Customer Reviews

Medicine Show Man

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

 

 

Pink Anderson, a songster in the style of Mance Lipscomb, Blind Willie McTell and Mississippi John Hurt rather than a bluesman, spent 42 years as a medicine show man, entertaining the crowds with slyly witty songs. This album, the second of three wonderful recordings made by Bluesville in 1961, features this repertoire.

He sings with great elan and enjoyment, even if his fingers sometimes slip a little. Highlights include "In the Jailhouse Now (recorded by Blind Blake and Gus Cannon), "Chicken" (also recorded by Bill Williams) and the wonderful "Travelin' Man" (similar to Luke Jordan's classic version). "Greasy Greens" is full of innuendo and performed with gusto, whilst, just to raise the tone at the end, "I'm Going to Walk" is a gospel tune.

This is a delightful album: recommended without hesitation. If only Pink Floyd could play like this!

Pink Anderson's "I Got Mine" and "Travelin' Man" are both fantastic. However, the rest of the material on this disc is not quite as great as the stuff on the first and third volumes of Anderson's recordings on the Bluesville label. That is the sole reason I'm giving this disc four stars, and not five. Pink's few recordings with Simmie Dooley from the heyday of Country Blues are fantastic, and one should definitely seek them out. Listen to Frank Stokes' "I Got Mine" and then Pink's version. They are quite different, but both are highly memorable.

I'm prejudiced when it comes to brother Pink being that we're both from Spartanburg, SC where he is well remebered. That said, objectively speaking this is one of the more entertaining of the Pink collections. The songs here are rather funny and clever and it captures the spirit of being at his old house on Spartanburg's South Forest Street (where he actually recorded these tunes) entertaining his neighbors. "I've Got Mine," He's In the Jailhouse Now," "Greasy Greens" and "Travelin Man" (the latter is actually a PC remake of a minstrel show tune) will give you the feeling of old fashioned fun.

This blues album is very high quality blues! Pink Andersoninspired Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, to so entitle the psychedelic rockband, fighting off other titles such as the abdabs, and sigma 6, syd named his band after Pink Anderson, this legendary blues artist who's music is found here, and Floyd Council, yet another blues artist, thus coming up with Pink Floyd.

This album will be something that will stick with you for life, and you ears will be blessed with the great blues sound of the south.

Simon recommends this album, and a great buy here at Amazon.Com.