Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings (1927-1929)

Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings (1927-1929)

ASIN: B0001KZM4S

Track Listings

1. Sugar Baby

2. Down South Blues

3. Country Blues

4. Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long?

5. Danville Girl

6. Pretty Polly

7. New Prisoner's Song

8. Hard Luck Blues

9. Lost Love Blues

10. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?

11. Old Rub Alcohol Blues

12. False Hearted Lover's Blues

13. Lost Love Blues [Alternate Take #1][#]

14. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There? [Alternate Take #1][#]

15. Old Rub Alcohol Blues [Alternate Take][#]

16. Lost Love Blues [Alternate Take #2][#]

17. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There? [Alternate Take #2][#]

18. Peddler and His Wife - Dock Boggs, Hayes Shepherd

19. Hard for to Love - Dock Boggs, Hayes Shepherd

20. Bound Steel Blues - Dock Boggs, Bill Shephard

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings (1927-1929),Dock Boggs,Revenant Records,Appalachian Folk,Banjo,Country,Country Blues,Folk-Blues,Folksongs,Old-Timey,Pop,Traditional Folk

The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James
Average customer rating:

How could I rate this other that a 5?

awesome!

"I'd rather be dead and six feet in the ground..."

leaves you wanting more....

What can i say....wow!

The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James
Skip James
Manufacturer: Yazoo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
General | Blues | Styles | Music
Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
Piano | Blues | Styles | Music
General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Delta Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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The Complete Studio Recordings Mississippi John Hurt

ASIN: B000000G8L
Release Date: 1994-09-15

Tracks:

Devil Got My Woman
Cypress Grove Blues
Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
Drunken Spree
Cherry Ball Blues
Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader
Illinois Blues
How Long 'Buck'
4 O'Clock Blues
22-20 Blues
Hard Luck Child
If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road
Be Ready When He Comes
Yola My Blues Away
I'm So Glad
What Am I To Do Blues
Special Rider Blues

Amazon.com

With an unmistakable falsetto delivery, Skip James created some of history's eeriest blues records. His blues sounds dark and mysterious, using odd tunings, structures, and rhythms, and exploring gloomy lyrical themes. Unlike other bluesmen of the day, James's music was personal and bleak, played for his own emotional release and not for purposes of entertainment. "Devil Got My Woman," "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues," "Hard Luck Child," and "Special Rider Blues" convey sorrow and misery like few others can. Uptempo numbers such as the classic "I'm So Glad" and "Drunken Spree," which resembles the hillbilly traditional "Late Last Night," showcase his forceful guitar picking while rags "Little Cow and Calf" and the jumpy "How Long 'Buck'" feature his unique piano work. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

How could I rate this other that a 5?.......2007-03-27

This is an essential addition to any collection. Don't read reviews. Just get a copy. "I'm so glad" that I did.

awesome!.......2006-10-19

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!!!

"I'd rather be dead and six feet in the ground...".......2006-07-02

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.

leaves you wanting more...........2005-09-24

Skip James is wonderfully quirky in his interpretation of delta blues. These recordings comprise his entire output before the delta blues revivial in the early 60's, and as such, are priceless as a musical document. Too bad that the recording they obtained have deteriorated so badly. I have heard better versions on other collections. The piano work was cool, though.

What can i say....wow!.......2005-09-09

Yes, when i heard "Devil got my woman" while watching the movie "Ghost world" i was instantly mesmerised with that tune.

i feel very strongly for this album, this album has soul, it has a depth,it has such passion, and it hits me on an emotional level, it goes straight to my heart. very hypnotic, and ALL the tracks are masterpieces, i mean it.

plus, skip james voice is just incredible, can be compared to blind lemon jefferson's voice, but better, in my non-expert opinion.

Average customer rating:

Straight from the heart
unbelievable
Not quite complete recordings...

