Lifting the Veil: The First Bluesmen

RELEASE
November 27, 2007
LABEL
Arbiter
GENRES
Blues, Blues Gospel, Acoustic Blues, Pre-War Gospel Blues, Piedmont Blues, Country Blues, Delta Blues, Folk-Blues, Regional Blues

Album Review

This interesting collection draws from recordings in the Harry Smith archive and includes what sounds like songs taken from casual, private sessions with various country blues artists along with a few scratchy songs from commercial 78s. The sound is all over the map, but the value of sets like this aren't really in their sonic qualities but in their historical value. Worth noting here is Rev. Gary Davis' striking and stark "The Blood's Done Signed Your Name," a kinetic version by Leadbelly of "Gallows Pole," and Charley Patton's classic "Mississippi Boll Weevil."
Steve Leggett, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Sermon on Pancakes
  2. The Blood's Done Signed Your Name
  3. Come Down to See Me Sometime
  4. Lost John
  5. Soldier's Drill
  6. Gallows Pole
  7. Leaving Blues
  8. Slow Blues in E
  9. Starvation Blues
  10. Black Biting Bee Blues
  11. Mountain Jack
  12. I Didn't Want to Join the Band
  13. A Rag
  14. Raggin' the Blues
  15. Old Country Rock
  16. Poor Boy
  17. Poor Boy
  18. Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues
  19. Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues
  20. Mississippi Jail House Groan
  21. Ham Hound Crave
  22. Seven Sisters Blues
  23. Hard Dallas Blues
  24. Back Gnawing Blues
  25. Going Crazy