Hard Time Killin' Floor (2005)

About this title: Hard Time Killin' Floor isn't the first Skip James collection, and one could bet it will not be the last. But Hard Time Killin' Floor makes a pretty good argument for itself: the hour-and-six-minute album holds all of James' early work, and it's been remastered. James' soulful vocal style, like Robert Johnson's, has often been noted, but his quick picking style is also distinctive. "I'm So Glad" is performed at an up-tempo, breakneck pace, and the finger work will leave the listener dizzy. The title cut, on the other hand, has a slow, lazy quality, with the blue notes of the guitar matching ... read more

Tracks:

1. Cypress Grove Blues
2. If You Haven't Any Hay Get on Down the Road
3. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
4. Special Rider Blues
5. Devil Got My Woman
6. I'm So Glad
7. Cherrry Ball Blues
8. 22-20 Blues
9. Jesus Is a Mighty Good Leader
10. Hard Luck Child
11. Little Cow and Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
12. Illinois Blues
13. Drunken Spree
14. Four O'Clock Blues
15. How Long Buck
16. Yola My Blues Away
17. Be Ready When He Comes
18. What Am I to Do Blues
19. My Black Mama, Pt. 1
20. My Black Mama, Pt. 2
21. Walkin' Blues
22. Dry Spell Blues, Pt. 1

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