Vanguard Sessions: Blues From The Delta

Skip James | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• Original Release Date: August 11, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vanguard Records
• ASIN: B000009NLQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,747 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Delta Blues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars defending what needs no defense, December 2, 2001

By 

Elijah Wald (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanguard Sessions: Blues From The Delta (Audio CD)

I have never written an Amazon review before, but the ridiculous attack by a previous reviewer on the Vanguard Skip James compelled me to rebut. Unlike any other early bluesman rediscovered in the 1960s, James had fundamentally changed his style, adopting a weird falsetto that, to some of us, is the most haunting and soulful sound in blues. Unfortunately, the white fans who spearheaded the blues revival have often been guitar nerds, who note only that James's technical skill on that instrument had deteriorated with age. This is true, but irrelevant to anyone interested in music rather than technique. The fact is, James's 1930s recordings and his 1960s recordings provide quite different experiences, with quite different strengths, and both are extraordinary. The Vanguard sessions are outstanding, among other things, for his new composition, "Washington DC Hospital Blues" (here called "Center Blues"), one of his greatest lyrics. As a longtime blues journalist, who has at times defended Stephen Calt's biography of James, which makes similar disparaging remarks about his later work (as well as some absurdly virulent attacks on James's character), I want to go on record as saying that, if I had to choose one era of his work, I would pick the 1960s. Fortunately, I don't. I can have both, for which I am supremely grateful. But, as my title says, this should be an unneccessary letter. Just listen to the record, and you will find out why virtually all the people who heard James in the 1960s consider it among the supreme musical experiences of their lives.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Blues from the Delta, May 19, 2002

By 

Simon Thomas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanguard Sessions: Blues From The Delta (Audio CD)

This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful collections of blues I have ever heard. Skip James was a man of the Mississipi Delta and his music reflects his origins. The sound is sparse, the rhythms a melancholic mix of country, blues and ragtime. Over the top of deceptively simple arrangements for piano and acoustic guitar (to both of which James lends his distinctive sound), James' desolate falsetto recalls the deep sorrows of Depression-era black men with great poignancy.

While many of the songs on this collection at least superficially reflect the theme of lost love, there are darker moments too:
"Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" is a bleak and resigned commentary on the racial hatred and economic injustices faced by America's black poor in the 1930s; "Sick Bed Blues" explores the tragedy of a man alone.

Yet this CD is also infused with a real lightness of spirit: "... Hospital Center Blues" is a tribute to the musicians who rediscovered James in the 1960s and moved him to a private hospital so he could receive better treatment; and "Catfish Blues", with its refrain "I would rather be a little catfish/ so I could swim way down in the sea/ I wouldn't have no women/ setting out a line for me", is a refreshingly light fantasy of escape from impossible love.

The CD comprises recordings from the 1960s albums "Today!" and "Devil Got My Woman", so listeners don't have to cope with the appalling background hiss on re-releases of James' early Paramount sessions. Tracks 18 and 19 have never been previously released and are as brilliant as anything else on this incredible album.

Even if you have never heard of Skip James, you should check out this awesome collection of music from one of the Blues' truly great unsung masters.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, Simply Amazing, December 8, 2003

By 

Barnaby Thieme (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vanguard Sessions: Blues From The Delta (Audio CD)

Skip James is absolutely amazing! Anyone who says the latter-day Skip James can't play the guitar like he used to hasn't been listening. Just listen to the song Catfish Blues to see what I mean. It sounds like a wild animal escaping from his heart and bursting from his guitar.

The fidelity of this work compared to his 30's recordings is obviously far superior - this is a modern-sounding, professionally recorded album. The guitar is crisp and clear, rich and full. Most notably though the full rich timbre of James' voice is fully evident. I'm not as fond of his piano work, though it's clearly very competent.

A wonderful album by one of the great singer/songwriters of the last century. Of course, his Complete Early Recordings is also indespensible.