Country Slide [Import]

Product Description:
25 early examples of slide guitar playing hillbilly music in the 1930s and 40s. Among the exponents of the early forms of the art or bandleaders who incorporated the instrument are, Jimmie Davis, Cliff Carlisle, The Carter Family and Darby and Tarlton. Acrobat. 2003.

Country Slide,Darby and Tarlton,Jimmie Davis,Dixon Brothers,J.D. Farley,Riley Puckett,The Carter Family,Cliff Carlisle,Dock Walsh,Acrobat [Cit570],Jazz Collections,Pop,V/A Compilations

Average customer rating: THE Chronicles totally essential listening The grandfather of the reissue records Necessary. Essential

Anthology of American Folk Music (Edited by Harry Smith) Various Artists Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Memphis Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Texas Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Cowboy | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Smithsonian Folkways Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET) The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4 Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways Good For What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows 1926-1937 ASIN: B000001DJU Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

1. Henry Lee - Dick Justice
2. Fatal Flower Garden - Nelston's Hawaiians
3. House Carpenter - Clarence Ashley
4. Drunkard's Special - Coley Jones
5. Old Lady And The Devil - Bill & Belle Reed
6. The Butcher's Boy - Buell Kazee
7. The Wagoner's Lad - Buell Kazee
8. King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O - Chubby Parker
9. Old Shoes And Leggins - Uncle Eck Dunford
10. Willie Moore - Richard Burnett And Leonard Rutherford
11. A Lazy Farmer Boy - Buster Carter And Preston Young
12. Peg And Awl - Carolina Tar Heels
13. Ommie Wise - G.B. Grayson
14. My Name Is John Johanna - Kelly Harrell

Tracks:

1. Bandit Cole Younger - Edward L. Crain
2. Charles Giteau - Kelly Harrel
3. John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man - Carter Family
4. Gonna Die With My Hammer In My Hand - Williamson Brothers And Curry
5. Stackalee - Frank Hutchison
6. White House Blues - Charlie Poole And The North Carolina Ramblers
7. Frankie - Mississippi John Hurt
8. When That Great Ship Went Down - William And Versey Smith
9. Engine 143 - Carter Family
10. Kassie Jones - Furry Lewis
11. Down On Penny's Farm - Bently Boys
12. Mississippi Boweavil Blues - Masked Marvel
13. Got The Farm Land Blues - Carolina Tar Heels

Tracks:

1. Sail Away Lady - Uncle Bunt Stephens
2. The Wild Wagoner - Jilson Setters
3. Wake Up Jacob - Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers
4. La Danseuse - Delma Lachney And Blind Uncle Gaspard
5. Georgia Stomp - Andrew And Jim Baxter
6. Brilliancy Medley - Eck Robertson
7. Indian War Whoop - Hoyt Ming & His Pep-Steppers
8. Old Country Stomp - Henry Thomas
9. Old Dog Blue - Jim Jackson
10. Saut Crapaud - Columbus Fruge
11. Acadian One-Step - Joseph Falcon
12. Home Sweet Home - Breaux Freres
13. Newport Blues - Cincinnati Jug Band
14. Moonshiner's Dance (Part One) - Frank Cloutier And The Victoria Cafe Orchestra

Tracks:

1. You Must Be Born Again - Rev. J.M. Gates
2. Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting - Rev. J.M. Gates
3. Rocky Road - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
4. Present Joys - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
5. This Song Of Love - Middle Georgia Singing Conv. No. 1
6. Judgement - Sister Mary Nelson
7. He Got Better Things For You - Memphis Sanctified Singers
8. Since I Laid My Burden Down - Elders McIntorsh & Edwards' Sanctified Singers
9. John The Baptist - Rev. Moses Mason
10. Dry Bones - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
11. John The Revelator - Blind Willie Johnson
12. Little Moses - Carter Family
13. Shine On Me - Ernest Phipps & Holiness Singers
14. Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room - Rev. F.W. McGee
15. In The Battlefield For My Lord - Rev. D.C. Rice And Congregation

Tracks:

1. The Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley
2. East Virginia - Buell Kazee
3. Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
4. I Woke Up One Morning In May - Didier Hebert
5. James Alley Blues - Richard 'Rabbit' Brown
6. Sugar Baby - Dock Boggs
7. I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
8. Mountaineer's Courtship - Ernest And Hattie Stoneman
9. The Spanish Merchant's Daughter - Stoneman Family
10. Bob Lee Junior Blues - Memphis Jug Band
11. Single Girl, Married Girl - Carter Family
12. Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme - Cleoma Breaux & Joseph Falcon
13. Rabbit Foot Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
14. Expressman Blues - Sleepy John Estes & Yank Rachell

Tracks:

1. Poor Boy Blues - Ramblin' Thomas
2. Feather Bed - Cannon's Jug Stompers
3. Country Blues - Dock Boggs
4. 99 Year Blues - Julius Daniels
5. Prison Cell Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
6. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson
7. C'est Si Triste Sans Lui - Cleoma And Ophy Breaux And Joseph Falcon
8. Way Down The Old Plank Road - Uncle Dave Macon
9. Buddy Won't You Roll Down The Line - Uncle Dave Macon
10. Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
11. K.C. Moan - Memphis Jug Band
12. Train On The Island - J.P. Nestor
13. The Lone Star Trail - Ken Maynard
14. Fishing Blues - Henry Thomas

Amazon.com

This impressive--and frankly, fun--musical document is still sending out shock waves almost 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release. The Smithsonian's six-CD reissue is painstakingly researched, annotated, and packaged (even boasting an enhanced disc for the techno-capable). Unlike field recorders, eccentric filmmaker/collector/musicologist Harry Smith assembled the Anthology from commercially released (though obscure) 78 rpm discs issued between 1927 and 1935. Its broad scope--from country blues to Cajun social music to Appalachian murder ballads--was monumentally influential, setting musicians like Bob Dylan down the path to folk fandom. The White House started its own national music library with the Anthology; anyone with more than a passing interest in American roots music should do the same. --Michael Ruby

More from Smithsonian Folkways

The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music	Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings	Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection
Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways	Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways	Folkways: The Original Vision

Album Description

This deluxe 6-CD collector's boxed set contains a 96-page book featuring Harry Smith's original songbook framed by essays by Greil Marcus and other noted writers, musicians, and scholars. Play the enhanced sixth disc on your CD-ROM drive and access historic video footage, rare photos, artist interviews, and additional background information. Edited by Harry Smith. Reissue compiled by the staff of Smithsonian Folkways. Reissue liner notes by Greil Marcus, Neil Rosenberg, Jeff Place, Jon Pankake, Luis Kemnitzer and others. "...the missing link in rock's official history." -Newsweek ***** (five stars) -Rolling Stone

