Twist It Babe 1931-1940

Bo Carter | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 15, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yazoo
• ASIN: B000000G7H
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,463 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #79 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Delta Blues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bo Carter - King of Dirty Blues, December 23, 2005

By 

Jeff Melvin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twist It Babe 1931-1940 (Audio CD)

This Yazoo release compiles fourteen sides by Bo Carter recorded between 1931 and 1940. Carter was an extremely prolific recording artist, and "Twist it Babe" is a solid introduction to his body of solo work. His originality and virtousity on the guitar, often overlooked due to his propensity for double entendre, put him technically on par with other "uncopyable" bluesmen such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Robert Pete Williams.

If you have a problem with "dirty blues", then this album, and Bo Carter all together, are really not for you, however, he is a master of country blues guitar and this album is a great place to start. The production and sound are as clean and clear as you will find in the 1930's.

The listener of this album will witness his utter disregard for standard blues phrasing and cliched licks. You will discover through repeated listening that his seemingly simple and catchy songs are actually quite complex arrangements, featuring skills and techniques that remain absolutely unique within the blues vernacular. The combination of melodic, harmonic genius and command of counterpoint, and polyrhythmic bass lines are facilitated by the use of all five fingers of his picking hand, and five different tunings on the guitar.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous guitar playing, December 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Twist It Babe 1931-1940 (Audio CD)

Bo Carter is the perfect example of doing something simple exactly right. While his technique was modest, his melodic imagination was amazing fertile. The impeccable musical sense of his accompaniments completely overshadows the often unimaginative lyrics of the songs. He either liked what could best be called "racy" material, or he was typed as a party record artist. He fingerpicked, mostly in open tunings. While he didn't have the technique of Blind Blake or Reverend Gary Davis, his accompaniments featured an amazing lack of recycled licks and seemed to come more from the song than the chord progession.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it all you got, November 19, 2009

By 

Loren Burris "Blues and World Lover" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twist It Babe 1931-1940 (Audio CD)

Armenter Chatmon, alias Bo Carter, left a sizable thumbprint on 1930s blues. His output as a member of the Mississippi Sheiks is unremarkable, but his solo work retains an amazing freshness. It should be noted that this CD does not represent his most sexual material. "Banana in Your Fruit Basket", another Yazoo Records opus, offers 14 of his most explicit songs. While I don't find any of this music objectionable, the reviewers who preceded me are right about this disc. If you have qualms about racy lyrics, neither "Twist it, Babe" nor "Banana in Your Fruit Basket" will elicit any smiles. For blues hounds, both CDs are emerald-pure lowdown fun. Recommended.