Century of the Blues: The Definitve Country Blues Collection (2003)

About this title: The idea is simple enough -- celebrate a century of blues by releasing a four-CD box set with the 100 greatest blues tracks ever. And, to be fair, they have the artists, everyone from Bessie Smith to Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters to Mississippi John Hurt. But quality is always in the ear of the beholder, and these aren't always the greatest tracks. Plus, if you're going to subtitle your set "The Definitive Country Blues Collection" then what is someone like Bessie Smith doing there in the first place? She might have been the greatest of the early blues singers, but no one would readily ... read more

Tracks:

1. Mississippi Boweavil Blues [Patton]
2. My Black Mama, Pt. 1 [House]
3. Future Blues [Brown]
4. Canned Heat [Johnson]
5. Left Alone Blues [Bracey]
6. Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped the Devil) [Johnson]
7. Kind Hearted Woman Blues [JOhnson]
8. Wind Howlin' Blues [Edwards]
9. Devil Got My Woman [James]
10. Shake 'Em on Down [White]
11. Sitting on Top of the World [Carter/Little Walte]
12. Stack O'Lee Blues [Traditional]
13. Barrelhouse Blues [Andrews]
14. Catfish Blues [Petway]
15. Bottle It Up and Go [McClennan]
16. Bull Frog Blues [Harris]
17. Mule Skinner Blues [Rogers]
18. Farewell Blues [Hoopi]
19. Old Original Kokomo Blues [Arnold]
20. Country Blues [Waters]
21. I Be's Troubled [Morganfield]
22. Boogie Chillen' [Hooker]
23. Little Boy Blue [Lockwood]
24. Ramblin' [Johnson]
25. Yellow Dog Blues [Handy]
26. Matchbox Blues [Jefferson]
27. Ground Hog Blues [Thomas]
28. Gallis Pole [Leadbetter]
29. Evil Hearted Woman Blues [Woods]
30. Outside Woman Blues [Reynolds]
31. Maxwell Street Blues [Jackson/Moore]
32. Bulldoze Blues [Thomas]
33. Black Ace [Turner]
34. It's Nobody's Fault But Mine [Johnson]
35. The Gone Dead Train [Hill]
36. Woke Up With the Blues in My Fingers [Johnson]
37. Penitentiary Moan Blues [Alexander]
38. Katie Mae [Hopkins]
39. Diddie Wa Diddie [Blind Blake]
40. I Want Some of Your Pie [Allen]
41. Mama T'Aint Long Fo' Day [McTell]
42. Motherless Chile Blues [Hicks]
43. Jealous Hearted Blues [Lincoln]
44. No No Blues [Weaver]
45. Guitar Rag [Marton/Weaver]
46. Big Legged Woman [Long/Allen]
47. Twelve Gates to the City [Davis]
48. Every Day in the Week Blues [Anderson]
49. Runaway Man Blues [Council]
50. Divin' Duck Blues [Estes]
51. Careless Love Blues [Traditional]
52. Goin' Crazy With the Blues [Traditional]
53. Whip It to a Jelly [Smith]
54. See See Rider [Traditional]
55. Mister Man, Pt. 1 [Jackson]
56. Murder in the First Degree [Spivey]
57. I'm a Mighty Tight Woman [Wallace]
58. Black Angel Blues [Bogan/Smith]
59. Long Ways from Home [Johnson]
60. Downhearted Blues [Hunter/Austin]
61. Rock Island Blues
62. Poor Boy, Long Ways from Home [Traditional]
63. Rollin' and Tumblin' Blues [Traditional]
64. Moanin' the Blues [Shaw]
65. He's in the Jailhouse Now [Shade]
66. That's No Way to Get Along [Wilkins]
67. What's the Matter Blues [Stokes]
68. How Long, How Long Blues [Carr]
69. Cow Cow Blues [Davenport]

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