Customer Reviews:

THE Chronicles.......2007-07-12

Great stuff. Yet some of the singing is almost too real, too raw. Bob Dylan cites this album as a main inspiration, and you can hear his singing and songwriting style in a lot of the songs. Not for everybody, and may be even too much for casual folk music fans. Has to be listened to in the context of a historical document.

totally essential listening.......2007-02-15

This CD compilation set is more than just an album of music--it's a historical document. I first heard of the AAFM in a Bob Dylan biography--after buying this and listening to it, I can understand how Bob was inspired to ditch his Little Richard aspirations and travel the rugged road of folk. Through the three sections--Ballads, Social Music (mostly instrumentals), and Songs (kind of like ballads, but less story-oriented), this collection not only contains some great, timeless music and performances, it's also steeped in pure humanity--the real essence of true folk music. The people Harry Smith collected and anthologized were mostly just that: folk. People like you and me who love music, and play the songs they've been handed down. You don't have to be Bob Dylan to appreciate and be moved by songs that have been passed down through the generations and soulfully interpreted by many different artists.

Aside from some essential listening ("Coo Coo Bird," "Stackalee," "Mississippi Boweavil Blues," "I wish I Was a Mole in the Ground," etc. etc.), the package has some great supplementary material. It's very interesting to learn about the song information and performer information that Smith collected with his anthology, but it's also interesting to get a glimpse into his project, seeing how he relentlessly collected and chose which songs to represent. He was a true lover of music, and that love is reflected in his project.

Please don't come to this compilation expecting pristine sound quality--it was assembled in the 50's, which means that the recordings come from then as well as much earlier--it's about the music and performers anyway, and a little bit of scratch really doesn't detract that much from the organic, down home experience. It IS a bit of a shame that there are 6 CDs, but really only about 4 full CDs worth of music--it would have been OK with me if the Ballad/Social Music/Songs organization was not cleanly divided between discs to save space, since the division isn't very efficient, but I suppose the reissuers wanted to emulate the original vinyl collection. I don't really find the material to be homogeneous like the second spotlight reviewer does, although I do agree that Roots and Blues: A Retrospective is also a great compilation--I'd recommend getting both for a great complementary experience.

Hopefully this set never goes out of print, as it's a great piece of art that any music fan or musician can learn a lot from--and enjoy, too! It's a shame that Smith had to preserve this music as it was beginning to die out even as he was collecting it, but it's also heartwarming that such classic sounds can be preserved for us to hear so many years later and keep the tradition alive. Enjoy the living history!

The grandfather of the reissue records.......2005-02-21

This collection led to the "re-discovery" of many artists who had dissapeared after when the depression crippled the recording industry. Mississippi John Hurt is probably the most famous as of now, but others, like Clarence Ashley were major finds at the time - and when Folkways sent a field crew to do a new record by Ashley he requested some assist from a young friend named Doc Watson. Watson was unknown outside his home town at the time but went on to become a major star in a field which has very few stars.
Listening to many cuts on this album you can hear the source of much material for folk groups as diverse as the New Lost City Ramblers and The Holy Modal Rounders, rock groups like Canned Heat, and The Grateful Dead. Some of the melodies will be familiar to fans of Dylan, others to Jorma Kaukonan listeners. There are otehrs -- many many others.
This set is the source, the headwaters of reissues, and revivals. An essential part of any folk music collection.

Necessary........2003-05-28

I dont think there is a need to go into to much detail about this *6 CD* set. If you can fork over the cash, just buy it. If you have any interest in roots music, just buy it. If you thought ol' Bobby Dylan and the Band made some great weird music in the basement of big pink in '67 .. for the love of god, BUY THIS! strange, unadorned, raw music , just buy it.

Essential.......2002-11-30

Much ink & many electrons have been devoted to explaining both Harry Smith (and a lot of explanation is necessary -- very interesting man) and this wonderful collection of recordings from the 1920's and 30's, so I won't go into too much detail here. If you'd like a good treatise on the work itself as a cultural object, and how it relates to other thematically similar items, I would reccomend Griel Marcus' book Invisible Republic.
This is the greatest mix tape ever made, and an essential cultural artifact, not only of the vernacular music of the hills & highways of pre-electrification America, but also of the folk movement ofthe fifties and sixties (the primer fromwhic all else was derived) and by extension of the hippy movement following closely thereafter.
SOme of this music is really wild...

Average customer rating: Come on in my kitchen the tribute is about to start. Unique voice and vibes.... Definitely worth getting the works Why Couldn't they put the Released takes on one disc..... Delta blues in its purest form

The Complete Recordings Robert Johnson Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Blues | Box Sets | Stores | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Original Delta Blues Howlin' Wolf: His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) His Best: 1947 to 1955 The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James Me and Mr. Johnson ASIN: B000002757 Release Date: 1990-08-20

Tracks:

1. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
2. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
3. I Believe I'll Dust My Broom
4. Sweet Home Chicago
5. Rambling On My Mind
6. Rambling On My Mind
7. When You Got A Good Friend
8. When You Got A Good Friend
9. Come On In My Kitchen
10. Come On In My Kitchen
11. Terraplane Blues
12. Phonograph Blues
13. Phonograph Blues
14. 32-20 Blues
15. They're Red Hot
16. Dead Shrimp Blues
17. Cross Road Blues
18. Cross Road Blues
19. Walking Blues
20. Last Fair Deal Gone Down

Tracks:

1. Preaching Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)
2. If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day
3. Stones In My Passway
4. I'm A Steady Rollin' Man
5. From Four Till Late
6. Hellbound On My Trail
7. Little Queen Of Spades
8. Little Queen Of Spades
9. Malted Milk
10. Drunken Hearted Man
11. Drunken Hearted Man
12. Me & The Devil Blues
13. Me & The Devil Blues
14. Stop Breakin' Down Blues
15. Stop Breakin' Down Blues
16. Traveling Riverside Blues
17. Honeymoon Blues
18. Love In Vain
19. Love In Vain
20. Milkcow's Calf Blues
21. Milkcow's Calf Blues

Amazon.com

This two-CD box contains all 41 recordings Johnson made, including 12 alternate takes, and each cut remains a classic. This set's release in 1990 caused quite a stir, selling more than 500,000 copies, and, on the basis of endorsements from Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, introduced a great number of rock fans to Delta blues. Amazingly, Johnson built his enormous legacy on the strength of just two recording sessions: the first session, in November of 1936, produced among others "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Cross Road Blues," and "Walkin' Blues," making it perhaps the most influential single session in blues history. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Come on in my kitchen the tribute is about to start. .......2007-07-08

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings of historical importance.

There are not many recorded works that can boast ageless songs and timeless influence the way the Robert Johnson's compilation can.

