Customer Reviews

Stuff That Dreams Are Made of

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This collection of 78 sides from the 20s and 30s contains rarities from the vaults of a handful of America's most obsessive record collectors. The songs themselves deal with things most Americans still face today - digging ginseng, being terrorized by bulldogs, talking with Jesus, loving chicken, etc. The artists are mostly obscure but you don't need to be a Georgia Potlickers completist to appreciate the music.

Well-recorded with minimal surface noise on most tracks (with a few notable exceptions,) the music is also handsomely packaged. As the liner notes detail, some people diligently collect wishbones and some collect hair from elephant tails. We are fortunate that there are still a few madmen combing estate sales and antique shops, looking for "the stuff that dreams are made of." No surprise that the annotation is non-existent but this is an elegant package filled with music that still sparkles and entertains.

This is really the stuff dreams are made of.

I believe there is magic in old blues music. There is something so raw and real about it that today's music can't compete. This two disc collection of old blues and country has the rarest of the rare, and it's worth every cent you'll pay for it.

I haven't taken this off the Bose in weeks. Yes, some of the sound quality suffers because of the source material, but that only adds to the mystique. It's like an AM radio station playing oldies that keeps fading in and out on a rainy night. Kind of comforting. Kind of spooky. Purely supernatural in the most organic of ways.

And let's not even get started on the booklet and R. Crumb art. If you don't understand what makes this collection so good, you'll never be able to comprehend it. You either know or you don't.

Yazoo constantly puts out good stuff ... the kind of stuff they don't make anymore (with the exception of people like Don Haupt, whom I got to see last year and was blown away by). Take this trip into the past. Turn off the lights. Open a window. Let the night in. Listen to that piano sparkle. Hear those lyrics full of jubilant desperation.

If that ain't magic, there is no such thing.

Too bad a track listing sheet w/ release date or recorded date & label info isn't included for every track. Other than that, this is a real work of art.

Yes, this is a fine collection of rare obscurities. However, as a collector, I find it odd that in a collection so focused on the art of collecting -- the booklet is basically a short essay on obsessive collectors -- the producer chose to exclude any listing of dates, personnel, or matrix numbers for the recordings.

This collection is marvelous as a broad-strokes portrait of the music Americans were recording and listening to in a time well before the hegemony of the corporate conglomerate recording industry, when anyone with the admittedly cumbersome apparatus of the time could start their own record company. None of these songs were huge hits of their time, but many of them are treasures of American roots music. I've got to say, though, that it was the R. Crumb cover art that pulled me in.

Much like the Old Hat compilation of records from Joe Bussard's collection ("Down In The Basement"), this 2-CD set is a hodge-podge of old-time string bands, blues, a little jazz, and other so-called "roots" music from the 1920s and early 1930s. This is rare stuff indeed--most of it unavailable on CD elsewhere, and you can forget finding copies of the original 78s! Fortunately, the transfers by Rich Nevins are marvelous; computerized "reprocessing" has been kept to a minimum and these records sound like they should: bright, clear, and natural. Yes, there's a little surface noise, but the serious record collector shouldn't mind that a bit. So many producers of reissues of vintage recoridngs seem to try to remove as much surface noise as possible, leaving recordings that are clean, yes, but dull and lifeless as well. Even with the light crackle, these transfers project a beautiful "presence." The selections are interesting too--I was especially drawn to the Luke Jordan selection ("If I Call You Mama"), Osey Helton's fiddle solo "Green River," and "Bells of Love" by the African-American shape note a-capella group, Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1 (and if you like this last group, check out the Document CD "Atlanta, GA Gospel" which includes their complete recorded output). The liner notes that accompany the set are lengthy, but unfortunately they reveal relatively little about the music on these records. The notes are mostly stories of how the records came to be acquired and ramblings about the hobby of collecting in general (not just records!) from producer Rich Nevins. This isn't necessarily bad--it makes for fun reading!--but I'd like to know a bit more about the music. Admittedly, there is probably very little known about the musicians on the recordings, but I'd have liked *something.* Also, as others have pointed out, there's no discography: no recording dates or locations, no matrix numbers, no issue numbers, no personnel listings, nada. In a set so clearly targeted to record collectors, this seems inexcusable. In addition, I'm disappointed in the DVD case-shaped packaging, which while elegant and attractive, doesn't store easily with the rest of my CDs. I would have much preferred a standard 2-CD double case. Because of the way the packaging has been made, it's often difficult for me to slide the booklet back into its paper pocket: the bottom frequently gets snagged on the cardboard foldover inside the pocket (something that could have easily been avoided with more standard packaging). Still, on the whole, this is a remarkable set making available some outstanding records in really outstanding sound. Every 78 rpm record collector should be delighted with it--I certainly am.