Complete Early Recordings
Reverend Gary Davis
Manufacturer: Yazoo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929)
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Blues & Ragtime

ASIN: B000000G8N
Release Date: 1994-09-15

Tracks:

I Belong To The Band-Hallelujah!
The Great Change In Me
The Angel's Message To Me
I Saw The Light
Lord, Stand By Me
I Am The Light
O Lord, Search My Heart
Have More Faith In Jesus
You Got To Go Down
I Am The True Vine
Twelve Gates To The City
You Can Go Home
I'm Throwin' Up My Hand
Cross And Evil Woman Blues
I Can't Bear My Burden By Myself
Meet Me At The Station

Customer Reviews:

Straight from the heart.......2003-06-24

Impassioned gospel-blues from one of the foremost streetsinging preachers and bluesmen. The songs are taken from old 78's so there is some minor hiss present, but the power of Davis' voice and the ringing of his fingerstyle guitar distracts you from any imperfections in the source material. A minor quibble: the liner notes are generally good at explaining Davis' career and playing style of this time, but never breaks down when each song was recorded and other useful track info.

If your oldtime blues collection could use a little religion, then the Complete Early Recordings of Rev. Gary Davis is a pretty good place to start.

unbelievable.......2001-10-12

Reverend Gary Davis. These are the earliest known recordings of THE MAN. His guitar skill truly must be heard to be believed. At points I swear there are at least two or three seperate guitars, but it's all coming out of him. Simply incredible.
Most people may be familiar only with his later stuff, but for my money this is the gold. A musician just getting first exposure, like college athletes in a way, always have something to prove, and it shows well on this disc. Mostly gospel and ragtime tunes, the Reverend was not particularly fond of straight-up blues, but his style and skill will surely impress anyone with an interest in blues, guitar, or plain musicianship. Outstanding. One of my most deserved 5 stars.

Not quite complete recordings..........1999-11-24

It's strange that a CD, advertising itself as the 'complete' early recordings of this brilliant (and very influential) ragtime guitarist, should in fact, be lacking several of them - where have "I wish I could see" or "I am the light of the world" gone, for example? Still, it is a fine showcase of Rev. Davis' early recordings; but it could have, and possibly should have been better. It would have taken little effort to add the remaining titles, and there's certainly enough room on the CD.

Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings

Average customer rating:

not for the faint of heart.
greil marcus is a pompous idiot, but dock boggs is great
Classic old-time country blues
Get Out of the Graveyard
Bone chilling folk music from the backwoods

Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings
Dock Boggs
Manufacturer: Revenant Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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The High Lonesome Sound
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ASIN: B000001Z3Y
Release Date: 1998-02-17

Tracks:

Sugar Baby
Down Home Blues
Country Blues
Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long?
Danville Girl
Pretty Polly
New Prisoner's Song
Hard Luck Blues
Lost Love Blues
Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?
Old Rub Alcohol Blues
False Hearted Lover's Blues
Lost Love Blues (Unissued Alternate Take #1)
Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There? (Unissued Alternate Take #1)
Old Rub Alcohol Blues (Sole Unissues Alternate Take)
Lost Love Blues (Unissued Alternate Take #2)
Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There? (Unissued Alternate Take #2)
Peddler & His Wife - Dock Boggs/Hayes Shepherd
Hard For To Love - Dock Boggs/Hayes Shepherd
Bound Steel Blues - Dock Boggs/Bill Shephard
Aunt Jane Blues - Dock Boggs/Bill Shephard

