dirty blues records

stelfox

Beast of Burden
now, i know my muddy waters from my bb king, my howlin' wolf from my john lee hooker, but i'm sure i could go a lot deeper with this stuff. i want to try to track down some really filthy, raw mississipi delta blues over the next few weeks but know very little about where to start - anyone care to to drop some science?
 

Woebot

Well-known member
stelfox said:
now, i know my muddy waters from my bb king, my howlin' wolf from my john lee hooker, but i'm sure i could go a lot deeper with this stuff. i want to try to track down some really filthy, raw mississipi delta blues over the next few weeks but know very little about where to start - anyone care to to drop some science?

well i dont know about dropping science, but...

i have some very nice things on folkways. a GREAT fred mcdowell lp (Arhoolie to be precise) the two volumes of "Jazz" (actually blues) they put out (wherein is "dark is the sky, cold is the ground" original that ry cooder covered for paris texas) the blues crumb plays in the "crumb" moving is stunning, and ive been meaning to get his compilation of his 78s for ages now (supposedly amazing) also skip james (i have two of his, one on cobra, green with a map of the delta on the cover which i found in san fran) there's some great stuff on the harry partch anthology too.... blogging wise both Agony Shorthand and The Tofu Hut are quite expert... also it's from a later timeframe but muddy water's "folk singer" is fucking fantastic.

my 1c.
 

Chef Napalm

Lost in the Supermarket
The Good, The Blind, and the Dirty

Not exactly delta blues, but two of my favourites are Blind Willie McTell (Georgia) and Blind Lemon Jefferson (Texas). Both amazing guitarists, both with a gift for vivid lyrics, and both somewhat mysterious in life and death.

Not a bad resource here: http://physics.lunet.edu/blues/blues.html
 

Diggedy Derek

Stray Dog
Raw American Pre-War Gospel is [despite it's name] all blues music, all acoustic and all very rural and wild. It was on John Fahey's record label, but despite this somewhat avant pedigree, it's "standard" (to use my favorite grime term)- soulful, devout, tough and raw. There's sound samples on the link.

I think Charlie Patton is on it too, who lots of people love- he's so rough he sounds like he's chewing on wood as he sings. I'm not super keen though.
 

Woebot

Well-known member
yeah didnt revenant put out a whole box set of patton (patience-straining i'm sure)

thought about this last night. also son house (i have that quite silly folk revival-era in which he's bragging about hanging out with mary (of peter, paul and mary) yikes). there are also the museum of mankind recordings. I guess its all about compilations really (unless you have a deck which will play 78s hidden away dave)

besides... (genuinely curious) what brings you to the the delta?
 
B

be.jazz

Guest
WOEBOT said:
yeah didnt revenant put out a whole box set of patton (patience-straining i'm sure)
I have a less taxing (on your time and wallet) 3-CD collection: "The Definitive Charley Patton" on Catfish Records. I'll admit to not having been that taken with it, but I'm re-listening now to re-assess.
 
B

be.jazz

Guest
Just finished listening to the first disc of the Charley Patton box I mentioned and, even if I could probably count the words I made out on the fingers of one hade, I liked it quite a bit. There are blues and some gospel/hymns. My favourite is the first track, "Mississippi Boweavil Blues," as a hip-hop-ish loop rapidly sets itself up under Patton's ripped-throat roar, marking the passage of time with a few high notes instead of funk horn section blasts.

It's a well-presented box, too.
 
dunno if he's from Mississipi but Hound Dog Taylor was great
and I love the first George Thorogood record
mmm, I guess I'm astray here
 

mind_philip

saw the light
I've always liked Skip James. There are a couple of compilations out there, mainly of re-recordings he made in the 60s of tracks originally set down in 1931. I'm not an expert though, so I have no idea how mainstream he is.
 
Interesting that no one has even mentioned Robert Johnson who would surely be the received wisdom starting point. Also if you ignore/sidestep the authenticity minefield that bedevils blues some of the Fat Possum records e.g RL Burnside deserve attention
 

Yancey

Member
just finished editing a long piece about this very topic yesterday. i'll post a link to it when we actually publish it. the writer in question -- the great john morthland -- suggests a lot of pre-blues stuff that's really fantastic. he also quotes this lucille bogan lyric: "I got nipples on my titties as big as your thumb/ I got something between my legs make a dead man come."
 

joe

New member
there's a cbs compilation called 'the story of the blues' (came out to accompany the book of the same name, i believe) which is pretty much essential - covers all the big movers & a few more obscure ones too...

skip james definately seconded - the 60's album(s?) are pretty good, but what you really want is skip james - the complete early recordings - all his surviving 78's from the late 20s & early 30s on one album: jesus is a mighty good leader, hard time killing floor blues, devil got my woman... all amazing.

blind willie mctell, lemon jefferson, mississippi john hurt - and don't forget the girls: bessie smith & billie holiday both produced some amazing blues records. add memphis minnie & lillian glinn to them. sweet.

first post btw. evenin'. :)
 

joe

New member
theres some good shit on that site. download mississippi john hurt's version of 'stack 'o' lee's blues' at once. my favourite version (in a strong field).
 
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