Let me start by saying that there was one reason that I bought this, and that was the two Son House tracks that had only been discovered within the last five years.
These were from the long, lost 78rpm record from the 1930 Grafton, Wisconsin sessions for Paramount.
For anyone familiar with the idiom of blues, I don't believe I need to go into further detail about Son, save to say that his place is right at the pinnacle of the music.
Anyone unfamiliar with him would do well to educate himself.

The two House tracks featured here are "Mississippi Farm Country Blues" and "Clarksdale Moan."
About the former, anyone who has the Complete Library of Congress Sessions will immediately recognize it as the same song as "Farm Country Blues" from those recordings, but from 11 years previous!
Son is in top form, with his rapid fire picking punctuated with his trademark bottleneck accents and inimitable field holler voice.
"Clarksdale Moan" is something unique from Son, and it is much more laid back, again a great track.
Of course, anyone familiar with ANY artist who recorded for Paramount in the 1930s will not be surprised to hear that these tracks are surrounded with plenty of pop, crackle, and hiss.
Such was the criminally lackadaisacal attitude of Paramount at that time, although Son House was one artist (the other being Charlie Patton) who could not have his recordings held down by the poor quality of the records of his music.
Before moving on to the rest of the review, keep in mind that I have almost zero interest in straight country recordings, being primarily interested in blues, then bluegrass secondarily.

On to the other tracks...
Disk 1:
"Croquet Habits" is a nice bluegrass guitar and fiddle workup, with the expected white vocalist.

"I'm Going Back Home" immediately jumped out to me as the finest recording on here, after (of course) the two Son House tracks.
It features none other than Memphis Minnie and Joe McCoy playing guitar and sharing vocals.
Minnie is definitely the superior of McCoy on the vocals, with a wonderful female blues voice in contrast to McCoy's oddly spoken singing.
The sound quality is also excellent, especially taking into account the age of the recording.
LOVED this one.

"Old Timbrook Blues" is a terrific conventional rural blues piece, with nice guitar and a really good John Byrd singing in his strong baritone.

"Slidin' Delta" features none other than the great Tommy Johnson playing a beautifully subtle guitar and yodeling.
Again, a REALLY good song, and it is fascinating to hear a legendary delta bluesman so clearly influenced by country singers.

"Alabama Blues" is a nice quickfire guitar and banjo instrumental.

"Rollin' Dough Blues" is a nice guitar conventional blues, with a good tenor singer.

"Ginseng Blues" is really neat, featuring a mandolin and banjo, and white bluegrass singer yodeling.
The blues influence on this bluegrass song is unmistakable.

"Police and High Sheriff Ridin' Down" features only harmonica punctuated with the voice of a really good blues singer named Ollis Martin.
Again, a conventional blues piece, but with only the harp for accompaniment.

"Operator Blues" is really understated, with fiddle and guitar and a good tenor black singer.
Very relaxing.

"Jim Strainer Blues" features (yes, it's true) a tuba and (possibly) a kazoo for accompaniment for a black singer.
Very unconventional from what I am used to listening to in the way of blues.

"Old Rub Alcohol Blues" was terrific, featuring none other than Dock Boggs, with banjo accompaniment.
It really is fascinating to listen to a great country singer with such a clear blues influence.

"Mistreatin' Mama" is another song with nothing but harmonica and a rural blues singer.
Really good harp playing here, and he sure sings his heart out.

"Live the Life" rang a bell with me immediately, as it is (of course) a gospel song, but its tune is identical to another gospel song recorded by none other than blues giant Charlie Patton, "I'm Going Home."
Of course, knowing that, I liked this one right away, even though there is no accompaniment at all, and the style is quite different from Patton's own.

Disk 2:
"Sweet Mama" is a nice bit of piano and mandolin music, with a blues singer sounding remarkably like Robert Johnson, even though his true identity is listed as Yank Rachel.

