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Legends of the Blues, Vol. 1

Legends of the Blues, Vol. 1

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Artist: Various Artists
Label: Sony
Category: Music


New (7) Used (18) from $1.26

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 reviews
Sales Rank: 248525

Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.5

UPC: 074644621525
EAN: 0074644621525
ASIN: B00000274Z

Release Date: August 20, 1990

Tracks:

  • St. Louis Blues - Handy, W.C.
  • Match Box Blues - Jefferson, Blind Le
  • Ain't No Tellin' - Hurt, Mississippi J
  • Lord, I Just Can't Keep from Crying - Johnson, Blind Will
  • Pig Meat Is What I Crave - Carter, Bo
  • Southern Can Is Mine - McTell, Blind Willi
  • Low Down St. Louis Blues - Johnson, Lonnie
  • Revenue Man Blues - Patton, Charley
  • Stormy Night Blues - Carr, Leroy
  • I Believe I'll Make a Change - White, Josh [1]
  • Fort Worth and Dallas Blues - Leadbelly
  • Sweet Home Blues - Wheatstraw, Peetie
  • Stop Breakin' Down Blues - Johnson, Robert [01
  • Truckin' My Blues Away, No. 2 - Fuller, Blind Boy
  • Spreadin' Snake Blues
  • Nothing in Rambling - Memphis Minnie
  • Fixin' to Die Blues - White, Bukka
  • Hard Day Blues - Waters, Muddy
  • Don't You Leave Me Here - Swamp Dogg
  • Death Letter - House, Son

Similar Items:

  • Legends of the Blues, Vol. 2
  • Great Blues Guitarists: String Dazzlers
  • Preachin' the Gospel: Holy Blues { Various Artists }
  • Hoodoo Lady
  • The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives, & Steel, Vol. 1

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Back to the Roots   February 22, 2006
 0 out of 13 found this review helpful

Even though the sound has been digitally remastered, this cd still has a scratchy sound to it, but I believe that just adds to the authenticity of LEGENDS OF THE BLUES and gives you a real feel for what made this music so great.

With these old time blues legends, you really hear the pain in their voices. They don't just sing the blues, they lived the blues. Blind Willie Johnson and Bessie Smith will just make you want to hang your head and cry, while Bo Carter and Blind Boy Fuller will make it all better. If you're a traditionalist and want to hear blues at the core of its foundation, this cd is for you.



4 out of 5 stars A solid primer   January 10, 2004
A fine introduction to those wanting more exposure to the blues and a nice addition to for the more knowledgable. Great song selection - there's sure to be something you haven't heard.

And "Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying" by Blind Willie Johnson gets better with each play.


5 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to the Blues   February 24, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

For someone unfamiliar with the blues, this collection is a great one to start your collection. For others only familiar with contemporary blues artists, this CD gives them a real sense of the origins of the blues.

The collection starts off with Bessie Smith's 1925 recording of "St. Louis Blues," arguably the most famous blues recording of the early period. In that song Smith's powerful vocals are almost overshadowed by Louis Armstrong's cornet playing. The song was so popular at the time that it was used as the central part of "St. Louis Blues," Smith's only film appearance.

Other highlights in this twenty song collection include Robert Johnson's "Stop Breakin'Down Blues." For those not familiar with Johnson are in for a treat on this one. His unique emotional style is evident here in this story of betrayal.

Memphis Minnie, arguably one of the best blues guitarists of all-time is represented here in "Nothin' in Ramblin'." Despite being a woman, the subject matter about a woman on the road is very usual for the pre-feminist era. Memphis Minnie truly deserves to ranked with the best in the blues.

Bukka White's "Fixin' to Die Blues" is another gem. This gospel-tinged song although featured only vocals, guitar and washboard makes you want to tap your feet. It really rocks.

"Don't You Leave Me Here" by Big Joe Williams is probably the most contemporary of the songs in this collection in terms of the sound. It's a good example of early "urban blues" style popularized by the likes of Bobby Blue Bland and others.

Although it was recorded in 1965, "Death Letter" by Son House fits nicely in this collection. Featuring House accompanied by his own guitar, "Death Letter" is a great "gut bucket" blues. A gospel influence is also evident here.

What's also great about this collection is the variety of voices. Mississippi John Hurt on "Ain't No Tellin'" has a very soothing voice which compliments his soft guitar playing. Meanwhile, Blind Willie Johnson is rough and raw on "Lord, I Can't Keep from Cryin'."

As you can see this is only a sampling of this twenty song set. It also includes previously unreleased tracks by Leadbelly, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Lonnie Johnson.

If you like the blues, you'll love this collection. Since the blues influenced rock and soul, fans of those music genres should also appreciate this great music as well. If anything, check out the CD for the stories. There are some great stories here.


5 out of 5 stars THIS is the Blues . . .   March 16, 2000
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

Blues is definately something I love. It's something I ache for, and this album soothes my nerves. It's one of the best compilations of old time blues that I've ever heard of. For anyone who enjoys the sweet chordhs of Leadbelly and Muddy Waters, or the melodious pipes of Bessie Smith, this is an ideal selection. These songs hold strong to the Blues tradition of emotion, hardship, love, nostalgia, stress, fear, death and taxes. I highly recommend the purchase of this fine album.

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