Not only has Johnson been a major factor in the lives of the people we refer to as "Guitar Heroes" but his name being synonymous with blues-rock idols has led to an infinite amount of people purchasing records they would never have known.

Forty-one doesn't sound like a large number (The amount of tracks offered on the CD) but it isn't the quantity but the quality. Johnson offers us a chance to feel the pain of the blues musician in the thirties. The guitar so difficult to play the fingers would often bleed. The lyrics didn't have to be searched for, he was living the story each minute.

We have idolized Cream's version of "Crossroads" the first second "Wheels Of Fire" went on the turntable but it was penned before rock and roll was even a dream. Titled "Cross Roads Blues" by Johnson the acoustic version is riveting. What cried more pain the six string or Johnson's voice? The Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen has left "Walking Blues" as a calling card for decades. Hot Tuna versions of the song became legendary in the mid-seventies. Here is Johnson's original unplugged (If I may borrow a term) with no thrills and not even clocking in at two and a half minutes. The genius of Johnson is the ability to take his foundation and extend it to new horizons. The songs have such intensity that they don't lose meaning with improvisation, their reputation only grows. Clapton while a member of Cream would give us an incredible version of "From Four Till Late" and Hot Tuna put their stamp on the tune for the 83 reunion tour.

"Love In Vain" conjures up an image of the Mick Taylor period Stones playing brilliant live versions that made time stand still. Johnson was the first man to follow her to the station and write about the trials and tribulations.

Led Zeppelin years later would cut loose with their rendition of "Traveling Riverside Blues" and in another world Mr. Johnson would build the foundation so they could achieve this.

Robert Johnson's name is associated with the blues. To many he is the reason they picked up the guitar. As you pick your favorites after listening to all the tracks, take a few moments to see how many albums you own where one or more of his tunes have been covered. There are over two hundred versions of "Sweet Home Chicago." Now you can experience where it all started rural Mississippi and ended before he saw age 28. Come on in my kitchen the tribute is about to start.


Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

Unique voice and vibes...........2007-06-09

As a child and very young teenager in the 60's and 70s, I grew up on a diet of the heaviest, sludgiest heavy rock, then later "graduated" onto very early punk rock in the late 70's -- from Zeppelin to Sabbath onto MC5, The Stooges and then The Pistols.

I soon wearied of both genres, and wanted to find out what the roots of rock and roll were. In the late 70's/early 80's then, I stumbled upon this fine, ghostly record, and was immediately entranced by the sense of mystery and lonely strangeness that Robert Johnson evoked. A lonely dark existential dread, records that captured the "human condition" and all its attendant sense of loss.

This album is, arguably, all you'll need to understand the inner core meaning of delta blues genre -- and it undoubtedly provides insights into the vast majority of the rock music that followed in its footsteps.

Ghostly, lonely , haunting, intelligent, innovative, unique, and quite essential listening for anyone that fell in love with rock music for all the right reasons.

It's amazing what someone like Johnson could do within the blues format -- poetic and epic, like the best poetry should be. File next to the best American poetry too. Those that appreciate Walt Whitman, Ginsberg and Emily Dickinson will instinctively understand what Johnson was doing, lonely and unheeded genius that he was.

Definitely worth getting the works.......2007-06-05

When buying a Robert Johnson CD, you might as well go the whole hog and get the works. If you've heard a couple of Johnson tracks and are unsure, I can assure you that there are no fillers on here (not even the alternate takes!) as every track the man recorded is a classic.

Why Couldn't they put the Released takes on one disc............2007-05-30

... and the alternates on the other? It is really annoying to hear (what boils down to) the exact same song a second time with only subtle differences. Also, another reviewer put it this way. RJ sold his soul to the devil, who in turn sold it to Sony.

Fortunately there are companies outside of the US that deliver a one disk, original 29, for a lot less money (check out the "Proper" version that comes from the UK - also available through Amazon). Also, the sound quality is better. Don't get me wrong. I think having the alternates on a CD is a great idea. Just maybe on another disk.

Delta blues in its purest form .......2007-05-21

Great compilation. I must say that I am tired of hearing people complain about sound quality on these old delta blues recordings. To me this is part of the whole experience. Robert Johnson is a classic - his music is enjoyable and its flaws are part of its character. If you like this type of music I HIGHLY recommend the 2 CD John Lee Hooker chess recordings. Just a man on a guitar healing himself - great stuff!!!

Average customer rating: Quite simply? Fantastic! This CD Rocks! Got Slide? Greatest Rock/Blues Slide "Live" Album of All-Time Couldn't be better

Grant Street Sonny Landreth Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music New Orleans Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fever for the Bayou The Road We're On The Duke Meets the Earl Blues Deluxe It's Time ASIN: B0006FO83Y Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

1. Native Stepson
2. Broken Hearted Road
3. Gone Pecan
4. Port Of Calling
5. Blues Attack
6. Z. Rider
7. U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile
8. Wind In Denver
9. All About You
10. Pedal To Metal
11. Congo Square

Amazon.com

Just as Muhammad Ali once boasted that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," Louisiana's Sonny Landreth can make his slide guitar roar like a rocket ship and dance like a ballerina. As this live set recorded on his home turf attests, few guitarists combine such power with such precision. Landreth's veteran rhythm section of bassist David Ranson and drummer Kenneth Blevins provides whipcrack support on a set of supercharged instrumentals ("Native Stepson," "Z. Rider," "Pedal to Metal") and original blues ("Broken-Hearted Road," "Wind in Denver"), building to a climax with the guitarist's signature tune, "Congo Square." Though Landreth established himself as an ace sideman from his apprenticeship with zydeco kingpin Clifton Chenier through his extended stint with John Hiatt, he really cuts loose with his own trio, generating a dynamic propulsion that threatens to levitate this Lafayette dancehall. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Quite simply? Fantastic!.......2007-06-13

There's not a guy who's heard this CD on my stereo or iPod who hasn't asked, "Who is that playing the guitar?" Yeah, no kidding, Sonny Landreth is da bomb, and Grant Street is a fantastic CD. Buy it if you enjoy superb guitar playing, you could not possibly be disappointed.Grant Street

This CD Rocks!.......2007-01-11

My first Sony Landreth CD. Lots of great songs and rocking tunes. Highly recommend.

Got Slide?.......2007-01-11

My perpective is a little skewed from seeing Sonny live last weekend. This recording is the one that made me seek out his show. He is one of the all time greats, and keeps getting better. This recording delivers a great colection of his signature sounds and songs. Don't light a candle for this, you might knock it over dancing.

Greatest Rock/Blues Slide "Live" Album of All-Time.......2006-12-07

This thing is stupifyingly good.

