3 comments about The Essential Capitol Collection.

1. Keely Smith possesses a fantastic ability to sing so well that she could capture your attention at once and you would never want to stop listening to her. She could sing you the phone book; and when she was finished you would be applauding and begging for more. This excellent retrospective album gives us quite a bit of the best of Keely Smith. It has twenty eight wonderful tracks and at 78 minutes the CD is as jam packed with hits as any CD is ever going to be.
   
   "All The Things You Are" opens the CD; Keely sings this perfectly without a superfluous note. Her voice is warm, rich and vibrant in a way that just couldn't be better. The strings and horns help the musical arrangement along although Keely's vocals remain squarely in the foreground. "It's Been A Long, Long Time" sports that big band flavor and Keely makes this number more energetic than I've ever heard it. Keely swings brightly and the musical arrangement lacks nothing, either.
   
   "That Old Black Magic" is a duet Keely does with husband Louis Prima; they got a Grammy for this song and one listen will prove to you that they deserved it. Keely's voice is truly an instrument of its own and she sings "That Old Black Magic" with panache.
   
   "I Wish You Love" begins with a great musical flourish and when Keely comes in this number takes flight! Keely's voice is particularly sweet on this number; and her voice conveys all the subtle romantic nuances to make "I Wish You Love" her very own masterpiece! "Autumn Leaves" gets a somewhat less melancholy flavor than usual when Keely sings it. Unfortunately, this is one number that I think was better left to Edith Piaf.
   
   "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" gets a big band, jazzy feel to it as Keely sings this triumphant, upbeat melody flawlessly. Keely seems to be the perfect female vocalist to sing "On The Sunny Side Of The Street." I predict that you will enjoy this number very much.
   
   "Imagination" features Keely singing wonderfully yet again; and "Stardust" gets the royal treatment from Keely as she delivers "Stardust" with great sensitivity. Great! The album ends with a live track of Keely performing "When Day Is Done." Louis Prima introduces her and Keely sings this every bit as well as if the number had been professional recorded in a studio! Her talent truly was special.
   
   The liner notes include some pretty nice black and white photos of Keely and we get an essay by James Ritz.
   
   Overall, Keely Smith fans won't want to go without this album; although it's best suited for people who want a "best of" type of album. This album simply doesn't give you everything you need to fully appreciate just how great Keely Smith was when she was at her peak in the 1950s and 1960s although it's quite strong as a retrospective CD.. If you like this CD I would suggest you check out other albums by this fine artist.



2. Of all the great American female singers, Keely Smith may be the most "naturally" gifted. The instrument, the technique, the sense of melodic line all invite the closest analysis and emulation--simply exemplary, textbook examples of the art of singing. How do you explain such a phenomenon? It's practically unfair to the aspiring talents who will study and practice long hours yet not come close to equaling skills like hers.
   
   Keely Smith inhaled the smoke of Las Vegas' Sahara Lounge six nights a week for almost ten years, exhaling the strains of an angel over the din of a raucous band, all the while maintaining her cool as "straight man" for a headliner with the onstage persona of a manic Neanderthal--and she ends up with not only the voice but the technique of a singer without peer. If there's one song to put a singer to the test, it's Jerome Kern's incomparable "All The Things You Are," which is the first track of twenty-seven on this collection of Keely Smith material from the mid-to-late 1950s.
   
   Listen to the evenness of the vibrato, the effortless phrasing, the contoured lines, the silky tones supported by firm and unfaltering breath support, the clear and pellucid soprano register that "floats" on a stream of uninterrupted melody, the varied articulations even while maintaining that sweet and rich timbre. Her pitch is always dead center, she's consistent throughout the entire register (no falsetto "breaks"), she catches the dramatic expressiveness of the lyric's meaning without exaggeration or gratuitous drama, and her diction doesn't risk the listener's missing a single word.
   
   The Essential Capitol Collection omits striking if not indispensable Smith performances of "It's Magic," "Lullaby Of The Leaves," and perhaps what is the definitive recorded version of Jerome Kern's "Sweet And Lovely"--look, instead, to the collection Spotlight On Keely Smith (Capitol, 1994). So best view this sampler as another one of those "essential," "ultimate," "best-of" but arbitrary anthologies, necessarily incomplete and short of being totally satisfying. A listener could be forgiven for wishing the producers of the present collection might have bypassed the Prima, Sam Butera, and Sinatra tracks in favor of exclusive focus on Smith. It's unfortunate (though understandable) that some of Smith's recent, non-Capitol recordings could not have been included. Even as a septuagenarian, she's nothing less than amazing, performing with ample breath reserves, full control of her smooth vibrato, and a relatively youthful and "alive" voice a half century later!
   
