike a lot of artists, having 2 versions of most every one of these songs is actually pretty awesome, since you can audibly hear the progress Fahey makes in his technique, recording quality, and you get a better idea of the melodic and compositional points the composer/performer is trying to get across.
   
   Fahey's style is certainly very thumb-heavy (detractors are annoyed by this and sometimes call it ham-fisted), but it really doesn't bother me. Sure there are some more technically-diverse fingerstyle guitarists out there, but if you listen closely, you'll realize that Fahey is actually probably just as technically skilled as any other guitarist, but he makes a choice to play the way he plays. Why? It's folk and blues--it's not about playing as fast as you can and showing off, it's about feel, emotion, and simple but memorable melodies. That said, this album is chock full of all that stuff, especially melodies that you can't get out of your head after hearing them a couple times. Songs like "Poor Boy Long Ways From Home" and the lilting "Sligo River Blues" show that Fahey can play blues like no other, providing haunting melodies but also pushing the genre's structure and harmony with unconventional changes.
   
   If you're not already a fan of solo guitar, don't be afraid of this music! I had my doubts too when first purchasing an album with only one instrument, but Fahey's music really does provide listeners with plenty to chew on, plenty to keep you engaged, and it's interesting enough that you won't miss a vocalist or accompaniment at all. Like the title of this review says, you don't have to already love solo guitar to enjoy this album--it should be interesting and worthwhile to fans of folk, blues and even rock who are willing to take a chance on some music they might not have otherwise tried. Once you get into this album, I'd recommend checking out Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes to hear what Fahey's style blossomed into in its later incarnations. Enjoy!



4. Rather than trying to recap or extend the effusive comments of other Fahey reviewers, I'll simply say that I've loved this album (1967 version) since I first heard it about 1970. And I love it still. This is music to relax the mind: you can float on it, ride on it, travel with it, and keep it close by to your heart and inner ear forever. And now this new CD issue is really a treat, because the listener can hear both versions Fahey recorded, the one from 1959 and the (more familiar) one from 1967. Essential listening. "Must have" music.



5. I am totally and completely mezmerized by John Fahey every time I listen to this album. The production is shoddy, and the instrumentation is Fahey's lone guitar, but there is more going on in this sparse setting than on most albums with a full orchestra.
   
   "On doing an evil deed blues" is a slow, creeping start to the album. Things really start to heat up with "poor boy long ways from home", though. This is the song that really inspired me to pursue fingerstyle blues guitar. The song is in open-D tuning, and it really opened up the world of alternate tunings for me. Other standouts include "In Christ there is no East or West", "Desperate Man Blues", "I'm gonna do all I can for my Lord", and "The Transcendental Waterfall".
   
   I recommend this album to any fan of acoustic or blues music. Of course, you've probably already very familiar with it if this is so!!

5 comments about The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

1. One of my first exposures to the world of Chicago-style blues, after a steady dirt of country-style Delta blues, was the Rolling Stones' version of the Willie Dixon classic Little Red Rooster back in the early 1960's. I thought that was a song to beat all songs and it had nothing to do its allegorical nature, you know, about sex. What, moreover, capped it for me the fact that it was originally banned in Boston- from the radio airwaves of the times. Naturally that made this teenager want to hear it even more.
   
   All this is by way of saying-yes; the Stones did a great version of that song but if you really want it heard then you must go to the master- Howlin' Wolf. That big gravelly voiced man who, in pictures that I have seen, seems to be inhaling the microphone lets it all hang out as he struts his stuff on that number. In Do the Do, Little Red Rooster, Killing Floor and on and on the Wolf sweats, bleeds, sucks up the whiskey, has another one for good measure and gets down on his knees, sometimes literally, to belt out the blues.
   
