Blues from the Big House (2007)

About this title: Blues from the Big House pairs two classic albums of prison field recordings, the first recorded at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (the dreaded Parchman's Farm that pops up in so many old Delta blues songs) in 1947 by Alan and John Lomax and released on LP as Parchman Farm: Yazoo Delta Blues, while the second was tracked by Harry Oster at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola between 1958 and 1960 and was originally released on LP as Down in Angola: Louisiana Prison Farm Blues. Both of these albums have been available in several different configurations over the years, ... read more

Tracks:

1. Murder's Home [Traditional/Public]
2. No More, My Lawd [Traditional/Public]
3. Old Alabama [Traditional/Public]
4. Black Woman [Traditional/Public]
5. Jumpin' Judy [Traditional/Public]
6. Whoa Buck [Traditional/Public]
7. Prettiest Train [Traditional/Public]
8. Old Dollar Mamie [Traditional/Public]
9. Makes a Long Time Man Feel Bad [Traditional/Public]
10. Rosie [Traditional/Public]
11. Levee Camp Holler [Traditional/Public]
12. What Makes a Work Song Leader? [Interview] [Traditional/Public]
13. Early in the Mornin' [Traditional/Public]
14. How I Got in the Penitentiary [Interview] [Traditional/Public]
15. Tangle Eye Blues [Traditional/Public]
16. Stackerlee [Traditional/Public]
17. Prison Blues [Traditional/Public]
18. Duckin' and Dodgin' [Traditional/Public]
19. My Baby's Got to Go [Traditional/Public]
20. Penitentiary Blues [Traditional/Public]
21. Lonesome Blues [Traditional/Public]
22. They'll Miss Me When I'm Gone [Traditional/Public]
23. Rock Me Mama [Traditional/Public]
24. Boll Weevil Blues [Traditional/Public]
25. Hard-Headed Woman [Traditional/Public]
26. Standing at the Greyhound Bus Station [Traditional/Public]
27. Tell Me Pretty Baby [Traditional/Public]
28. Ball and Chain for Me [Traditional/Public]
29. Bad Luck Blues [Traditional/Public]
30. Goin' Home to My Old Used to Be [Traditional/Public]

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