I have all of Sonny's recordings. This is right up there with "The Road We're On" in quality. In fact, Grant Street has a couple of tunes from "Road": All About You and Gone Pecan. Of course, Sonny just blows the doors off in the live setting.

That stuff that people have said about Sonny being only an "OK" singer? I just laugh when I hear that. Forget about it. Sonny does just fine there, and anyway, it doesn't mean a thing. You see, quite simply this is some of the greatest guitar work you will EVER hear, so it's immaterial. The guitar playing is so utterly incredible that any singing that might take place is pretty much incidental. Sonny does two or three sublime instrumentals on Grant Street, and on the others he sings and throws out lightning bolts. This is not what you'd call subtle or delicate music; it's heavy blues with a strong dose of Louisiana Zydeco thrown in; every tune just ROCKS!

BUY THIS ALBUM AND PLAY IT LOUD! YOU WILL LOVE IT! BUY IT FOR ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!

Couldn't be better.......2006-12-01

I don't think I've ever heard a tighter and more solid live recording, especially not one being performed by a three piece band. Excellent musicians, and you can't be anything but impressed by Sonny's skills as a guitar player. There ain't a bad song, but "Wind in Denver", "Blues Attack" and "Pedal to Metal" stands out. Highly recommended!

Average customer rating: Awful Singing, Great Guitar Ry Cooder: Into The Purple Valley Into the purple valley The Return to the Purple Valley. I wish I had this CD

Into the Purple Valley Ry Cooder Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paradise and Lunch Boomer's Story Ry Cooder Chicken Skin Music Bop Till You Drop ASIN: B000002KBW Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)
2. Billy The Kid
3. Money Honey
4. F.D.R. In Trinidad
5. Teardrops Will Fall
6. Denomination Blues
7. On A Monday
8. Hey Porter
9. Great Dream From Heaven
10. Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Us All
11. Vigilante Man

Amazon.com essential recording

Ry Cooder may have been an in-demand session guitarist in the late '60s, but what set him apart in his early solo career was his extraordinary, if eccentric, taste in songs. Here he explores the repertoires of everyone from Johnny Cash to Bahaman folk master Joseph Spence to Leadbelly with enchanting results. While Cooder's vocal skills are no match for his slide guitar and mandolin talents (the latter showcased splendidly in "Hey Porter" and "Billy the Kid"), he's an amiable singer who resists the temptation to camp it up, even when essaying such antiquated oddities as "FDR in Trinidad" and "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All." --Steve Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Awful Singing, Great Guitar.......2007-02-06

Whoa. I bought this album on the strength of these reviews and the 5 stars...but be careful, all is not 5 stars in the kingdom of Cooder. The reason you've never heard of this album is that while the guitar playing is impeccable, inspired and a mark of true talent, the singing is AWFUL. Cooder is almost tuneless and clearly has never learned how to sing. On tracks like Teardrops Will Fall, his back-up singers come in and really highlight how terrible his tune is. Consider yourself warned.

Ry Cooder: Into The Purple Valley.......2007-01-10

Into The Purple Valley is basically a concept album about 1930s America, and Ry Cooder's second solo record. The only other Ry Cooder album I own is his self-titled debut, which is great, but this one blows it away. Certain songs on Cooder's debut are among my all-time favorites, especially "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?", which has heartbreaking lyrics almost enough to make the staunchest Republican turn socialist (contrary to a previous review, "How Can A Poor Man" IS from Cooder's debut album, not from Into The Purple Valley). But overall I was disappointed by the self-titled album, mainly because my expectations were so high. The sound was not full enough, since Cooder used a backing band on only a few of the tracks, and too many slow songs slowed everything down.

This album, however, lives up to all expectations. The foot-tappers "Money Honey" and "Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Us All" are the two perfect songs, but almost equally great are "How Can You Keep Moving," "On A Monday," and "Denomination Blues," all of which have awesome, lighthearted lyrics that would have come off as merely cute if they had not been done exactly right. And then there are the beautiful/sad songs: "Teardrops Will Fall" (which sounds much more modern than the rest of the songs, both musically and lyrically - it could almost be a Smokey Robinson tune), and "Great Dream From Heaven," a short but sweet instrumental. I realize that I've named nearly every song on the album, something that usually annoys me when I'm reading other people's album reviews, but that just goes to show you how much I love this whole CD. If you are a fan of roots-conscious rock music like The Band and Rory Gallagher, then you can't go wrong with Ry Cooder; and if you are just getting into Ry Cooder, I don't think there is a better starting place than Into The Purple Valley.

(Bonus tip: if you have not heard of Rory Gallagher, definitely check him out too, especially his two live albums.)

Into the purple valley.......2006-11-02

It's a good sounding set of different songs of pass. I liked the different type music and lyrics.

The Return to the Purple Valley........2002-12-30

Ry Cooder has shown us a wide variety and diversification of musical influences since this 1972 release, but to me, this is his best effort. I love the broad range of musical influences that he has taken over the years, including the commercially successful Buena Vista Social Club, however, Into the Purple Valley is where he is at home. From beginning to end, this album carries such a magical feel, particularly the struggles of the poor and oppressed from a long ago era, however, seems to give us an indication that maybe our own "blues" maybe waiting around the corner for us all. ( You must remember that Nixon was in office when this was released...need I say more?). My personal favorites are "FDR in Trinidad", " How Can a Man Stand Such Times and Live", and the ever amazing rendition of "Vigilante Man". I love Mr. Cooder's travels into the realms of other cultures and rhythems. Through these venture, he has broadened our knowledge and appreciation for the sounds and rhythems of our world through the eyes and ears of those who we would have otherwise never known or heard. However, I feel that there is more for him to explore and interpret from The Heart of America and to give his own special stamp of originality. To those of you who have never heard "Into the Purple Valley" have no hesitation in going out immediately and purchasing. It will become one of your very favorites. And To Mr. Cooder, when you grow weary of world travels, come on back to the Purple Valley. We will all be waiting for you.

I wish I had this CD.......2001-12-20

I purchased this CD a year ago, right about the time when I was, coincidentally, doing a history project about the Dust Bowl. It provided the perfect backround music for it, and I have loved it ever since. In my mind there are no weak tracks, with the possible exception of Teardrops Will Fall, which I did not care for at first, but has grown on me. What amazed me the most about this album was the diversity within the particular style of music Cooder is dealing with. I normally group music like this under the term "down home," but on this disk that can range from folk to blues, or even a bit of calypso. I unfortunately lost this CD, along with Chickenskin Music, on a Continental Airlines flight this summer (and was rudely accomodated too), but I am sure that I will own it again in the near future.

