Hard Time: Best of Skip James (2003)

About this title: Skip James' fame rested initially on a handful of 78's recorded in 1931, and with his eerie falsetto and odd guitar tunings, not to mention his utterly unique piano style, he was that rarest of bluesmen, a maverick performer with a completely original and singular approach to the blues. His rediscovery in the 1960s, with all his skills still intact, had all the makings of a miracle, and that his many sessions in this later period never saw his skills drop in quality is truly amazing. This collection gathers an assortment of tracks from both live and studio performances in his rediscovery ... read more

Tracks:

1. She's All the World to Me [James]
2. Everybody Leaving Here [James]
3. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues [James]
4. Illinois Blues [James]
5. Drunken Spree [James]
6. All Night Long [James]
7. My Gal [James]
8. Look at the People Standing at the Judgement [James]
9. Worried Blues [James]
10. Devil Got My Woman [James]
11. My Last Boogie [Traditional]
12. Lazy Bones [Traditional]
13. My Own Blues [Traditional]
14. Omaha Blues [Traditional]
15. Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning [Traditional]
16. Somebody Loves You [Traditional]
17. Sporting Life Blues [Traditional]
18. They Are Waiting for Me [Traditional]
19. Walking the Sea [Traditional]
20. Jack of Diamonds [Traditional]
21. [Untitled Track]

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