Skip James
I'd Rather Be The Devil: the Legendary 1931 Session
CD
"The classic blues man par excellence, Skip James ticks almost all the boxes. Only killed one man (possibly more, not authenticated). Didn't die as a result of a brawl. However... These 18 tracks are all that survive of 26 recorded for H.C. Speir of Paramount Records in Feb 1931. When, later in the year, Speir asked for more, Skip refused; he had found Jesus and gone to join his reformed father, who was now a Baptist minister, in Texas. And so the reputation as one of the greatest singers in the history of the blues rests almost entirely on these 18 sides. Nothing more was heard from him for thirty-three years. However, it's not the whole story. In 1964, blues collector John Fahey traced James in a Mississippi hospital and persuaded him to sing once more. Curiously, the great Son House was 'rediscovered' on the very same day. Both appeared at the famous Newport Folk Festival the same year.
The only parallel one can imagine is that of the young Presley leaving just the twenty-odd tracks he cut for Sam Phillips at Sun. No Heartbreak Hotel. No Blue Suede Shoes. No Hound Dog. No Jailhouse Rock. No Suspicious Minds. No Burning Love. No '68 Special. No Aloha from Hawaii. No jump suits. No Cadillacs. No private jets. No Gracelands. Maybe young Lisa Marie doesn't even know her pappy ever cut any discs, he just sings in the church.
Then one day in 1988, a man comes along and persuades the 53-year-old Elvis to sing again....
But it didn't quite happen like that. Skip was a huge influence on Robert Johnson and was feted by Eric Clapton. He made more recordings and continued to play concerts until his death in October 1969. He had no time for any other Bluesman, he thought they were a 'barrel of crabs' and would disguise his technique of playing if he thought any other players were watching.
Not a happy soul by any means, but a true giant of Blues".
WE SAY:
Given that both Cream and Deep Purple saw fit to cover I'm So Glad (track 11 on this disc) on their respective debut albums ('Fresh Cream' & 'Shades Of Deep Purple'), Skip's credentials have been thoroughly endorsed for the Classic Rock generation and there is no excuse for not checking out the real deal!
Tracklisting
1 Devil Got My Woman
2 Cypress Grove Blues
3 Cherry Ball Blues
4 Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
5 Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues
6 If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road
7 22-20 Blues
8 How Long Buck
9 Be Ready When He Comes
10 Drunken Spree
11 I'm So Glad
12 Special Rider Blues
13 Hard Luck Child
14 Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader
15 Four O'Clock Blues
16 Illinois Blues
17 Yola My Blues Away
18 What Am I To Do Blues
click logo for sound sample
LRP £9.99 - discounted to...
PLEASE NOTE, THIS ITEM IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK, AWAITING REPRESS