Average customer rating: Words to live by today I really wanted to rate it higher Heartwarming thoughts of childhood fighting fission with fusion Worth it for "Power" alone

No Nukes Various Artists Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Compilations | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame No Nukes A Tribute to Nicolette Larson: Lotta Lova Concert 4 Way Street Hold Out ASIN: B000002H48 Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

1. Dependin' On You - The Doobie Brothers
2. Runaway - Bonnie Raitt
3. Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt
4. Plutonium Is Forever - John Hall
5. Power - The Doobie Brothers
6. The Times They Are A-Changin' - James Taylor
7. Cathedral - Graham Nash
8. The Crow On The Cradle - Jackson Browne
9. Before The Deluge - Jackson Browne
10. Lotta Love - The Doobie Brothers
11. Little Sister - Ry Cooder
12. A Woman - Sweet Honey In The Rock
13. We Almost Lost Detroit - Gil Scott-Heron
14. Get Together - Jesse Colin Young

Tracks:

1. You Can't Change That - Raydio
2. Once You Get Started - Chaka Khan
3. Captain Jim's Drunken Dream - James Taylor
4. Honey Don't Leave L.A. - James Taylor
5. Mockingbird - James Taylor
6. Heart Of The Night - Poco
7. Cry To Me - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
8. Stay - Bruce Springsteen
9. Devil With The Blue Dress Medley - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
10. You Don't Have To Cry - Crosby, Stills & Nash
11. Long Time Gone - Crosby, Stills & Nash
12. Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills & Nash
13. Takin' It To The Streets - James Taylor

Amazon.com

In addition to raising public consciousness about the dangers of nuclear power, the 1979 series of star-studded anti-nuclear concerts at Madison Square Garden were a significant event both musically and historically. The shows were immortalized in a feature film and on this 2 CD set. Among those featured on the album are such '70s soft-rock icons as Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Carly Simon, the Doobie Brothers, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, along with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Ry Cooder, and Gil Scott-Heron for a token dose of grit. Inevitably, Springsteen's "Devil with the Blue Dress Medley" steals the show, but otherwise No Nukes doubles as both a handy '70s-rock sampler and a historical keepsake. --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

Words to live by today.......2007-03-09

Given the state of the Earth today, the sentiments of many of these songs are still current. This is an amazing collection of artists and songs - no matter how old you are!

I really wanted to rate it higher.......2006-07-12

I really liked this when it came ut on vinyl, but in retrospect, it was the cause, not the music. B. Raitt is grand, G Nash with an excellant Cathedral, J C Young, and the highlight to me We Almost Lost Detroit by the great Gil Scott-Heron. But the second disc is second rate. Edit the filler and it rates higher.

Heartwarming thoughts of childhood.......2005-09-15

As a child of the 70's who grew up in a very "no nukes" home this album was on the turn table every night. What a great find for me all these years later as I start my own family. "Power" is one of the nicest, smoothest, most heartwarming songs every performed.

The geniune love, care and respect these artists had for each other and mostly the earth and it's future generations pours through on every note.

fighting fission with fusion.......2005-03-23

I suppose just about anyone could find a reason to give a listen to the 'No Nukes' recordings. For many, some of the earliest and most blistering live tracks from Bruce Springsteen, still on his career ascent, which are offered here are reason enough to own these discs, even if he shares CD space with Chaka Khan. Others may find their appeal in the workmanlike presence of Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and The Doobie Brothers, who perform solo and are all over the place singing duets and background for other performers willing to ante-up in the fight against fission. Despite my own appreciation for Crosby, Stills and Nash, what really caught my eye here was what amounts to a cameo appearance by Gil Scott-Heron, offering up one of his finest moments (and as a Detroiter one I can readily identify with) on the ominous yet funkified 'We Almost Lost Detroit'. Next to 'Johannasburg' this is my favorite Gil Scott-Heron composition. Unfortunately, it appears on a wonderful, but unreleased CD Scott-Heron produced in 1977 with Brian Jackson, 'Bridges'. It tells a slightly overblown tale about a malfunction at one of the two Fermi nuclear plants near Detroit. While the mishap could have theoretically progressed into a full-blown meltdown, the generator was quickly shut down and catastrophe was readily averted. So while it didn't come close to producing a Chernobyl, it did produce one funky protest song, and Scott-Heron gives it an inspired treatment on 'No Nukes'

1979 was a strange, transitional year in music. Disco was all but dead, yet it's brief success had ushered in a retreat from the expansive progressive rock that had enshrined the late 1960's and early 1970's. Something new had to be on the horizon, even with Bruce Springsteen assuming the role of heir apparent to those who would proclaim (along with Neil Young) that "rock and roll will never die". No one could have predicted, however, that even for Neil Young, the 1980's would plunge rock and roll even deeper into an abyss of ill-employed synthesizers, and open the door for a reborn Michael Jackson and the birth of a Madonna as the dominant forces on vinyl and cassette.

So 'No Nukes' offers one last gasp for the faithful few from the golden age of rock and roll who had somehow weathered the disco storm. Virtually all of the performers are in their prime, and some, such as Nicolete Larson, Raydio, Tom Petty, and even Bonnie Raitt, are able to truck in some pretty recent hit material. The Doobie Brothers, who open and close the set presented here, are in top form as well. The Crosby, Stills and Nash tracks sound a bit dated, even though they are preceded by Springsteen's covers of four songs that pre-date anything CSN offer up. There is more crowd noise on the softer tracks than one would wish (why would anyone even want to unleash a two-fingered whistle in the middle of a song like 'You Don't Have To Cry' anyway?). But the boys do serve up an edgy 'Long Time Gone', whose lyrics settle well with the MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) theme. Some of the tracks, such as CSN's closer, 'Teach Your Children', and Jesse Colin Young's Youngblood's classic 'Get Together' are marred by the dreaded audience sing-a-long... a nice one-time experience for the audience, but torture for the owner of the recording who must listen to a mass of amateurs singing like a tone-deaf choir over and over and over...

While everyone can find something to like on 'No Nukes', it's also likely that it's wide range of artists and genre's will guarantee there is something you won't like. While most of the tracks were either hits (consider James Taylor and Carly Simon belting out a live version of 'Mockingbird') or the main attraction on studio LP's (Jackson Browne's 'Before the Deluge'), some out-of-the-mainstream material also appears, such as John Hall's 'Plutonium Is Forever', which lends a sarcastic twist of the knife into the nuclear power industry's back. Predictably some tracks that look good on paper come across uninspired, such as the James Taylor-Carly Simon-Graham Nash take on Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin' and Ry Cooder's 'Little Sister', which you keep waiting to take off but just keeps circling the tarmac.