   Notwithstanding the aforementioned caveats, this collection is undeniably a bountiful treasure. In fact, after hearing The Essential Capitol Collection some listeners will no doubt be left pondering why the names of Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Kay Starr, Patti Page, Anita O'Day, June Christy and all the rest get mentioned ahead of Keely Smith in any discussion of the female singers who came to the public's attention in the 1950s. Is it because she says "ma" instead of "my"? Or because she's just too consistently perfect not to be taken for granted? Perhaps--and this is a big "perhaps"--she was a bit too quick to separate her life from her art. Maybe if we felt we got to know just a little more of the person behind that deadpan Buster Keaton face with the perfect voice, we'd be less likely to overlook her undeniable claim to the top spot.



3. Keely Smith does something for me. The songs she sings and her voice are among the best of any entertainer. Her recordings deserve more appreciation than they have received.

5 comments about The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death.

1. I love this music! It goes into my favorites stack. Also, the eight page sheet of notes inside the case has info about the various guitar tunings used.



2. This album is great and should be a must for those who like more traditional Fahey. i myself love all of his stuff, yes even Womblife and City of Refuge. "On the sunny Side of the Ocean" might be my favorite Fahey composition ever and the album is worth buying for that alone. IF YOU LIKE OR PLAY THE ACCOUSTIC GUITAR YOU MUST OWN THIS ALBUM!



3. I put off buying a John Fahey cd for a long time, and choose this one because of the title. This is a different John Fahey than the one I saw in concert at a record store in Austin in 1999 or 2000. When I saw him, he played electric guitar in a very minimalistic style. He did no fingerpicking or old time music at all. I find this cd very restful and it gives me a feeling like finding an old photo album from 100 years ago at a country thrift store and looking at the yellowed and faded photos of men with strange facial hair and women in corsets.
   Although I mostly prefer electric guitar music, I play this cd a lot. I think people who like John Fahey would also like Tony McManus, Leo Kottke, Adrian Legg (saw an incredible concert by him in San Francisco a few years back), Rooster Kiev (blues meets mid-eastern dance music)and let's not forget Doc Watson!



4. I've played guitar for 30+ years, and I was exposed to John Fahey very early on. His "Blind Joe Death" album (along with Ry Cooder's early albums) changed the way I looked at technique and tone. They made we want to find similarly obscure (if not weird) tunes and bring a personal touch to them. If you're not a guitarist, you're still going to love this very excellent album (though I'm not a big fan of Track 1). Fahey equally rewards both the casual and the careful listener.
   
   If you play guitar or are into music theory, the outstanding liner notes include guitar tunings for each track. Some of these tunings are unique to Fahey. Unlike Kottke, for example, most of Fahey's tunes aren't difficult to play -- if you're going to try, having the right tunings will help immensely. Fahey is not flashy or fast -- he's about atmosphere and creative touches that most guitarists wouldn't think of. I probably prefer "Blind Joe Death" to this CD, but not by much. This is elegant, creative, and unusual guitar music.



5. Without realising the spine of my albumn had disintegrated, the ancient disc slipped through my thumbs to the floor. The faintest thwack, but, alas, two tiny fragments remained on the floor, ruining the perfection of a thirty year plus piece of Fahey. And damn it, it was my favourite Fahey! Not that I have the exhaustive repository of a true fan or the professional guitar knowledge. And not that I find anything but willful obsfucation in his need for masking as Blind Joe and the feigned erudition of liner notes that go nowhere. But if the jokes helped him stabilize sufficiently to make these delicate and eloquent compositions, then bless him. I also have some things with a dixie-sounding ensemble on 'River & Religion' and
   'Old Fashioned Love' with its incomparable and transporting version of,'A Persian Market'. And the surprisingly sprightly'Christmas Albumn'. But this one is very atmospheric stuff and a rich complement to those two early, rurally inspired and similarily resilient Band albums. Looks like I'll have to upgrade to CD.

5 comments about Burnside on Burnside.

1. I'm a young guy and just scratching the service on blues legends like R.L. Burnside. This is the first CD of his I've bought and I'm extremely happy that I purchased it.
   R.L. has an absolutely perfect blues voice. His guitar playing along with Kenny Brown is incredible. The slide guitar is one of my favorite sounds on earth and they play it to perfection throughout the album.
   My favorite songs are Shake Em' on Down, Rollin' and Tumblin', Goin' Down South, Skinny Women (which is covered by a great band named the The Black Keys they call their version "Busted"), and Bad Luck and Trouble. But my very favorite is Walkin' Blues. It's the total package. It's perfect in vocals, lyrics, emotion, slide guitar, and everything in between. I can't get enough of that song.
   The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because a couple of songs are repetitious of each other and don't stand out to me.
   I would give this album a 4.5 stars but it won't let me.