Amazon.com

With his dark genius lauded by the literary likes of Greil Marcus in this compilation's accompanying 64-page hardcover booklet, Dock Boggs is remembered as a grim and tortured man who barely managed to save his soul with a banjo and a handful of songs. Originally recorded in the late 1920s, this collection illuminates the history of murder ballads like "Pretty Polly" from their origins in the English countryside to their more contemporary expressions (see "Polly" by Nirvana). While Boggs experienced popularity when these recordings were made, he retired from music for more than 30 years until being "rediscovered" in the early 1960s. Along with 12 classic Boggs performances, Country Blues includes five unreleased outtakes and four cuts with Dock as an instrumental sideman. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews:

not for the faint of heart........2007-04-05

well, this disc fascinates me. I didn't much care for it during my first listen. put it away for a few months & came back to it. by about the 3rd play it was striking a chord in me. this is not easy listening. not by a long shot. if you are going to succeed in liking this cd, you are going to have to have a certain level of tolerance for unusual voices. this man was no honey-throated songbird. usually i have a hard time describing unique voices with words, but in this case it seems easy: when mr boggs sings he sounds like an alcoholic uncle whom you would not trust around your children. i realize this is not sounding like a high recommendation (i do like this disc - i gave it four stars), i just think you should have a clear idea of what you might be getting into here. this is rural folk music with a raw and vital vibe to it. though sounding drunk and demented mr boggs fascinates, and he plays a mean banjo, to boot. lots of excellent banjo on this disc. but back to that voice: i will insist that some of these old tunes are best suited by a voice such as this. take "pretty polly," for example. now, if you are not familiar with old mountain ballads, you might think "pretty polly," that sounds like a nice song; but, if you are familiar with these ballads, you will see that title and think "uh-oh! pretty polly is surely going to die." and of course, die she does. mr boggs sings about murdering her, and he sounds just right for the role. someone like say, oh, how about johnny mathis, could not pull this song off convincingly. this is a truly disturbing song and it deserves a distrubed sounding man to do it justice. now i know next to nothing about doc boggs, the man (i have not even read the lengthy linear notes that come with this disc). maybe he was a great fella. i hope so. but i am saying "he truly sounds like a rural maniac." so that's part of the reason that this disc now fascinates me. that and all the fine music on it. i don't really have time to go further with this now; i have a life and you have a life. we need to get on with things. buy this, or don't. thanks for hearing me out.

greil marcus is a pompous idiot, but dock boggs is great.......2007-02-10

Greil Marcus's American Studies/Joe Campbell influenced "old wierd America" nonsense does a terrible disservice to roots artists like Dock Boggs. A working man who played the banjo and sang old timey blues-drenched folk material in an eerie croak, Boggs is one of the godfathers of American roots music. But Marcus, in his dreadful essay on Boggs which is included in this otherwise beautifully packaged CD/Booklet, tries to turn Boggs into a mythic figure. This is the same hero-worshipping schoolboy mindset that fantasized Robert Johnson as a devotee of Satan. Ironically, Marcus is projecting a showbiz framework (where musicians must be "legends" -- so they may be sold as pure media images) onto musicians who were community entertainers in the days before music was a plastic fantasy world. Boggs is no myth, his humanity is one of the greatest lessons he has to teach us in a world where superstar worship strips away any human relation between artists and their audience. Listen to Dock Boggs for yourself, don't let Marcus pollute your appreciation of this great roots artist.

Classic old-time country blues.......2006-08-31

This release was almost willed into existence, firstly by the attention given to the singer by Greil Marcus in 'Invisible Republic', his 1997 study of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes and their dependence on the 1952 Folkways Anthology, and secondly by the re-release of that Anthology on CD and the subsequent singling out for special praise of the two Boggs songs it included. Although Boggs's original twelve recordings have been available on a Folkways album for some time, this CD, with all known alternate takes as well as contributions from associated musicians, contains much more.

Moran Lee 'Dock' Boggs was a coal miner from Virginia who played banjo and sang with a strong nasal twang some of the most intensely haunting white blues of the 1920s, rivalling many a black blues singer in fervour and pain. There is a strong sense of more ancient traditions, both white and black, in his performances. He listened to the recordings of black singers, such as Rosa Henderson and Sara Martin, and adapted some of their songs, including 'Down South Blues', 'Sugar Blues' and 'Mistreated Mama Blues', into his own repertoire. Others, like 'Pretty Polly', 'Danville Girl', and 'Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long?', come from the white tradition.