The liner notes are extensive, but oriented toward an indoctrination for the 'No Nukes' agenda rather than commentary and anecdotes surrounding these Madison Garden concerts. If this was all the information you had, you would undoubtedly conclude Jimmy Carter was a fool for not installing a line of windmills along the Continental Divide, and a massive array of solar panels covering the southwestern U.S. Oh, well, at least it gave some of these soon-to-be-out-of-work artists one last excuse to fuse their talents before they turned out the lights on the 70's (pun intended). Four stars 'cause Stephen plays some wicked guitar, but I may be straining my credibility.

Worth it for "Power" alone.......2004-01-10

The other reviewers are right...but, the best tune on this set is "Power" a collaboration of friends making great music. I had the original lp and now am getting the cd... I just love the harmonies here... don't miss this.

Average customer rating: WARNING TO JSP COLLECTORS Son House was the grandaddy of 'em all! Great Stuff, Some Repeats Awesome A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE FINEST DELTA BLUES

Complete Recorded Works of Son House & the Great Delta Blues Singers Son House Manufacturer: Document ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Delta Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Blues | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Complete Library of Congress Sessions, 1941-1942 The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James The Complete Recordings Avalon Blues : Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) ASIN: B000000J26 Release Date: 1994-05-27

Tracks:

1. My Black Mama-Part I
2. My Black Mama-Part II
3. Preachin' The Blues-Part I
4. Preachin' The Blues-Part II
5. Dry Spell Blues Part I
6. Dry Spell Blues Part II
7. Walking Blues
8. M & O Blues
9. Future Blues
10. Mississippi Bottom Blues
11. Rowdy Blues
12. Cottonfield Blues-Part 1
13. Cottonfield Blues-Part 2
14. Dough Roller Blues
15. Jumpin' And Shoutin' Blues
16. Bedside Blues
17. Fare Thee Well Blues
18. Traveling Mama Blues
19. Outside Woman Blues
20. Nehi Blues
21. Married Man Blues
22. Third Street Woman Blues
23. Mississippi Jail House Groan
24. Ham Hound Crave

Customer Reviews:

WARNING TO JSP COLLECTORS.......2007-05-30

First of all, this is a great album, but I wanted to issue a warning to those that like to get the JSP Box Sets. Songs 1-9 are on the Charlie Patton JSP Box set. Blind Joe's "Outside Woman Blues", and "Nehi Blues", as well as all of the Rube Lacy selections are on the Paramount masters JSP Box Set. I'm not really sure about the remainder of the material. Still it's a great album & a great listen (If nothing else, I could use it in my car).

Son House was the grandaddy of 'em all!.......2006-04-16

If you're interested in the blues roots of rock, you've come to the right place. Son House laid down tracks that have echoed down to this day, and he may have been the first true wellspring of what became rock. I've been a listener and collector of what's now called classic rock for more than 40 years, and I have never found an earlier or truer original source than Son House. With all the fuss being bestowed on Robert Johnson these days, here's a clue: Son House taught RJ how to play! Listen to this album and hear the foreshadowings of ALL the great music to come... Truly great guitar pickin', and a voice as rough, plain and honest as Mississippi dirt clods... You may not want to put this album on Infinite Repeat, but you will not walk away unimpressed or unmoved. IMHO, Son House truly deserves the title of Great Grandaddy of Rock!

Great Stuff, Some Repeats.......2005-01-30

Son House is essential to any blues collection. And as is usually the case with pre-war blues artists, Son's early stuff is better than the 60's revival stuff. That said, the company put songs on here by other artists that already appear on Mississippi Masters--which I also highly reccomend, especially for Geechie Wiley's "Last Kind Words." This CD would be 5-star and beyond if it weren't for those repeated songs.

Awesome.......2003-12-10

"Son House & The Great Delta Blues Singers" isn't entirely devoted to Son House. There are cuts by several other musicians, including Rube Lacy, Joe Calicott, and House's onetime playing partner Willie Brown, but this disc, which contains Son House's complete 1930 session, is the best place to get his earliest songs.
The sound quality is not excactly stellar, mainly due to the inferior quality of Columbia Records' original masters and horrible quality pressings, yet the power and intensity of Son House's huge voice and slashing slide guitar playing cuts through the pops and hisses like...well, a cutting thing.
Also, this CD is one of the very few which features both the previously unreleased test acetate of "Walking Blues" (the basis for Robert Johnson's song, not the other way around), and the second parts of House's three two-part singles. Listen to "My Black Mama part II", and you'll recognize it as the original version of "Death Letter Blues", complete with House's magnificent, wailing slide guitar riff.

House's seven songs are the highlights of this collection, but there is a lot of other stuff here which is certainly of interest to fans of classic Delta blues. The gruff-voiced Willie Brown's two cuts are almost as powerful as Son House's, particularly the great "Future Blues" (listen to Brown snapping the bass strings).
And fine waxings by Kid Bailey and Joe Reynolds in particular makes this a great collection of Delta blues as recorded by Paramount Records in 1929-30.

A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE FINEST DELTA BLUES.......2003-02-06

I absolutely love this CD and find myself listening to it over-and-over again. I ordered it for the Son House material but have found the Willie Brown and the Garfield Akers songs to be every bit as fantastic! Although I especially like the three musicians already mentioned, there is not a dud in any of the remaining tracks. If you like delta blues and don't have this CD you are missing one of the greatest musical treats you're liable to find.

Average customer rating: Great cd! Holy Crap This Thing Is Good Great Hill Country Blues Incredible Album disappointing

Hill Country Revue: Live at Bonnaroo North Mississippi Allstars Manufacturer: Ato Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Contemporary Blues | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Electric Blue Watermelon Shake Hands With Shorty Live at the Wetlands (Dig) 51 Phantom The Word ASIN: B00049QMVS Release Date: 2004-10-12

Tracks:

1. Shake 'Em On Down
2. Po Black Maddie/Skinny Woman/Po Black Maddie
3. Jumper On The Line
4. Bad Bad Pain
5. Down In Mississippi
6. Never In All My Days
7. Boomer's Story
8. Psychedelic Sex Machine
9. Shimmy She Wobble/Station Blues
10. Friend Of Mine
11. Be So Glad
12. Snake Drive
13. Goin' Home, Pt. 2
14. Going Home South

Amazon.com

The stage of Tennessee jam band festival Bonnaroo is an unlikely setting for the year's most important blues recording, but young firebrands North Mississippi Allstars pulled off a creative coup in June of 2004 with their Hill Country Revue. The concert teamed patriarch R.L. Burnside and his guitarist and rapper sons, the late Othar Turner's fife and drum band, the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, and eccentric producer-pianist Jim Dickinson, the father of Allstars Luther and Cody Dickinson, with the wiry trio. The historic results handily blend all the racial, geographic, and cultural elements of the genre with adventurous musicality. Burnside is present more for his inspiration than his musical contribution. But his sons carry on the tradition while pushing its borders into hip-hop and six-string psychedelia. If there's a star here, though, it's guitarist Luther Dickinson, who playfully quotes Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and the elder Burnside, and then adds a level of tonal and textural exploration to his performance that makes him a one-man defibrillator for the genre--insurance that the heart of the blues will keep pumping into the future. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

Great cd! .......2006-09-08

Love the NM Allstars and Bonnaroo was a great show! Listen to this cd all the time!