2. Powerfull, driving and gets under your skin. Buy it and play it loud.
   My favourite blues album in my collection.



3. It don't get no better than this. Burnside's best. I wish I could compare it to something, but ain't nothin' to compare it to.



4. Skinny woman though... anyone heard busted by the black keys? Same song... subtly different lyrics. Black keys came out first though... I think.



5. This cat is good. Mesmerizing beat and tempo, he has the blues in his voice and his soul. A "must buy" for the down home blues lover. This is what it's all about.

5 comments about Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Sessions.

1. If you buy one Son House, and I repeat if, then let it be this 1965 double disc session. I wont go over board here with dripping detail as to why you should own this album but if you acquire only one Son House album from his renewal period in the 60's let it be dis a one.....



2. I`ve written reviews for releases by Charley Patton and Robert Johnson,the importance of those recordings are well understood and that leads us to Edward"Son"House.Although others made their mark no one had more influence over the blues scene in the 30`s than this man.A combination of preacher and bluesman,Son was always in conflict because of his secular upbringing and the freedom and experiences that being a traveling blues singer could and did offer.
   Although he only recorded a few sides in the early 30`s and then again in the early 40`s,that was it.Soon after he moved up north taking a job as a porter on the railways of the northeast.Fast forward to the early 60`s when he was tracked down and asked to perform,which he did,basically re-learning the guitar and then landing gigs at coffee houses and colleges then later festivals around the U.S. and Europe.In 1965 when he recorded these tracks he was at the height of his powers....with a hard often violent playing style and powerful voice he brought the delta blues style he helped create into the present with powerful performances of such classics as Death Letter,Grinnin in Your Face,Preachin Blues,Pony Blues and the list goes on.
   With sound quality as an excuse for not wanting to listen to recordings of 78`s from 60 or 70 years ago,these discs are of the highest fidelity so the choice is yours.
   Essential and worth every penny,you should make this part of your collection....the blues has never sounded better than this.



3. The Blues- either you get it or you don't. If you're one of the ones who does and you don't have this, then you need to stop whatever you're doing and get this. NOW. It's just that damn good. It's just that damn great! This is one of the CDs that gets me through the high times, the low times and all time in-between.
   
   For me it ultimately comes down to two guys: Skip James and Son House. The two embody the differing poles of early blues aesthetic: James' eerie falsetto keen, odd/moribund lyrics (I'd rather be the Devil) minor key-tuned guitar and intricate finger work, under-stated and introspective; then you got House's deep and (utterly masculine) hollerin' vocals, his combative slide work on his National Steel resonator, his frenetic performances- visceral.
   
   Both men had a deeply spiritual bent.
   
   Now then, there are purists and then there are PURISTS. Some reviewers may say that the later Son House (these studio recordings) is lacking the ferocity and skill and power/delivery of his earlier self (the Lomax Library of Congress recordings and the Paramount recordings from the 30's). They may be right but I don't think so. I'm not knocking his earlier recordings- I swear by everything the man did. It's a tradeoff, basically- sound quality vs. intensity is one way of putting it, though, again I disagree: I think the man was just as gigantic on these two CDs as he was back in the day... And you can tell that his soul, his voice, his anima, had been tempered by the passing years. His intensity seems focused and buttressed to me, not worn out. He sounds like the most alive man I have ever heard.
   
   These two CDs beyond are great, though I like the first better. The classic, "Preachin Blues," puts fire in your guts. "Death Letter," (maybe the best blues tune ever crafted) is jilting and hair-raising. Both takes. The same for "Levee camp Moan." The a capella versions of "John the Revelator" are marvelous. "Louise McGhee" is sublime.
   
   Now- On some of the later alternate takes, House loses a bit of luster... The man coughs a little towards the end, but so what. Alan Wilson's harp never gets in the way, and works well. The Charley Patton cover is a fine time.
   
   I've blathered about enough. I hope I've persuaded you a little- read on. My two cents: All of this is essential. ALL. You just don't hear stuff this good. It will have you humming along, singing at work, tapping your foot. It will make you want to learn to play the blues (and there's hope for you! Incidentally, House didn't learn guitar 'til he was 24- picked it up in a matter of weeks, so they say).
   
   Pick this up.



