Album Details

One of the Most Influential and Original Blues Musicians, Lonnie Johnson Virtually Created the Modern Blues Guitar Style on his Own, Sending the Music off in the Direction it Has Subsequently Taken. Combining Elements of Jazz Into his Technique Meant that He Blurred the Boundaries Between the Two Emerging Musics During the '30s, Later Slipping Out of Music Only to Return as an Elder Statesman in the 1960s. This Lavishly Presented Four CD Set Takes in all of the Recordings Made Between 1928 and 1952 that Created a Blues Legend and also Includes Comprehensive Liner Notes and a Full Discography. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Using the simplest melodies as his canvas, Delta bluesman Bukka White painted vivid pictures of his own life in the rural South, punctuating his words with a highly percussive steel-guitar attack. Among his subjects: trains, booze, sex, prison, and death. After shooting an old Mississippi rival during a roadside showdown, White had allegedly jumped bail to record his first two songs in 1937. The bawdy "Shake 'EmOn Down" was a hit, but White spent two years in prison for his indiscretion. When White returned to Chicago in 1940 to record again, producer Lester Melrose rejected his roster of cover tunes, giving him two days to come up with his own material. Under the gun, White created the 10 autobiographical gems that round out this collection. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Bukka White the MAN
I couldn't belive this was Bukka White the first time I listened to this cd . Because the first time I heard him was on "Masters of the Delta Blues friends of Charlie Patton" (a must cd 4 any 1 interested in getting involed in acoustic delta blues) the reason 4 this is I didnt really enjoy those Victor recordings of him I would always skip those songs (no offense Bukka) but when I heard the complete VOCALION recordings (ring a bell any 1) I was blown away I listned to the cd over and over I freakin love trk.2 Shake em On Down . Bukka is a down and dirty blues man he sounds nonthing like those religous Victor recordings on this cd . If your a fan of acoustic blues or blues period you will enjoy this cd very much.

A brilliant recording of Mr. Booker White in his prime.
If you are looking to identify one Bukka White CD to own, this is the one, IMHO. He was a legendary slide guitar stylist with an ability to compose great blues songs for his style. He was a notable singer. This recording captures him in peak form, and, in addition, represents one of the last important country blues recording sessions to have taken place before WWII.

By the early 40's, musical tastes were changing. Electric guitars, big bands, pre-bebop, etc. were all hitting. There was a huge exodus of southerners from the rural south to northern cities, and the country blues was out of fashion as a musical form.

To his credit, Booker, when presented with this opportunity to record, stuck to what he did best and did not get trendy. The result was a legendary country blues session, and this CD documents that.

Every song on this recording sounds great, & the sound quality is pretty good to boot (compared to other early blues recordings). The thing that always gets me is the rhythmic creativity. Even though this was an old time country blues recording, Mr. White was a true funkster, & his rhythm sense still sounds contemporary & exciting.

A Consumate Blues Man
The first song I heard by Bukka White was 'Fixin' To Die Blues' on a blues anthology disc. With his rhythmic playing and voice that expresses a wide range of emotion, he was one of the consumate blues men. He had quite a story to tell, and there isn't a single song on this disc that doesn't lure you in to his telling of the human condition. A must for anyone that can appreciate what this Black American art form truly is...emotions and strife set to music. Recommended!

Songs from a Blues Master
I first heard Booker "Bukka" White on a compilation and finally got around to picking up this CD awhile back. What the listener is treated to is good, old-fashioned, country blues, highlighted by White's strong, straight-ahead rhythms and vocal intensity. His raspy/quavery vocals are a perfect accompaniment to his chugging guitar style, and White is backed up on most of these songs, recorded mainly in 1940, by Washboard Sam, who provides strong rhythmic counterpoint to the sound White gets from his National steel guitar. Although I like all the tracks on this CD, "Parchman Farm Blues", the first Bukka White song I ever heard, is still my favorite.