Holy Crap This Thing Is Good.......2006-06-29

I wanted to like the North Mississippi Allstars, they seemed to have all the makings of a great band, southern, blues rooted, and future minded, but their Cds just weren't ringing my bell. I had just about given up on them when SIRIUS starting playing cuts from this CD on the Jam_On channel. Since I liked what I was hearing, I decided to give these guys one more chance. Boy am I glad I did!!! This CD lit a fire under me like nothing had done since I first heard Fillmore East.

Similar to Fillmore East, this concert recording captures a band out to bridge the space between the blues of the past with current trends. The first two tunes "Shake 'Em On Down" and "Po Black Maddie>Skinny Woman>Po Black Maddie" take no prisoners and come charging right out of the gate laying down some serious blues that not only kicks some serious butt, but also shake some serious butt also. Once things get going they don't stop either.

Great Hill Country Blues.......2005-12-07

I disagree about the sound quality. This is HILL COUNTRY BLues! It's sounds like that. This is a great example of that music style and it's a joy to listen to. I like kicking back to these guys - feels like a back porch on a summer night. It's earthy and REAL, not some sound studio contrived CD. Unfortunately, today most people are used the the big studio productions.

Incredible Album.......2005-05-09

Wow. This album is one of my favorite blues albums. I saw the Allstars live with The Black Crowes and that is what turned me onto them. I think they are one of the most brilliant and true blues-based bands out today. I would reccomend this album to anyone who wants to hear great music.

disappointing.......2005-01-30

This is a live recording and a very poor one. One of the worse sounding CDs I have - flat, boomy bass, poor highs, if any, etc.

The music is monotone, constant beating on the drums, all tunes sound the same, perhaps one of the reasons is the poor sound quality. If you are familiar with the band, then you know what you are buying. If you like to experiment like me, and are considering this CD because of the editor's recommendation, think again.

Average customer rating: More of a historical document than a fun listening experience... best sounding cd good stuff King of the blues! How to get the really complete "Complete Recordings"

King of the Delta Blues Singers Robert Johnson Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 2 Robert Johnson: The New Transcriptions The Anthology: 1947-1972 The Original Delta Blues Live at the Apollo ASIN: B00000AG6X Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

1. Cross Road Blues
2. Terraplane Blues
3. Come On In My Kitchen
4. Walkin' Blues
5. Last Fair Deal Gone Down
6. 32-20 Blues
7. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
8. If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day
9. Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)
10. When You Got A Good Friend
11. Ramblin' On My Mind
12. Stones In My Passway
13. Traveling Riverside Blues
14. Milkcow's Calf Blues
15. Me And The Devil Blues
16. Hell Hound On My Trail
17. Traveling Riverside Blues

Amazon.com

If there is a recording that is required listening for every blues fan, it's this one. Robert Johnson wasn't just King of the Delta blues; he was one of its founding fathers, and these re-mastered tunes are as timeless and important today as they were all those years ago. The songs that passed into the blues canon, to be covered by countless guitarists over the years, are here: "Crossroad Blues," "Preaching Blues," "Come On In My Kitchen," "Walking Blues," and more. And on this particular version of this often-reissued recording, there's an additional treat: a previously unreleased version of "Traveling Riverside Blues." Absolutely essential. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

More of a historical document than a fun listening experience..........2007-06-01

After listenting to Eric Clapton's "Me and Mr. Johnson" tribute, I decided to go back and have another listen to Robert Johnson. I'm sorry to say that this recording is worth more as a historical document than as an enjoyable listening experience. The compositions are strong, the singing is inspired and the guitar playing is O.K., but the recording quality is terrible and the overall sound is very thin. This record is for the dedicated blues fan, not for the casual fan. If you're curious to know where Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King and many other great artists got their original inspiration from, this disc will clear up any doubts. But my suspicion is that most of the listening public will have only an academic interest in this recording. It simply doesn't bear repeated listening when you consider how terrible the over-all quality is. I wish I had a time machine so that I could go back and capture these recordings using the love and attention that they truly deserved.

As a sidenote, I would just like to add that, because Mr. Johnson died at a tender age, these recordings are probably only a hint as to where he was headed as an artist. Eric Clapton, by contrast, is in his 60's and is a very technically accomplished musician with a great back-up band. Pick up "Me and Mr. Johnson" for an enjoyable listen, and consider "King of the Delta Blues Singers" for the original blueprint.

best sounding cd .......2006-11-25

I have the box set. Sure it's (almost) complete, but the sequencing sucks and the digital clean-up is kinda sterile sounding. I got this cd awhile back just because of the extra song not available on the box. What I didn't expect was the far warmer sound of this disc in comparison with the box set. Occasionally the surface noise can be a bit a an obstruction, but, for the most part, this is the best way to hear these recordings without having to resort to 78 rpm records. Alas, sound quality should not be the determining factor as to whether or not one should be able to enjoy music, but this cd makes the case that a better sounding recording can enhance great music.

Oh, by the way, Johnson is good but Muddy is the king.

good stuff.......2006-04-13

The initial burst of lo-fi sound alienates everyone at first, but if you get past that the legend is there. Robert Johnson is as every bit as good as he gets credit for and songs are song with a full throated passion and the music features almost every great blues guitar lick ever recorded. Even if you never get past the crappy recording, this is a must listen just for the historical importance of Robert Johnson.

King of the blues!.......2005-09-06

Excellent transaction, this CD was in perfect condition. I've spent hours of amazing fun listening to this amazing artist. thanks so much for such a great transaction!

How to get the really complete "Complete Recordings".......2005-08-29

As other reviewers have commented, this album is great (and is the compilation which in its original LP form triggered the whole British blues boom that lies at the foundation of much modern rock), but you should really get the Complete Recordings instead. However, you will also want the newly discovered alternate take of Traveling Riverside Blues, which is on this CD but missing from the "complete" set. The solution is to get Elijah Wald's book "Escaping the Delta", which gives a fascinating analysis of Johnson's work within the context of his time and environment. Apart from being essential reading for any Johnson fan, it comes with a bonus CD that includes the missing track. Problem solved!

Average customer rating: His most influential...................... Ry Cooder speaks today More solid work from a legend Chicken What? Sometimes I have a great notion to jump into the river and drown.

