This is what I hear when I think of The Blues John Lee Hooker’s Hard Times a reimagining of No Shoes a track he recorded and played earlier in his career. Hard Times was part of a ‘Lost’ recording from the award winning educational radio series The Standard School Broadcast it was recorded in 1973 and features John Lee’s son Robert on piano.
This Mosaic collection currently in the mail and due to arrive today. Collates their Candid recordings.
Should be a beautiful set.
It’s arrived - always eluded me for some reason but fills a gap in my Mosaic collection. I missed it when it was in print but that would have been in the 90s.
Featuring Dirty Rivers aka Muddy Waters
What blues triggers in my mind is early Rolling Stones, early Edgar Broughton, early Led Zeppelin, Ten Years After, etc., all of which I liked very much, and their albums still get periodic airing at home, but that’s blues-rock - snd some of course have been covers of classic pure blues. I recall a documentary with the Stones jamming with some pure blues artists in USA, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Otherwise in terms of purer blues i’ve enjoyed quite a few artists that I’ve seen live, but not been tempted to seek any of it to play at home: e.g. there used to be a small blues festival near me, which I went to every year, and enjoyed virtually everything whether solo or more rocky blues bands. Particularly good was when artists were just making songs up as they went along. I sometimes thought there is probably more out there that I could enjoy if I were to explore more, but time is a challenge.
My parents where huge Stones fans at my mum’s funeral Paint it Black was played and so I heard them a lot growing up but my introduction to the Blues as a teenager was through Joe Lee Wilson who I have recently discovered was actually a Jazz singer and was the partner of a friend’s mum whose house we visit and he was always playing blues records that is where I first heard John Lee Hooker but it was Robert Cray’s Smoking Gun that really got me then.
It hasn’t been until the last five or so years that I really began to delve into the Blues so I’m a bit of a beginner and my very favourite Blues music so far is when the likes of John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters played electric guitar specifically the 60’s and early 70’s.
I really love Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer and Buddy Guy’s acoustic playing on it but a lot of the more folk acoustic blues from the likes of Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt hasn’t resonated yet but that may well change.
I need to spend some time thinking about this thread as there’s so much to recommend. Is bob after acoustic blues or just blues in general?
Atb
Kk
Blues in general.
A long time ago I started a thread on. Lies and was guided by many on here. Ewemon was responsible for gathering a large collection of blue and I am sure he will chip in if he can. Some below to get started with
I suppose Robert Johnson is an obvious place to start. He only recorded around 40 or so songs (including repeats). There’s a Complete set, which IIRC stretches his output onto 2 x CDs, but I think it’s possible to get them all on one. That said, the 1998 rereleased version of King of the Delta Blues Singers is probably all you need.
On Blunderbus, Jack White has a cover of ‘I’m Shakin’ originally performed by Little Willie John. I spent some happy afternoons exploring the Blues originals and influences on White.
