Customer Reviews

Slidin Frets Hawaiian Steel Guitar Phenomenon

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

 

 

First of all, if you like the kind of stuff that R. Crumb collects and performs (see my other reviews) make a beeline for this disc, it is prime, prime hot playing from the 20's & 30's. There's something for everyone here, from the wistful version of Jimmie Tarlton's "My Little Blue Heaven" to the seedly blues of Oscar Woods ("Don't Sell It - Don't Give It Away") to the jazz of King Oliver and many other styles. There is an appearance by Nelstone's Hawaiians who also cut the mustard enough to appear on Harry Smith's landmark "Anthology of American Folk Music". Among the many gems here are some of the wildest old time recordings ever made, such as a scorching 1927 version of "Milenberg Blues" by Rodney Rogers' Red Peppers (the original was co-written by Jelly Roll Morton). The hands-down winner in the totally unhinged department is the spastic "Pame Sti Honoloulou" by a Greek orchestra with slide guitars, bouzouki, ukeleles & frantic incomprehensible yodeling. Regardless of the setting or style, the playing on each song - all by different artists - is uniformly brilliant, passionate and thrilling. There aren't many compilation discs out there with this level of musicianship from start to finish, and the international scope of the groups involved shows just how far-reaching the Hawaiian craze was in the early 20th century. This is a great disc to explore if you already appreciate bottleneck blues and pedal steel guitar and want to hear something completely different that predated both of those styles.

"Ghost Dance" sticks out as one of the most fascinating songs i have heard. This is a good collection, but the outstanding track, "ghost dance" makes this a five star reccomendation.