Bukka White the complete recordings
Hi, Len here!
This is blues at it's purest form. I think even someone that don't care for it & know's blues would say it is.
Len! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Blues 101!!!
All right, students, now pay attention! Put down that racing form and pay attention right now! This here Chess Blues box set contains exactly 101 tracks. How appropriate! That makes this collection a sort of unofficial college course entitled Blues 101, and Professors Wolf, Waters, James, and Jacobs (Little Walter), etc., etc., will be your blues instructors. You will learn the Fundamentals of Blues Harp, with Little Walter ("Juke") and Sonny Boy Williamson II ("Don't Start Me to Talkin'") as your master teachers. Over here, we have a course entitled Mellow Blues, with Willie Dixon ("Walkin' the Blues") and Jimmy Witherspoon ("Ain't Nobody's Business") showing you how it's done. Then, we have instruction in Blues and the Female Voice, with Koko Taylor ("What Kind of Man Is That," "Wang Dang Doodle") and Etta James ("Somethings Got A Hold Of Me," "I'd Rather Go Blind") as your teachers. Finally, what great university would be complete without Master Classes and the best professors in the business Muddy Waters ("Got My Mojo Workin'," "I Can't Be Satisfied," "My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble"), Howlin Wolf ("Killin' Floor," "Evil," "Going Down Slow"), and John Lee Hooker ("Walkin' the Boogie," "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer") holding court for your edification. No, there is no blues university, but if there was one, the above masters would surely be the instructors and Chess Blues would certainly be the required text. As I said, it's packed with an amazing 101 songs, many of the best blues tracks ever recorded. There are a few clunkers, but very few. You will spend many enjoyable hours listening to this collection. (Trust me, it takes a few hours to listen to 101 songs once!) Get it today, and enroll in the best blues education money can buy!

A terriffic addition to your blues collection
This handsome boxset, complete with a large booklet, is a superb addition to your blues collection, even if you already have the best of the major Chess artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

There are bound to be some tracks, especially by Waters and the Wolf, that overlap with what most blues lovers already own, but the "Chess Blues" compilers have done a very fine job assembling dozens of rarer tracks by artists like Robert Nighthawk, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush, Memphis Minnie McCoy, Lowell Fulson, Willie Mabon, Elmore James, Jimmy Oden and many others. And these high quality tracks, which make up the vast majority of the 101 cuts, make "Chess Blues" a very welcome supplement to the many available compilations featuring Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs.

This is it!
The Delta gave birth to the Delta Blues and Chicago gave birth to the Chicago Blues but it would not have happened without Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and, of course, the Chess Brothers. This is their legacy - no true blues fan would be without this set as part of their collection -enough said!

Box set arrives like nucular bum
Wow, this box set arrives in my discs with the force of a nuclear bomb...I bought it for [amt.] at a local record store; get the box set any way you can. You'll survive cataclysmic disaster for sure. The artists are badasses and geniuses all.

Worth 10 Stars!
Where would the music of today be without the music on this set? Every song is a classic. Phil and Leonard Chess had an ear for talent and it shows on this set. Not only do you get classics by Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf, there is also Etta James, Ko Ko Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sunnyland Slim, Robert Nighthawk, Willie Dixon (the MAN behind many of the Waters/Wolf classics) and many, many more. The booklet is fantastic and the sound quality is very good. Simply a set you can't do without. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Former Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman wants to enlighten people about the great blues of America's musical past. Drawing on his stash of 1,300 albums, the two-CD set Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey makes a strong case for the lasting eloquence of the African American blues music recorded in the oppressive South during the Depression and on till 1951. (Wyman has also co-authored a history of the American blues called Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey: A Journey to Music's Heart & Soul.) Blues novitiates and devotees alike will be served well by Wyman's knowing selection of songs, 46 in all, covering an array of styles. Among his heroes are the famous (Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson) and semi-famous (Lonnie Johnson and Memphis Slim, to name two), as well as the unjustly forgotten (several pianists and cross-dressing singer Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon). --Frank-John Hadley ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good In Small Doses
This compilation of Bill Wyman's favorite blues songs gives a decent history of blues music. While listening to this music, it is quite interesting to note the influence it had on many rock n roll bands.

However, the versions presented here are a stark in arrangement. Although they are performed well, usually its just a guitar and a vocal or a piano and a vocal. A few instrumentals thrown in for good measure. Unfortuantely after a while it all sounds pretty similar in spite of some good performances.

Truthfully, I would prefer a smaller compilation of blues standards as opposed to this extensive batch. Nonetheless, big time fans of blues music might want to at least preview this collection.

