Honey Babe Let the Deal Go Down: The Best of the Mississippi Sheiks (2004)

About this title: Sony Legacy's remastered update of its out of print 1992 Mississippi Sheiks retrospective sounds much better than its predecessor. Astonishingly, all 20 sides come from between 1930 and 1931. The Sheiks, who appeared in many configurations, were always represented by Walter Vinson (Jacobs) on vocals and guitar and Lonnie Chatmon on fiddle. But here their ranks are added to on numerous selections by either Bo Carter (Chatmon) and Sam Chatmon as well as Texas Alexander. All but two sides here were recorded for the OKeh label ("Please Don't Wake It Up" and the classic "I've Got Blood in My Eyes ... read more

Tracks:

1. Still I'm Traveling On [Carter]
2. Please Don't Wake It Up [Jacobs]
3. Stop and Listen Blues No. 2
4. Sitting on Top of the World [Vinson/Chatmon]
5. The Jazz Fiddler [Jacobs/Carter]
6. Seen Better Days [Alexander]
7. Driving That Thing [Jacobs/Carter]
8. Bed Spring Poker [Carter]
9. When You're Sick With the Blues [Carter]
10. I've Got Blood in My Eyes for You [Carter]
11. Things About Comin' My Way [Jacobs]
12. Livin' in a Strain [Jacobs]
13. Last Stage Blues [Alexander]
14. Frost Texas Tornado Blues [Alexander]
15. Your Good Man Caught the Train and Gone [Carter]
16. Unhappy Blues [Carter]
17. Honey Babe Let the Deal Go Down
18. Ramrod Blues
19. West Jackson Blues [Carter]
20. Bootlegger's Blues [Carter]

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