4. When it comes to the delta blues,this is it!Son House(Eddie James House Jr.)These recordings are a major plus for your collection.I'm trying too find the words to express this review but I can't, just buy it and injoy!



5. Son House taught Robert Johnson the slide blues. Son House taught Muddy Waters. When Son House started performing at Blues festivals again in the mid 1960s, some of Muddy's younger band members would start to go off for a smoke or whatever when the old man came on stage. Muddy wouldn't let them. Muddy Waters would tell all his band members to be quiet and pay attention when the man played because even compared with Muddy, this was the real deal.

   Rediscovered in Rochester, New York, relearning to play the guitar, (how this country abuses the masters that come from its people, particularly its Black people), put back on the stage by the folk revival's blues section.

   People outside of the blues life focus on the guitar playing or the rhythm of the singing, but where the power comes from is the feeling and the words that are put together, the life and the meaning of the blues. Son House in his youth and his old age, on this and his other sides, always gave it.
   
   So Like Muddy Waters, I would like you to know that
   Son House is the real deal.
   Listen and learn

5 comments about Blue Country Heart.

1. Great All Star Band. Great Old tunes. Jorma, what more can I say best $6.99 you will ever spend, buy some for Xmas gifts for all your musical friends. Sounds like a buncha friends sittin on the front porch sippin wine and having fun. 5 STARS isn't enough sometimes. This should be required listening in all college music classes. Jorma needs to do an album with Alison Krauss next then I can just listen to it forever. The one she did with Rob Plant pretty much sucked, just no meeting of styles.



2. CD. I was very pleased with this purchase. both my husband and I enjoy listening to it



3. This is one of the best, if not the best country blues album in existence. I highly recommend both the singing and playing of all the artists involved. By this one!!



4. i found this jewel by accident thanks universe he's been with hot tuna i found out from a friend he was originally with jefferson airplane what more do we need? he has some real silky riffs great stuff buy 12



5. Jorma Kaukonen has said in interviews that this was the kind of music that got him started on guitar--that in fact, his father made a deal with him that if he learned to play 2 songs, the elder Kaukonen would buy his son a guitar. Both the songs Jorma learned were old-timey country songs (I recall one of them as being "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy"), so it would appear he has come full-circle.
   
   And how beautifully so--this album so moved me that, by the time I got to "Free From the Chain Gang Now," I had tears in my eyes. Nothing flashy, nothing showy--just Jorma and a few of his best professional friends (including Sam Bush and Bela Fleck) having a Sunday-afternoon jam on the porch. It could be rural Tennessee, a house in the Catskills of upstate New York (where I'm now writing this from), the Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio, even a suburban bungalow in Topanga Canyon, California; whatever the setting, you fully expect to look out on your porch and see Jorma and the boys out there, jamming away and inviting you to come listen and maybe even sing a few songs with them...real easy-like, friendly smiles all round.
   
   I, for one, would happily accept that invitation. So will you.

5 comments about The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists.

1. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A COPY OF THIS RECORDING FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS. I HAD IT ON A DOUBLE RECORD VINYL LP BACK IN THE MID 70'S , WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, AND SOMEHOW IT GOT LOST. THE KILLER ROCKS! JUST LIKE JERRY'S CURRENT RELEASE, LAST MAN STANDING, THIS ALBUM RECORDED IN ENGLAND IN THE 1970'S, FEATURES JERRY LEE WITH SOME GREAT BACKUP AND PLAYING BY OTHER GREAT MUSICIANS. THIS RECORDING FEATURES SOME OF ENGLAND'S BEST ROCKERS FROM THAT ERA; THE WHO, ERIC CLAPTON, RORY GALLAGER, ALBERT LEE, AND LOTS OF OTHERS. A GREAT CD.



2. This recording turned out to be a landmark in Jerry Lee Lewis's record production. It features a host of top names including Alvin Lee, Albert Lee, Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Chas Hodges and many more.
   The sound is also unique. A very tight, tough, compact yet full, distinct and complete sound. Slick in a very positive sense.
   The tracks includes many titles unique for this recording.
   The extended version of the original London Sessions double LP, named "Complete", was anticipated for many years. Bear Family records in Germany which has issued some massive top quality collections of Jerry Lee Lewis material had mentioned they were trying to gather all existing material from the London Sessions for a wall-to-wall production including session details and what-not. I still have a feeling that Bear Records could have made the ultimate London Sessions ... but maybe this Complete London Session [Limited] is as close as it gets. And that IS very good.