Boggs recorded the first eight tracks on this album for Brunswick in 1927, accompanied on most songs by Hub Mahaffey on guitar. The following four songs, and the alternate takes, were recorded for the small Virginia label Lonesome Ace in 1929. Both 'Old Rub Alcohol Blues' and 'False Hearted Lover's Blues' from this date use the same tune as the more successful 'Country Blues'. Boggs was backed on this session by the guitar of Emry Arthur, who composed and recorded 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' for Paramount in 1929, a song covered by Dylan on his first album. Dock Boggs was not to record again until after his rediscovery in the 1960s when three new albums were issued by Folkways, and these are also now available on CD.

The final four tracks of this album feature the brothers Bill and Hayes Shepherd from Kentucky, singing in the typical 'high-lonesome' style associated with that state. Hayes, in particular, exhibits an intense delivery similar to that of Dock Boggs on his outstanding pair of performances included here.

Sound quality is pretty good, but surface noise is intrusive on certain tracks, and I can't help feeling that someone such as John R T Davies could have achieved a better standard of remastering. There is a certain quirkiness in the programming, since two-minute periods of silence are provided, to separate the alternate takes from the original releases, and the Shepherd brothers from Dock Boggs. An unnecessary measure, which proves to be quite irritating on repeated playings of the disc.

The CD comes inside a 64-page hardback booklet, cunningly designed to be just too tall to fit onto conventional CD shelving. The external sleeve notes and track listing detach themselves when the cellophane outer wrapper is removed, and are then presumably intended for disposal, since there is no way of re-securing them to the package. It is also difficult to remove and re-insert the CD into its rough cardboard sleeve, attached inside the rear cover. The booklet includes detailed notes by Greil Marcus, adapted from 'Invisible Republic', and also by Jon Pankake, and lyrics are provided to all twelve of Boggs's songs. Photographs are included, but their reproduction is faint. Given the attention that has been lavished in other areas, a discography is almost conspicuous by its absence, and would have been a useful addition. The music itself is superb, and this CD is an essential acquisition for all lovers of old-time music. But beware of the eccentric packaging.

Get Out of the Graveyard.......2004-03-04

Beautifully packaged treatment of Dock's 1920s recordings. Kind of a banjo flailing hillbilly Robert Johnson. Sidenote, I actually met Dock when I was a child, he was a friend of my pawpaw's. They worked in the coalmines together and was wild together back in the old days. I had no idea Dock even played an instrument until I read a book by Greil Marcus years later...

Bone chilling folk music from the backwoods.......2003-11-07

Great music, like great movies, has atmosphere and tactile presence. You can just imagine what Boggs' contemporaries thought about these songs. There is a seriousness and a pervading sense of doom that must have shocked and compelled his early audiences. The old power is still there.

Average customer rating:

The Early Blues Roots of Bob Dylan
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Complete Blues
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000SBUCLI
Release Date: 2007-08-20

Tracks:

Broken Hearted, Ragged and Dirty Too - Sleepy John Estes
I've Got Blood in My Eyes for You - Mississippi Sheiks
Broke Down Engine - Blind Willie McTell
Stack O' Lee Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
Will the Circle Be Unbroken - J.C. Burnett
Frankie and Albert - Mississippi John Hurt
Sitting on Top of the World - Mississippi Sheiks
Step It up and Go - Blind Boy Fuller
Corrina, Corrina - Bo Carter
Honey, Won't You Allow Me One More Chance? - Henry Thomas
Fixin' to Die Blues - Bukka White
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Railroad Bill - Will Bennett
Mother's Children Have a Hard Time - Blind Willie Johnson
Grasshoppers in My Pillow - Leadbelly
Po' Lazarus - Booker T. Sapps
Match Box Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Candy Man Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
Po' Boy - Bukka White
Jesus Make up My Dying Bed - Blind Willie Johnson

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