Bill Wyman is giving Ken Burns a run for the money here
For all of you who enjoyed Ken Burns' epic Jazz series, former Stones bassist Bill Wyman follows it up here with his own study and insight on the musical genre that he obviously loves, the Blues. Besides the handsome coffee table book, this 2 CD set contains most of the legends of the American blues spread over 46 tracks, from Papa Charlie Jackson's 1925 recording of "All I Want is a Spoonful" to 1951 blues tracks from Elmore James and B.B. King. No, "The Thrill is Gone" isn't covered here nor are the newer blues artists like Robert Cray or Stevie Ray Vaughan, just the old masters.

One thing I was reminded of was that the blues did not begin with Robert Johnson who emerged in the mid-'30s. Of course! Just like rock and roll didn't begin with Elvis. Get this collection and check out Wyman's commentary on each of the artists. It's very informative and easy to get a grasp on what for many is an arcane musical genre.

And yes, as Wyman states, "the Blues are perfect however you feel."

A Noteworthy Compilation
I'm rarely in someone's Amen Corner, but I can't disagree with anything the previous reviewer wrote. Rather, let me expand on it. The Rolling Stones, particularly in their salad days, were heavily influenced by black American blues as were many of their British contemporaries. Here the listener has the chance to hear 46 of the songs which influenced that generation of musicians and which touched Wyman in particular.
Bill Wyman has put together a fine group of old blues that feature a wide range of musicians, both famous and obscure, playing a wide range of blues styles. Rock fans who have never listened to traditional blues will recognize a number of these songs which have been covered by artists ranging from Van Morrison to John Mayall.
The 2-CD set includes an informative booklet containing short biographical sketches of each featured artist. It also contains many rare photos obtained from various sources.
Hats off to Bill Wyman! Blues Odyssey is a noteworthy compilation, very well remastered, that is worth every penny of its price. If you love the blues, buy this one today.

Leave it to a Rolling Stone...
Leave it to a Rolling Stone to assemble the most generous, distinctive collection of classic blues issued this year. I purchased this set on impulse because I love early blues recordings and heard that Bill Wyman, of the Rolling Stones, had just produced a broadcast series based on the lives and works of early blues musicians. To be honest, there aren't many early blues recordings on CD that have been as carefully researched or as beautifully remastered. There are two disks and 46 cuts on this bargain-priced collection, only about a third of which are performed by die-hard favorites like Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Big Maceo, Lonnie Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Memphis Minnie and Blind Lemon Jefferson. The balance of the collection includes performances by musicians you may not have ever heard, or at least listened too very often, from Mamie Smith and Bo Carter to Casey Bill Weldon and Georgia White. But there isn't a bad cut in the bunch. As with most of Wyman's recorded projects, there is a distinctive, laid-back feel to the compilation. The music is intensely personal, and very listenable. Originally remastered in the UK by Denis Blackham, the warmth and presence of the collection is startling. Add to all of this a booklet that is handsome and informative, and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend 20 bucks. PS. You don't have to love the blues to enjoy most of these performances. Anyone who loves vintage jazz or roots music can dive right in. Very strongly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

On Sunday mornings at Chicago's famous Maxwell Street open-air market, busking bluesmen would battle with hawkers, preachers, and dancers for coveted space. In 1964 filmmaker Mike Shea chronicled this bubbling scene for his landmark documentary And This is Free; in the process, he preserved stunning examples of raw, informal, gritty, undeniably urban blues, the best of which is included on these two revelatory CDs. Amazingly, legendary figures like Robert Nighthawk and Carey Bell were as likely to show up as any number of local gospel singers and blues pickers. Nighthawk's tenacious saw-toothed guitar work and Bell's swooping harp are well documented here, as is the work of lesser-known Chicago players like Johnny Young and Big John Wrencher. However, in this setting, the songs of obscure players like Arvella Gray, who performed solo with a Dobro, and the James Brewer gospel singers seem nearly as important. Rooster Blues's superb package includes incredibly detailed annotation, which does an admirable job in trying to sort out the correct players and songwriters, and crisp remastering--two things that the unauthorized Rounder single-disc issue lacks--plus a bonus third disc featuring young Mike Bloomfield's interview with Nighthawk. Like field recordings are to country blues, these street recordings are much more than mere music--they are compelling historical documents. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

So, Arvella Gray,This IS Maxwell Street!!
I am grateful that, in my lifetime, fate has given me the opportunity to discover the pure talent and outstanding blues recordings in AND THIS IS MAXWELL STREET. In researching my family's history, I am overwhelmed by Arvella Gray 's (my father's only male sibling) significant contribution to this genre.