3. Recorded in London circa 1973, and bolstered by british rock luminaries, Jerry Lee Lewis pounds out classic after classic, making rock chestnuts like Johnny B Goode, all his own. His piano pumping is prominantly placed in the fore front and there is no denying this is a Jerry Lee's projest. He sounds as fresh and focused as his earliest work in the 1950s. This is the first place to go after you own Lewis' golden hits collection. Fantastic!!!



4. No disputing the 5 star ratings already given in respect of the music and JLL's performances here.
   
   What is also worth highlighting is that the production standards of this release are exemplary; the sound is fantastic and the packaging superb - the original 'gimmick' LP sleeve is faithfully reproduced in minature but the added info about the additonal tracks has been melded in seamlessly.
   
   One minor note of caution, though not associated with the release itself...the 'blurb' at the head of this amazon listing - and one of the enthusiastic reviewers - also perpetuates the myth that Eric Clapton was involved in this. EC fans should be aware that he isn't featured.



5. I am fairly new to JLL, and found out about this album by reading an online book about him. This is fantastic music. The energy pouring out of most of these songs is amazing. And I also surprisingly really enjoy the "Goldmine in the Sky" way more than I thought I would. The way his voice cracks in places, you wonder where he's been out hollerin' the previous night, but it sounds good in the songs. "The Rock Medley" is great. "Satisfaction" is great, "Be Bop A Lula" is so good, in fact almost all of the songs are great. I am very glad to have found music that is so good, with JLL still pretty young. I think this is the first time in my life I have become entranced by a musician. I first heard him on "Last Man Standing" and he was already 70, and I still recognized pretty quickly that I wanted some more of that music.

5 comments about What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!.

1. Truly enjoyed listening to Dina Washington singing all those beautiful songs in that CD.



2. Dinah Washington possessed a singularly beautiful voice that remains instantly unforgettable to this day. Dinah instinctively knew how to take a song and make it her own using her excellent diction and beautiful voice. Her voice is not unlike Billie Holiday's in that you can sense each and every nuance of all the emotions in the world in every single syllable Dinah ever sang. This CD gives us an excellent look at Dinah's strong ability to sing great ballads about the joy of love and love gone awry. Dinah makes each ballad into a type of symphony that very few singers could ever hope to recreate.
   
   The CD track set starts off with the beautiful "I Remember You." Dinah sings the first few bars a Capella; and this REALLY shows off her exquisite voice and perfect diction. The musical arrangement that then begins enhances the beauty of the melody with strings, percussion, flute and piano while never detracting so much as an ounce from Dinah's powerful voice. The chorus sings well, too.
   
   Other special numbers on this CD include a haunting rendition of "Cry me A River" with Dinah's voice gliding through the lyrics like a flowing melody all its own. The musical arrangement and the chorus help; but Dinah carries this song without question. "What A Diff'rence A Day Made" displays Dinah's thoughtfulness once again; she takes the song's title "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes" and changes "Makes" to "Made" and this tiny little shift alone makes the ballad even more beautiful than it was before. Dinah's attention to every last detail always made her performance stronger and more commanding; you can't help but focus on the sound of her beautiful voice whenever you hear it.
   
   "Manhattan" gives Dinah the chance to belt out this classic love ballad once again in her own way. You'll notice how Dinah used the subtlest changes in rhythm and enunciation of syllables to evoke strong emotional reactions from her audience. The musical arrangement positively shines while the chorus in the background harmonizes perfectly, too!
   
   One bonus of this CD is that you get three extra tracks: you get the first version of "Time After Time" in addition to the version that made it to the record album final cut; and you'll enjoy "Come On Home," too. Dinah does a superb job with "It Could Happen To You;" and I confess I don't know why this masterpiece was not released on the record album. Dinah sings "It Could Happen To You" so skillfully with a special degree of sensitivity that I rarely hear.
   
   The liner notes include an excellent essay about Dinah's career by Al Young; and the art work exceeds my expectations with great use of colors and prints. The photos of Dinah are wonderful to look at as well; and the extra bonus track of Dinah joking with her peers shows how Dinah really enjoyed herself when she recorded this fine music.
   
   It would be misleading to state that Dinah Washington truly left this world when she passed so prematurely in late 1962. Indeed, Dinah lives on very well through her music. There are dozens of Dinah Washington CDs out there; and this one is certainly a "must-have" for Dinah Washington fans. I also recommend this CD for people who enjoy classic pop vocals and easy listening music from the late 1950s.



3. I have the LP of the same. Listening to the recordings again bought chills to my body. Wonderfully romantic.



4. I have heard of Dinah Washington but had no idea what a totally beautiful voice she had.What a romantic album! I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys dreamy lovely music. I will certainly purchase more of her music.



