Customer Reviews

In His Prime

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

 

 

Furry Lewis was never better than he was on these early recordings. Lewis's Memphis sound was very different from the more familiar Delta sound of Robert Johnson and his followers, and his magnificent singing, guitar-playing, and songwriting will come as a revelation to blues fans who have somehow overlooked this blues giant. The sound-quality of these recordings far exceeds what might reasonably be expected of music recorded so long ago. Highly recommended!

This was recommended to me by Steve James at a slide guitar workshop. Furry Lewis is very competent, witty and enjoyable, with a great touch on the slide guitar. Some of the songs are similar in structure - a bit of a "Furry Lewis formula". The lyrics very much reflect the time and culture, which interests me. All in all, very enjoyable and an important part of any real slide guitar discography.

I just love to listen to this album again and again. The great Memphis bluesman is truly in his prime, playing blues and ballads, accompanying himself perfectly on guitar. Songs like Kassie Jones and John Henry never sounded better than they do here. The blues "I will turn your money green" and "Judge Harsh blues" should be recognized as all time classics and the cream of Memephis Blues. It should go without saying - if you love country blues - don't miss.

Anyone who is a devoted blues listener knows that there are certain "golden ages" for particular types of blues renditions. The late 1920's was such a period for blues music that had moved from the hard country into the small towns and cities of the South. Bill Bill Broonzy is a well known exemplar of this form. As is Blind Willie McTell. The artist under review, Furry Lewis, is an unjustly lesser known exemplar of the form although he had the benefit of being "discovered' as part of the folk revival of the late 1950's and early 1960's. His patented guitar work and versatility shine here is these songs from his "classic" period. I highly recommend listening to "Mistreatin' Mama", "Jellyroll" and "Rock Island Blues" but the ones you really need to hear (and get the words for) are the two parts to his "Kassie Jones". This version is worth the price of the whole CD and, perhaps, one of the most interesting variations on that old song from the time of the railroads. Nice.