Preachin the Blues

Son House | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 18, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Catfish UK
• ASIN: B000025515
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,639 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #69 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Delta Blues

Track Listings

1. Walkin' Blues

2. My Black Mama-Part 1

3. My Black Mama-Part 2

4. Preachin' The Blues-Part 1

5. Preachin' The Blues-Part 2

6. Dry Spell Blues-Part 1

7. Dry Spell Blues-Part 2

8. Levee Camp Blues

9. Government Camp Blues

10. Shetland Pony Blues

11. Camp Hollers

12. Delta Blues

13. Special Rider Blues

14. Low Down Dirty Dog Blues

15. Depot Blues

16. American Defense

17. Am I Right Or Wrong

18. Country Farm Blues

19. The Pony Blues

20. The Jinx Blues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars disappointing Cd, July 16, 2001

By 

J. campbell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Preachin the Blues (Audio CD)

Hi, unfortunately, this CD is not what the record company claims, or at least, not all of it is. The first track is supposed to be the recently recovered "lost" version of "Walkin' Blues", recorded at the same 1929 Grafton, Wisconsin sessions, the same time that tracks 2-7 were done. It is obvious that this is the version of Walkin' Blues that was recorded later by Alan Lomax, with Leroy Williams on harmonica. When I pointed this out to the company, after purchasing this album, they basically said, "oops, oh well!" and offered no fix for it.

The 1929 Grafton tracks and teh later Lomax - Library of Congress tracks are all phenomenal records, and a must have. But All have appeared on several other Son House collections. If you are buying this, as I was, for the "lost" walkin blues track, you're better off sticking with The Complete Library of Congress sessions, which contains the same tracks, but labelled correctly.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense, gripping, moving., July 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Preachin the Blues (Audio CD)

Son House was a legend. A contemporary of Charlie patton and an influence to Robert Johnson and countless others, his contribution to the blues cannot be overstated. Son House was the real thing. He didn't play blues as a style, but as a direct form of expression. He was intense. Once you've heard Son House, you're not likely to forget him. A highly religious and reverential man, Son house wrestled with the dichotomy he feared existed between serving the lord and serving the music of the devil. Rather than falling in the middle of the road or giving alienated performances, however, Son House used the very friction he felt existed between these two worlds to fuel and deliver his impassioned music.

And sadly, for such an important artist, his recorded legacy is rather scant. Prior to his rediscovery in the 60's, all that exists are 6 titles recorded in the 30's and an album's worth of material recorded by Alan Lomax in the early 40's. And it is from these recordings that Preachin the Blues collects its material.

Preachin the Blues gives an excellent, nearly complete, overview of Son House's pre 60's recordings. The recording fidelity is rather poor on some cuts, but one listen will reveal that Son House is obviously doing more than his fair share on the other side of the hiss and pops. And besides, these early recordings are the only window we have into this important artist's seminal years. Powerful and moving. Not to be missed.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Son House..., May 16, 2003

By 

Rick Bluesman (Bellefonte, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preachin the Blues (Audio CD)

This is my first Son House CD; I wanted the earliest recordings. I scanned the CDs in my local store - not all labels/products provide enough information to make an informed purchase (unless you break the seal). This is their (e.g. Fuel 2000) loss. I took a chance on the Catfish CD. I have the songs now but what about sound quality...I don't have other Son House CDs to compare. Inside, I also noticed that the Catfish write-up is incorrect: the Walkin' Blues tune (that also features a train) must be from the 1940's. I've never downloaded tunes from the internet but I'm beginning to understand why people do. Some CD makers should be more concerned about information for the consumer. However, I really enjoy listening to these old blues, over and over again...very powerful.