5. Dinah was at his best back then. She sang these american standards brilliantly. It's such a shame that the arrangements made this record unbareble. Really, ever since I bought other Dina's Cds (e.g.: Swingin' Ms. D) , I have never returned to this very one. But the most terrible side effect of the comercial success of this recording in 1959, is that for the following years all arrangers have insisted in the same sounding approach. That is why it is very rare to find uptempo swinging tracks among her last recordings, which I personally think it is when she found her best. That is a real shame! ....

5 comments about The Complete Blind Willie Johnson.

1. A passionate voice that sounds like sandpaper and glass combine with nimble slide guitar make Blind Willie Johnson one of the greatest of all bluesmen. The review below, if anything, is too meek--Blind Willie Johnson's music blows the pants off anything Robert Johnson ever did. The only reason I can think Robert gets so much attention is because Eric Clapton never listened to real blues.
   The only negative I can think of is that he duets with a female singer on some of the tracks, and it detracts from the overall performance. The man was a phenomenal singer, why ruin it by throwing in another voice?



2. I really like listening to the old style rhythm and blues and this CD really delivers!



3. A tradition developed early, and I am not sure how, but it was very early in the 1900's of blind black men with musical ability (and probably some with none) going to the small town Southern street and singing for their dinner, so to speak. I, for one, am glad that they did because an inordinate part of early blues music would be missing without their collective contributions. Here we start our tribute with Blind Willie Johnson; this is Reverend Blind Willie Johnson, by the way. What makes Reverend Johnson a shade bit different from other blues singers of the period, with the partial exception of Skip James, is that the vast bulk of his music is religious in orientation unlike the more traditional moaning and groaning about work, women and whiskey.
   
   For those who saw part of Martin Scorcese's PBS Blues Project a few years back you might remember that Blind Willie (along with Skip James) was highlighted in Wim Wender's section. You might also know then that Johnson's Soul of A Man is traveling the universe as a selection of one of humankind's musical expressions. Take that and If You Had A Friend In Jesus with female accompaniment and you are at the height of Blind Willie's talent. As for the rest you will have to listen for yourself.



4. So I heard about BWJ on The West Wing and I dissed BB King... Is that all it takes to make me ignorant?



5. I've been a blues fan for about 40 years. Have listened to a lot of blues over the years on vinyl, cassettes, dvds, and radio. I know we're all supposed to worship Blind Willie. It's one of the rules of being a blues fan - like having to refer to Charlie Chaplin as a genius of film comedy. But I just don't get it. Granted he does some very nice slide guitar work. But that cheese-grater-on-the-vocal-chords voice is painful to listen to! Combine that with the often unintelligible lyrics and repetitive repertoire, and you've got, for my money, a just about "unlistenable" package. Try sitting thru a back-to-back listening session of these two CD's. You'll be screaming for "moycy"!! I know NASA sent Blind Willie's music out into space. Just wish it had been my CD set that they put on the Voyager.

5 comments about The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James.

1. The 1931 recordings of Skip James are simply among the strangest and most chilling music in recorded history. I first heard some of them as a teenager in the 1980s, after I had already listened to James' younger contemporary Robert Johnson; Johnson's music is equally spooked in terms of lyrical content, but his music at any rate always has a solid rhythmic pulse. James' music was less celebrated (perhaps because, unlike Johnson, he had lived long enough to be rediscovered in the 1960s), but in retrospect it was far more scary. Less earthy and worldly than Johnson's, it seems to float in the air, an eerie keening sound emphasised by James' unorthodox approach to rhythm and blurry falsetto voice. (Johnson, by contrast, could sound positively lewd; James doesn't sound entirely human.)
   
   The stories about James that have circulated since his death do not paint a picture of a lovable old master of the blues. He was no genial B.B. King or avuncular Muddy Waters. In old age he seems to have been a touchy, somewhat paranoid, arrogant man, contemptuous of the white blues fans who celebrated him but equally disdainful of those of his peers who were still playing. Although he was an ordained minister who had spent thirty years leading the choir in his brother's church, he carried a gun and had used it at least once.
   