No suprise this was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award
At last! What a pleasure it is finally to see the original recordings from Mike Shea's 1964 Maxwell Street documentary "And this Is Free" available in the North American market (also now in Europe on the Catfish label as KAT3D1) with its in-depth liner notes in English for the first time-more than 60 pages! (these recordings first appeared in 1999 in Japan as P-Vine PCD 5527/28). Both this set from Rooster and the Catfish release are identical to the P-Vine release with the exception of the language of the liner notes and the addition of a third bonus disc, which contains the entirety of the 44-minute interview of Robert Nighthawk conducted by guitarist Michael Bloomfield as part of the "And This Is Free" documentary project.

And what extraordinary music it is. This disc contains the first known recordings of Carey Bell (who was about 28 in 1964). It contains one of the very few glimpses we have of Robert Nighthawk on the street. Highlights include his growling guitar work on "Cheating and Lying Blues;" some of the most extraordinary electric blues guitar playing ever recorded on "I Need Love So Bad;" Nighthawk doing the two songs that brought him his first real fame--"Annie Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel;" and a lively rendition of "Take It Easy, Baby." Not to be overlooked is fine harp work by Carey Bell, and perhaps the most dynamic and moving performances by one-armed harpist Big John Wrencher that were ever recorded. Here we also get gospel performances by James Brewer, a fine "John Henry" from Arvella Gray (so much livelier than the stiff version on the Swedish Radio tapes also recently issued), and rousing, raw gospel shouting from Carrie Robinson and other performers. Another highlight is two fine songs from Johnny Young. In short, this music captures the excitement of raw, live blues on Chicago's Maxwell Street in its heyday.

Interspersed between the songs are snippets of street preachers, hawkers, hucksters, and the voices of the musicians between numbers. We also hear car horns, conversations, street noise, and the enthusiastic shouting and clapping of the audience on tracks such as "Dust my Broom" and two jams that are perhaps the wildest, most spirited live blues performances ever captured on tape. The producers have attempted (and succeeded, in my view) to recreate the experience of a Sunday on Maxwell Street in the 1960s. Revel in it.

(...) "And This Is Maxwell Street" is the real thing. Don't confuse it with the Rounder disc. My advice is to take your Rounder version to the used record store and replace it with this one.

While this raw, raucous, record of the blues in the streets of Chicago will not appeal to casual listeners who want to turn on some easy background music and relax, it should make any serious blues fan sit up straight and listen hard. This is a slice of what the blues was really about during this period. The interview disc is icing on a very fine cake.

Highly recommended. Nominated this year for a W.C. Handy Award and surely the right choice for best historical release.

Maxwell Street Blues Box a Must
While efforts continue (bluesman Jimmie Lee Robinson has been on a hunger strike) to preserve the remaining portions of the historic Maxwell Street market area, Rooster Blues has released a three disc compilation, And This is Maxwell Street that presents music that was recorded as part of the making of the film, And This is Free. Some of the music from here was issued on Rounder on lp and cd as Robert Nighthawk, Live on Maxwell Street, which has been repackaged and reconfigured with a some previously unissued selections and including tracks attributed to J.B. Lenoir, Carey Bell and Johnny Young, The Rooster Blues has a full two hours of music and includes also selections from Little Arthur (Red Top/Ornithology which is deleted from the latest version of the Rounder); Big John Wrencher; Arvella Gray, Carrie Robinson; and James and Fannie Brewer. Additionally, Mama Talk To Your Daughter, credited to JB Lenoir on the Rounder is credited to Big Mojo Elem here. And there are several Nighthawk performances here that are not on the Rounder including a Dust My Broom that includes Mike Bloomfield on guitar (possibly being Bloomfield's earliest recordings). The full range of music here is quite powerful and entertaining including such selections as Nighthawk's updating of Dr. Clayton's Cheatin' and Lyin' Blues, the fervent gospel singing of Carrie Robinson as well as James and Fannie Brewer, street singer Arvella Gray's vigorous renditions of Corinna, Corinna and John Henry, and one armed harp wizard Big John Wrencher's Lucille. Several tracks spotlight Carey Bell, with I'm Ready perhaps being his first recorded vocal. Portions of vendors' sales pitches and street preachers' sermons are heard here as well. Providing some context to the recording. The Rounder has a portion of Mike Bloomfield's interview with Robert Nighthawk which is heard in its entirety (nearly 50 minutes) on the third disc of the Rooster Blues. My advance copy of the Rooster Blues lacks the booklet that should be accompanying it so I cannot comment on this aspect of the package, but because of the more complete reissue of this historic material, clearly is preferable, and a contender for vintage reissue of the year. ... Read more