Chicken Skin Music Ry Cooder Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paradise and Lunch Into the Purple Valley Boomer's Story Jazz Ry Cooder ASIN: B000002KCO Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. The Bourgeois Blues
2. I Got Mine
3. Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai
4. He'll Have To Go
5. Smack Dab In The Middle
6. Stand By Me
7. Yellow Roses
8. Chloe
9. Goodnight Irene

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1976 effort contains some of Cooder's most compelling work and finds him reexploring some of the fundamental influences on a musician known for remarkable eclecticism. Most notable are "Always Lift Him Up," "Smack Dab in the Middle," and a beautiful adaptation of "Stand By Me" (which includes Flaco Jimenez on accordion.) The album opens and closes with covers of Leadbelly, namely "The Bourgeois Blues" and (you guessed it) "Goodnight Irene." Also notable is a fine reworking of the traditional number "I Got Mine." --Wayne Pernu

Customer Reviews:

His most influential.............................2007-05-31

Ry always seems intent on making musicologists of all of us. Bring in a little Tex Mex with Flaco Jimenez, some Hawaiian with Atta Isaacs, and so on. He had made some doggone good efforts in this vein before I decided to plunk down $8 or so for this as a freshly released LP. Maybe it was the strange cover that made me originally pick it up and go "Wha???" But this is where I got hooked. The bluesy "Bourgeois Blues" gave us no warning of the kick that was soon to follow with "Always Lift Him Up"/"I Got Mine"/"He'll Have to Go"/"Stand By Me." It is on these songs that the guest artists pump up their accordians and such at just the right place and give wing to the music, and Ry increases the emotion in his voice. The biggest nice surprise is "He'll Have to Go." Ry Cooder, tackling a song by the velvet throated Jim Reeves? And making it all his own. I suppose Ry did some works that I enjoy better all the way through. But this is where I got on board.

Ry Cooder speaks today.......2007-05-07

An excellent CD with great documentation of Ry Cooder's feelings about each selection. Great numbers with Flaco Jimenez.

More solid work from a legend.......2007-05-06

Ry Cooder never fails to amaze. Unlike other Cooder albums ("Into the Purple Valley", "Boomer's Story", and "Paradise and Lunch"), "Chicken Skin Music" isn't organized around a central theme. It begins and ends with Leadbelly songs and, in the middle, works in some wonderful Tejano and Hawaiian sounds. Guest musicians are top-notch--accordion master Flaco Jimenez, slack-key guitarists Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs--as is his backup band. My personal favorite is a Tejano send up of the Jim Reeves hit "He'll Have to Go." It's risky covering a classic. You just cover it or, as in this case, make it completely your own. In either event, the risk is cheapening the song. Cooder's rendition of the song as a bolero with brilliant work by Jimenez shows reverence for an old favorite. This record was made in 1976, but the fantastic musicianship and song selection make it timeless.

Chicken What?.......2007-02-12

Saw Ry Cooder on the PBS station with Buena Vista Social Club, bought this album expecting something I didn't get. It's ok, I guess I just don't get Ry Cooder

Sometimes I have a great notion to jump into the river and drown........2006-06-02

There are few albums, sigh, all to few, from the mid-seventies that bear repeated listening 30 years later.

Immerse yourself often in this treasure, it's better than Prozac and will open your ears to the great music of the past.

Average customer rating: Good Stuff Boomer's the Best Great songs and some incredible guitar playing one of his best early works

Boomer's Story Ry Cooder Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Into the Purple Valley Paradise and Lunch Ry Cooder Chicken Skin Music Jazz ASIN: B000002LN3 Release Date: 1990-12-13

Tracks:

1. Boomer's Story
2. Cherry Ball Blues
3. Crow Black Chicken
4. Ax Sweet Mama
5. Maria Elena
6. Dark End of the Street
7. Rally 'Round the Flag
8. Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer
9. President Kennedy
10. Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man

Customer Reviews:

Good Stuff.......2004-03-16

Ry broke into the digital technology early in the game, a pioneer. Interestingly, Ry was also one of the first out of the gate to digitalize his early releases, and we're fortunate for it. This release was pivital in 1972, and just as ground breaking in the CD format. Ry cataloged a variety of styles here, renditions of folk songs, delta, progressive blues... all with the originality and sparkle of Ry Cooder's slide guitar style. Profoundly original.

Cherry Ball Blues is my very favorite release, slide guitar, tablas, bass and a few more interesting bits and pieces put together in a tasteful acoustic fusion.

What really brings this release together is the bass playing of Tommy McClure. I really dig his style. Randy Newman is present, Sleepy John Estes (Ax sweet mama, President Kennedy), Jim Keltner on drums, a a few more. Really thoughtful and inspiring musicality. The liner notes don't really add much history behind the recording, but perhaps a quick search will bring together a bit of the studio log, and events associated with the "album."

This release and myself have a history. I bought it in 1972 on vinyl LP, scratched it all up, found another LP at a Flea Market then FINALLY, and thank you Ry, the digital version on CD came out. It won't disappoint.

Gimme some yes votes, if you will. Thanks!!

Enjoy!

Boomer's the Best.......2000-08-28

I have been a long time fan of Ry Cooder's music. Boomers' Story has always been dear to my heart. Ry's version of Maria Elena is the sweetest I've heard, gives me goosebumps! Each song on this cd (album in my day!!) is first rate. Good morning Mr. Railroad Man indeed!!! Seems to me that there is a celebration of a great many important human emotions expressed in this music, and I think I am fortunate to have shared in it all. I saw Ry Cooder in a few small venue performances in the 70's and came away with an enlightened feeling that has stayed with me through the years. This is real art, folks.

Great songs and some incredible guitar playing.......1999-07-11

I had never heard of Ry Cooder until I found out he did the soundtrack for the movie "Crossroads". I immediately bought this album and it's one of my favorites. I still get goose bumps when I listen to "Dark End of the Street" and "A Wing and a Prayer". Many of these songs were written in the pre-World War II era and I don't think the compositions were changed too much from the originals. With a bunch of great musicians though these songs give them a chance to play some incredible music.

one of his best early works.......1999-06-23

richly textured, this recording is a prime example of the future soundtrack work and the cultural melting pot that cooder has refined into an ecclectic style all his own. It draws on old tradionals,and has some really silky slide work It is one of his mellower c-d's that he sings on.It's perfect sunday morning music .

Music Album:

1. Country Swingin' Slide Guitar Pickin': 24 Great Dobro
2. Crazy Cajun Recordings [Import]
3. Don Williams: Chartbuster Karaoke: Country Artist Series [Karaoke]
4. Farewell to the Fainthearted
5. Finding Our Way
6. Fought Down
7. Gene Autry Sings Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
8. Georgia Sunshine/Oh, What a Woman!
9. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
10. Home Made Ice Cream [Import]

Music Album