Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unique voices, raw and witty renderings., October 11, 1999
I saw these guys perform when I was in grad school in Madison Wisconsin in the early 60's and at a coffee house in Milwaukee. They were great then and today their stuff holds up. Authentic, unembellished sexuality and wit; great twelve string from Ray.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unlikely combination of players in an unlikely setting., February 4, 1999
By A Customer
Blues masters at a tender age, before most white people, and some black, had a clue as to the raw power and beauty of the blues. These three cats blew it all away! It is truly a wonder that their intense style and mellow personalities didn't come to the attention of a wider audience. Oh well, those who were fortunate enough to be present as they pounded out the Rags and Hollers can attest to the infectious, addicting craziness that was always with these three characters. This classic album, in every sense, defined what an entire generation of future blues lovers could find only by listening to the original blues masters. Three white guys from Minneapolis, in the early sixties, sounding like Leadbelly! Remarkable! Spider John's odd numbered guitar strings, Snaker Ray's silken voice, Little Sun Glover's harp that still brings tears of joy after all these years. I can't think of a better introduction, to the blues, for this current and future generations to hone their eardrums and musical tastes on. This album never grows old...thanks John, David, and Tony!!!! Keep on linin' that track fellas
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spider John, Snaker and Little Sun, March 22, 2004
Who knew that three guys this cool were hanging around Minneapolis in the early 1960s? Back when Bob Dylan was but a skinny (and short-tenured) frosh at the U of M, Koerner, Ray and Glover were already lighting up the West Bank and Dinkytown with their eclectic blues, rags and hollers. The threesome were a blast of fresh air in a musical milieu that mostly resembled the inner-sleeve album photo (crew-cutted, horn-rimmed guy wearing headphones), helping the Twin Cities turn the page into what has been a tumultuous and productive scene ever since.
Having said that, "Blues, Rags and Hollers" is far from a perfect album. Live observers have noted that the threesome appeared each to be tapping their feet to their own tempos at times, and much of the music is enthusiastically sloppy in this way. However, such enthusiasm is their strong suit: the opening straight-vocal cut, "Linin' Track," begins the festivities with a bang and sets the tone throughout. Other standout tracks include "Bugger Burns," the Robert Johnson classic "Dust My Broom," and "Good Time Charlie."
Individually, I love Spider John's manic phrasing, the late Dave Ray's soulfulness and Glover's impeccable harmonica chops. What makes me cringe is when they sound, on occasion, like earnest white boys trying very, very hard to be black. On a couple of the cuts, the singer affects an oddball accent that would likely set John Lee Hooker spinning in his grave. However, given the fact that they so wonderfully found their own voices over the courses of their lengthy careers, and given their profound, positive influence on local music, such transgressions are easily forgiven.
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