"Down in Texas Blues" is a very stripped down guitar piece with traditional blues singing from Jesse "Babyface" Thomas.
Nice, simple, and straightforward.

"Chicken Don't Roost Too High" is a nice bluegrass piece with brisk fiddle and guitar.
There is even some amusing chicken vocalization to go with the singing, which I liked also, btw, since the singer didn't "twang it up," as so many who sing country/bluegrass seem to feel compelled.

"I'm Leavin' Town" is a nice bit of conventional blues, and I really liked the guitar, even though it was not really complicated, by the sound of it.

"Whoopee Blues" was a neat bit of guitar work, with some octave swoops, and spare bottleneck on guitar and singing from a gentleman who called himself King Solomon Hill.

"Skinny Leg Blues" was really a nice surprise, with an excellent female performer on guitar and vocals named Geeshie Wiley.
Since I have (yet) heard so few blues songs featuring female performers, this was really a welcome track, and Miss Wiley was really up to the task.

"I Shall Not Be Moved" (of course) was also recorded by Charlie Patton, and this version is a much more traditional conventional gospel version, with horn, piano and male and female singers.
Unlike with Patton, the piece stays in the slow tempo that Patton used only for the first stanza, whereas Patton doubled the tempo and unleashed his voice for the rest.
Naturally, I prefer the Patton version, but it remains a timeless religious song.

"If I Call You Mama" has a lengthy guitar intro and singing from a man named Luke Jordon that predates, by decades, that of Alan Wilson from the group Canned Heat.
Really liked this blues song, as the guitar was so well executed, and Mr. Jordon was an excellent singer.

"Green River" was a really lively bluegrass fiddle instrumental.
Fun listen.

"Don't Speak to Me" was a really good guitar and female singer piece by a woman named Lottie Kimbrough.
Junior Kimbrough's relation, anyone?
I think so, and this was a real pleasure to listen to.

"Married Man's Blues" is another heavily blues influenced bluegrass piece, with fiddle and singing from Wade Ward.

"Boll Weevil" by Jaybird Coleman, is a harp and singing piece, with Mr. Coleman's vocal intensity rivaling that of Patton or House.
Sadly, the 78 it was taken from must have been in absolutely frightful condition.
Nonetheless, Coleman's singing at least breaks on through the massive hiss and crackle.

"Bound Steel Blues" is a wonderful guitar and fiddle piece, with really good vocals by Bill Shepherd.
As with "Boll Weevil" above, the archival recording must have been in really sorry condition.

While the last track, "Bells of Love," is not really my cup of tea musically, I found it notable as an interesting piece of acapella.
And while the singing virtuosity is not quite in the league of that of the King Singers, it is worthwhile as an early example of the technique.

Sorry if my review is probably not as detailed or informed as it could be, but I have a kind of John Cleese view of music: I may not know much about music, but I know what I like!

Oh, I forgot to mention the artwork and booklet.
Of course, the cover and inner cartoon are by famed cartoonist R. Crumb, and those really are amusing, adding to the mystique of these historic recordings.
The liner notes go into some detail about some of the recordings, and spend quite a bit of time describing collectors (a better word would be "hoarder") and their eccentricities.
As with all of their releases, Yazoo goes to great lengths to remaster only enough to make the recordings listenable, stopping short at removing the top or lower end.
Major kudos to Yazoo for respecting the integrity of these super rare recordings.
It was also so exciting to hear, after 79 years, the only previously uncirculated recordings from blues giant Son House.

As many reviewers have noted or decried, the packaging for this marvelous set contains no extra information about the tracks beyond track and artist names. However, if you rip the album in a program that connects to the Gracenote database, someone seems to have uploaded the year for all the tracks on disc 2. Also for disc 2 listed is a single, undoubtedly incorrect, composer for all the tracks, likely an accident.

This product is a quirky collection of roots music that really has no common thread running through other than they are extremely rare recordings collected over a long period. The discs are extemely well packaged with extensive liner notes. The notes also contain a history of two brothers who were eccentric (nuts) collectors in NYC.

This collection is truly amazing I love this kind of music and I think that more people should be exsposed to this kind of music. I especially love original Stack O Lee Blues by Long Cleeve Reed and little Harey Hull.
This is rare music and it may sound verry fuzzy and crackly on some songs but it's still amazing music. So in other words whip out your credit card and buy it NOW! Don't even think about it just buy it.