Men of Blues (1998)

About this title: This curious three-disc box set mixes in old blues 78s with latter rediscovery recordings to form a rather random, but pleasantly cohesive (if somewhat cursory) introduction to early blues. The wide variety of styles here is impressive, though, ranging from the guttural roars of Charley Patton and Son House, through the highly personalized blues pieces of Sleepy John Estes, the haunting tunings of Skip James, to the near-jazz urban piano blues pieces of Peetie Wheatstraw and Amos Milburn. It's not an exhaustive box set, certainly, but it would probably work fine for casual listeners looking ... read more

Tracks:

1. Poor Boy a Long Ways From Home
2. Frankie [Hurt/Traditional]
3. 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do [Grainger/Prince/Wil]
4. Black Snake Moan [Jefferson]
5. Canned Heat Blues [Johnson]
6. Pinetop's Blues [Smith]
7. Police Dog Blues [Blind Blake]
8. My Black Mama, Pt. 1 [House]
9. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues [James]
10. Give Me Your Change [Sykes]
11. Georgia Rag [Bill]
12. Midnight Hour Blues [Carr]
13. Stone Pony Blues [Patton]
14. Milk Cow Blues [Arnold]
15. Mississippi River Blues [Broonzy]
16. Vicksburg Blues, No. 2 [Montgomery]
17. Sweet Sixteen [Davis]
18. Someday Baby Blues [Estes/Nixon]
19. Sweet Home Chicago [Johnson]
20. Hard Rocks in My Bed [Easton]
21. Louise, Louise Blues
22. You Shouldn't Do That [Weldon]
23. Brother James [Williams]
24. Lonesome Bedroom Blues [Jones]
25. Diggin' My Potatoes [Washboard Sam]
26. Bottle It Up and Go [McClennan/Tradition]
27. Key to the Highway [Broonzy/Segar]
28. Gangster's Blues [Williams]
29. I'm Dealing with the Devil
30. It Hurts Me Too [Tampa Red/Whittaker]
31. Warehouse Man Blues [Dupree]
32. Bus Rider Blues [Fuller]
33. Key to My Door [McGhee]
34. County Jail Blues [Merriweather/Fields]
35. Lend Me Your Love [Memphis Slim/Chatma]
36. He's a Jelly Roll Baker [Johnson]
37. Rock Me Mama [Crudup]
38. Hard Day Blues [Morganfield/Waters]
39. Feel So Bad [Broonzy/Hopkins]
40. San Francisco Blues [Fulson/Geddins]
41. Down the Road a Piece [Raye]
42. Bobby Sox Blues [Williams]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.