   In this two-disc set of Howlin' Wolf classics some of those Stones did exactly what I mentioned above-went to the source. Listen in to the dialogue when the Wolf tells these trained musicians how to do the do here on Little Red Rooster. And they are all ears. That says it all. Moreover, the musical excitement builds as song after song gets you in a true blue mood. This is all about sex, about whiskey, about hardworking weeks to get to fun-loving Saturday nights. Yes, the hour of the Wolf is just before the dawn. Get this masterwork. You will not regret it.



2. Imagine the Rolling Stones as a rhythm section, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, and Stevie Winwood on keyboards. Heck, even you singing in your shower could sound good. Wang Dang Doodle is such a killer song, Clapton's guitar simply sings, and is so elegantly and tastefully done, you don't know its Clapton, but instinctively look at the CD notes to see who was playing those tastey licks!
   
   This vinyl record was one of my all time favorites. When it came out on CD and remastered with bonus tracks, I ignored the stupidly high price and took a leap of faith.
   
   If you like Clapton's blues guitar, Stevie Winwood's piano and the solid rhythm of the Rolling Stones (and who doesn't), you will love this album. I'd give it 5 stars, but I'm stingy with stars, so a 4 star it will have to be.



3. The Howlin' Wolf London sessions made The Wolf known to a larger audience who probably wouldn't have picked up the album or noticed any other Howlin' Wolf material were it not for the big name musicians (Clapton, Winwood, Wyman, Watts, et al) and a really colorful cover (Let's face it, the old Chess re-issues didn't exactly catch anyone's eye). Unlike may other efforts at fusing young British and old American blues players, this one works well enough to be worthy of continuted availabiltiy and re-issue.
   
   To appreciate this better, remember it was recorded around 1970, not 1948. The sound was different, the times were different, and the audience was different.
   
   I got to see the Wolf shortly after this came out. No recording ever captured the mesmerizing nature of his voice.
   
   This is a fun recording and I encourage listeners to enjoy it for what it is---a dynamic (and slightly imperfect) collaboration that added something to the blues and rock fusion that shaped a good deal of our musical heritage.



4. I don't get all the criticism for this collection. It is a beautifully put-together collection of one of the best blues collaboration with British rockers. I thought this CD is stellar - both discs. There are not many recordings where you get to hear the musical giants we admire conversing among each other in the midst of a jam session. This alone makes this set extra-special: the conversations during Red Rooster and Who's Been Talking false starts. The sound quality is superb. I thought it was remarkable in its own right that these guys were even able to cut such a record within something like a week. Playing with new people in unfamiliar environments can easily wreck a musician's ability to perform well. I was amazed that it was possible to get the right set of musicians together in such a hurry and work out their differences. I think when you take into account all the adversity that these people faced to make this record, you get amazed at what sort of musical talent was gathered for this record. The remixes and alternate takes on the 2nd CD are great. In fact, I like a few of them better than the originals. My favorite songs are "I Aint Superstitious", "Rockin' Daddy", "Poor Boy", "Red Rooster", and "Goin' Down Slow". But it's kind of hard to pick - I love all the songs on both the discs. And I thought the producer did great with splicing in the horn arrangements later on - in my opinion, they were quite tastefully done. The Keyboards that were added later on also provide a soft, classy touch to already great music.



5. I had read disappointing reviews but wanted to buy The London Sessions anyway. I love it. the first disc is superb, with great renditions of Killing Floor, Going Down Slow, and I Want To Have A Word With You as bonus tracks. Plus the original part of the album. The second disc could be better but listening to how a great blues master such as Howlin Wolf and his crew interacted with Brits best is amazing. the highlights for me though are the 19 year old harmonica player, Jeffery Carp, Eric Claptons skill as a blues musician, and the legend Howlin Wolf teaching the blues.

1 comments about Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection.

1. If you have to listen to any music, this is the collection to listen to. It covers all the basic beginnings of American Music and leaves you with a want for more. You will have all the tracks memorized and will be playing the CD even after the machine is shut-off. The CD shows the incredible range of American music. This is the BEST.