   As time goes by and the early blues recordings are assessed and re-assessed by successive generations, the map of the Delta blues is continually redrawn. Charley Patton assumes a more central position than was previously thought. Masters such as Son House, Tommy Johnson and Ishmon Bracey are given the respect that they deserved all along. Robert Johnson's legacy has been rethought and de-sentimentalised, and he appears as more of an all-round musical genius, a brilliant consolidator, as much of a vaudeville entertainer as a man facing his own demons. Skip James, however, still remains the chilliest and most enigmatic of all the Delta blues musicians of that classic period. These recordings loom out of the past with their weird intensity intact. His later 1960s recordings do nothing to clear up the mystery. James never sounded like he was trying to make people happy with his music. The story goes that when he was a street musician during the Depression, people used to actually pay him to stop playing, because they felt bad enough as it was without him and his songs making them feel worse.
   
   Listen to these recordings and you'll believe it.



2. If you're looking for genuine heartful music, go with the early recordings. He's just not the same with the clean, crisp sound of a remastered CD. Blues is one of those types of music that sounds better with sand between its teeth. And really, if you have a record player, you're better off getting a record from him to play the music how it was supposed to be played.



3. I am dissappointed that the mp3s in this album were advertised as 250 kbps but they are not, they average 150 kbps. I am hesitant to buy mp3s from Amazon anymore. Althou the album is magnificient.



4. skip james is one of those true masters. there is so much to say about him, the way he sang, his funny tunings, the lyrics he wrote. he was an absolute genius. stay away from early recordings if you have a problem with lo-fi sound, but if you do you're cheating yourself. Amazing!!!



5. Wow!!! This is history on CD!! One of the darkest, eeriest , blues recordings I've ever heard. Pop this in the player and you feel like you're out in a lonely bayou in the dead of night. "Devil Got My Woman Blues", "Cypress Grove Blues" are probably my favs on here. And while it is a shame that the sound quality of the recordings are subpar, after a few listens you don't even seem to notice. It gives it an earthy quality that if absence could probably take away the powerfullness of the songs.

5 comments about Electric Mud.

1. Muddy is always great but this CD is a little sad. I bought it when it first came out and it was disappionting then. I think it an attempt to cash in on white performers sucess with "electric" versions of classic blues tunes. The fuzz-tone guitars are just out of place with Muddy's robust blues voice. It has some historical value given the unique nature of the collaboration but other than that forget it. For the real thing get "Mississippi Muddy Waters" a great live album with Pinetop Perkins and Johnny Winter. It's 100 proof.



2. Would I have to shoot myself if I bought this?
   I gave it two stars because I love Muddy Waters.
   Otherwise, it gets zero stars.



3. I am a huge fan of this American Blues Legend . He is my ALL TIME FAVORITE musician. I have owned all of his releases except for this one , "Electric Mud" and "After The Rain" . I never bothered to purchase either of these because I never really heard anything good about them. Well for Christmas my sister got me a gift card to Borders Books. I went to Borders the other day and I was looking around and picked this one up . I looked around some more , put it back down and looked around some more. Later I went a picked it back up . I said to myself , well I might as well get it. I got in my car , put it in the cd player and listened . I should have never picked it back up ! I truly love Muddy , but this cd is HORRIBLE ! Terrible remakes of a few Muddy classics and and unbearable cover of The Rolling Stones "Lets spend the night together" . To me this was a true waste of money . If you are new to Muddy , stay away from this cd because it will turn you off from the rest of his classics. If you love Muddy , stay away from this cd because you will feel like you just flushed your hard earned money down the toilet. HORRIBLE !!!!!!!!
   If you wanna get some great Muddy , get any cd contained in my blues listmania.



4. Warning: "Electric Mud" is a blues album with heavy psychedelic rock influences! If you consider yourself to be a blues purist, then I would encourage you to look elsewhere for something that will be more compatible with your musical tastes. With that disclaimer out of the way, let me invite those who are seeking something unusual--and especially those who like sixties rock music--to continue reading on.
   I consider this to be one of most original albums that I have ever heard. It is not a true blues album, but rather a concept album of blues with a heavy psychedelic rock influence. The idea for this album had its genesis with Marshall Chess, the son of Leonard Chess of Chess Records. Marshall Chess had just founded a new label named Cadet Concept, and this was the second album produced under the new label. When this album was recorded, Waters' career was in a slump; it had been a decade since he had a top ten hit. Marshall Chess was seeking out a new audience for Muddy Waters. The CD booklet (which is extremely well written) goes on to explain that this was one of Waters albums that "effectively revived Muddy's recording career at a time when he was in danger of becoming an elder statesman who couldn't sell to his own community and who was revered exclusively by a small coterie of collector-purists, not a large enough audience to sustain a career."
   
