Customer Reviews

Blues Masters Vol. 8: Mississippi Delta Blues

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Any Mississippi Delta Blues fan would have an awful time picking just 15 representative entries. This album does a great job, falling just short by including too much new material - by new, I mean after 1940. Still, you can't argue with Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" or even Robert Nighthawk's superlative "Going Down to Eli's." This captures the individuality, roughness, and anti-spritiuality of Delta Blues really well and a couple of non-obvious inclusions like Robert Petway's Catfish Blues make it a good catch. Of the Blues Master Series, this is one of my favorites.

Not five straight stars, though...partly because the authentic Mississippi Delta stuff is interspersed with much more urban sounds from B.B. King and Albert King. And (very) electric Chicago-sides by Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, and Robert Nighthawk do much to blur the distinctiveness of this package.

But there's nothing wrong with the music itself. Delta legends Charley Patton, Robert Johnson and Son House are here, doing "Rattlesnake Blues", the eerie "Crossroads Blues" and the harsh "Preachin' The Blues" respectively. Muddy Waters' late-40s single "I Feel Like Going Home" is one of his finest early songs. And the awesome (and sadly underrated) Tommy Johnson is represented by two of his best and most impressive songs, "Big Road Blues" and "Cool Drink Of Water Blues" (the basis for Howlin' Wolf's "I Asked For Water").

The fidelity on the oldest recordings, particularly by House and Patton, is below par, obviously, but that's the case with every reissue of this material, not just this one.
The annotation is very good, as always with this series, and there are a few relatively obscure songs here which should please blues lovers (although seasoned blues listeners probably have most of this material already): "On The Wall", an energetic piano blues by Charley Patton-associate Louise Johnson, the acoustic "Catfish Blues" by Robert Petway, Rube Lacey's moody "Mississippi Jail House Groan", and Willie Brown's sandpapery rendition of the raw, Son House-like "Future Blues".

The newer material includes slide guitar master Robert Nighthawk's gritty "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby", and great songs by Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. And the inclusion of the underrated and underrecorded Floyd Jones' "Dark Road" (another reworking of Johnson's "Big Road Blues") is an additional treat.

A great collection of music. Not the definitive word on Delta blues, obviously, and some of these songs, excellent as they are, have no business being on a compilation of "Mississippi Delta Blues". But still...great music.

In one small Cd an essential collection of the blues that is comprehensive and surprisingly complete (compare to Chess' "The Blues, Vol.1). Includes, despite it's grainy quality, the definitive version of "I Believe" by Elmore James which he recorded several times, none of which has such a precise pumping rhythm section. Much can also be said about the definitive version of Muddy Waters'"I Feel Like Going Home." Other outstanding country blues tracks include: both Tommy Johnson cuts, Willie Brown's "Future Blues," Son House's "Preachin' Blues," and a special nod to Robert Palmer for choosing the alternate version of Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues"--who's razor sharp guitar licks cut like a knife--which allow one to hear the similarity in the Delta style--the most influential to British & American classic rockers. The juxtaposition between piano and acoustic guitar on Floyd Jones' "Dark Road" is staggering. Added bonus includes Robert Palmer's fantastic liner notes. The entire 16 volume Blues Masters series is worth finding.

Still one of the best intro CDs to the blues. I'm knocked out by Tommy Johnson; he's the first two selections here. Charley Patton, but hey - what about that pivotal Willie Brown doing "Future Blues"? The liner notes are not circumspect in describing Louise Johnson's "performance" on "On the Wall". Another treat is two by Elmore James - 'specially "Something Inside Me" which floats along like Jimi Hendrix.
I never tire of this compilation.