   This album was recorded in April 1968, and here's what was happening on the music scene at the time. On 1 July 1967, the Beatle's reached number one on the charts with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"--a psychedelic rock album that won the 1967 Album of the Year Grammy Award. The Beatles reached number one on the charts again on 6 January 1968 with "Magical Mystery Tour." A new artist, Jimi Hendrix, had exploded onto the psychedelic rock scene with "Are You Experienced?" (chart debut 9/16/67; top position #5) and "Axis: Bold As Love (chart debut 2/17/68, top position #3). (All chart data is from "The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Albums, Revised and Enlarged 3rd Edition" by Joel Whitburn, 1995.) Jimi Hendrix is mentioned a number of times in the CD booklet. Hendrix was noted for his use of new electronic gizmos to modify his guitar tone, including the wah-wah pedal and the fuzz box. "Electric Mud" was not meant to be a direct copy of the Hendrix sound, but it was definitely influenced by it.
   
   The basic instrumentation on this album includes a heavily distorted guitar (often with wah-wah pedal), fuzz-tone electric bass, saxophone, synthesizer, and drums. This is quite a stretch from the trademark Muddy Waters sound! The CD booklet points out that "five of the eight songs on 'Electric Mud' were 'classics' from his catalogue, songs he had sung hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times. So the Main Man sang as he always had. His accompaniment, however, was very much of the moment." It is well known that many of the rock musicians of the sixties had blues influences. Now, here is a genuine bluesman cutting an album with new renditions of his songs, such as "I Just Want To Make Love To You," "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," and "Mannish Boy," in more of a rock style. There is even a cover of the Rolling Stones hit "Let's Spend The Night Together." Wouldn't you agree that's a cool concept for an album?
   
   The vocals are one of the strong selling points of this album, and Muddy Waters has a great voice. The lyrics include occasional social commentary appropriate for the times. All of the musicians on this album were highly regarded studio players. It has been pointed out in another review, as well as in the CD booklet, that Waters felt that the drums were too "busy" on this album. I would like to comment on that, because I am a drummer myself. The drumming on this album was done by a studio drummer named Morris Jennings. Although he was a jazz drummer, his playing on this album is very true to the psychedelic rock concept. Mitch Mitchell, of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was himself a very "busy" drummer. When the Beatles hit the music scene in 1964, Ringo Starr played a very "unbusy" style, but times had changed by 1968, and even Ringo had somewhat changed his own style to accommodate.
   
   I have tried to be as helpful as possible by warning the prospective buyer about what this album is about, but I hope that blues purists will not be offended by my saying that I really like this album. To be sure, it is not for everyone, but it is for me. I think that "Electric Mud" is very original and unique, and I value having it as a part of my collection. My primary musical interest is classic rock, although I do have a modest collection of blues, including some of Muddy Waters' mainstream works. For those who have enjoyed reading my review, I invite you to click on "rss28" above and visit my member page, where you can read some of my other reviews. In any case, I thank you for taking the time to read my opinions about this album. (review: By"rss28" (Detroit, Michigan)
   
   1. I Just Want To Make Love To You
   2. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
   3. Let's Spend The Night Together
   4. She's Alright
   5. Mannish Boy
   6. Herbert Harper's Free Press News
   7. Tom Cat
   8. The Same Thing



5. Acutally, I like this, one of the more inventive albums from the era. Putting Muddy Waters together with a bunch of hardcore psychedelic players actually made sense. By 1968 acid rock bands playing hard electric blues were a commercial force, and Muddy hadn't had a hit for a long time. So lets use all the goodies - distortion, fuzz, wah wah, and a drummer who isn't shy. Doesn't sound like Muddy got it, but for the most part, he sounds great. Most of those other bands didn't have a vocalist who could touch him. It sounds like a Jimi Hendrix session with Muddy singing instead of Jimi - definitely an improvement. It's got a touch of funk like a very early Funkadelic and it's messy as hell. Muddy wasn't going to do many takes on these songs, and lets face it. These guys may have been inspired by Hendrix, but they weren't THAT good. Muddy is most uncomfortable on "Let's Spend the Night Together," and I can understand that. He probably wasn't thrilled doing a song by a band that named themselves after his first big hit and more or less used his in-your-face macho schtick to make millions. The covers of his own songs are better than most of those other bands' versions. "Herbert Harper's Free Press News" is a real gem. I saw Muddy perform a few years after this with a band more to his original style, and he wasn't near as good as on this album. His band was mediocre, like they learned to play listening to Ventures records. Maybe they had an off night, or maybe he hired cheap talent when he was on the road. Anyway, I bought this album in the Tay Ninh Base Camp PX in 1969 where it was one of only two records on sale. We played this album until the dust more or less destroyed it. The CD has brought back great memories.