Album Description

A living and dynamic tradition, blues is forged in hard times but powerful enough to bring on the good times.Legends such as Lead Belly, Memphis Slim, big Bill Broonzy, Elizabeth Cotton, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee, among others, formed the "blues backbone" of Folkways Records.This compilation from the Smithsonian Folkways collection spans a half century and features Delta, St. Louis, Southwest, and Chicago styles performed by some of the best-known figures in the blues history.From boogies to ballads, full of innuendo and irony, this classic collection is a jukebox in a jewel case.Extensive notes, 73 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Shining Addition to Any Collection
The consolidation of record companies is generally bad, but this 3-CD box set was only possible because MCA acquired the rights to some outstanding early "race" record labels (Vocalion, Decca) and classy early R&B (e.g. Chess). The result is an intelligent, sequenced collection that is much more than a jarring, random assortment of songs by blues masters. Starting with the Delta blues, the mix seems subtly slanted in favor of bawdy, roadhouse-style blues performances--why it's the devil's music and you can't stay away from it. Whether it's Peetie Wheatstraw, Louis Jordan, John Lee Hooker or Etta James, these performances will seduce you. Good quality sound throughout (even the old stuff), with a handsome booklet.

An excellent blues collection
I own tons of blues CD's and records but I find myself going back to this collection over and over again. The songs represent some of the strongest recordings by the masters of the blues. Whether your interest is delta blues, piano blues, jump blues, Chicago blues or smooth urban blues; you'll find plenty to peak your ear. If you're lucky as I was, you'll find some unfamiliar and great artists to lead you down new musical roads. Some of my personal favorites are: That's No Way to Get Along - Robert Wilkins, What's the Matter with the Mill? - Kansas Joe McCoy, Floating Bridge - Sleepy John Estes, Mother Earth - Memphis Slim, It Serves You Right to Suffer - John Lee Hooker- just to name a few. Since I've got a 1,000 word limit in this review it prevents me from listing every great track on the collection and all the reasons you should purchase it. Suffice to say, buy it now and you won't be sorry!

Best Collection of Classic Blues!
I have purchased a lot of Blues recordings recently, but for a single purchase, this collection would be the best. It has the one or two most recognized songs from the most prominent Blues artists from 1927 to 1969, without the "scratches" of the old '78's!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Superb sound quality and sheer entertainment value make this a series by which other musical retrospectives should be measured. Over four discs (available individually as well as in this limited-edition set), the expansive selection of blues-based music from the RCA-Bluebird vaults celebrates artistry that still sounds vital 50 years after it was recorded. Among the highlights are such seminal recordings as "Catfish Blues" by Robert Petway (which Muddy Waters would transform into "Rolling Stone"), "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, "Sweet Little Angel" by Tampa Red (later a signature tune for B.B. King), and "That's All Right" by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (which ignited a rock & roll revolution in Elvis Presley's hands). Every cut seems to have been chosen with care, and some of the more obscure rank with the greatest delights: "Memphis" Minnie McCoy's "Selling My Pork Chops" and Washboard Sam's "Soap and Water Blues." As a blues anthology that surveys the roots of rock & roll, the set omits many of the biggest names (who recorded for other labels) and goes lightly on the 12-bar, guitar-driven style that flourished in Chicago after World War II. Yet the variety and vigor of the offerings should strike a responsive chord with casual fan and blues aficionado alike. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Some People Are Stupid - REALLY STUPID
This review is a direct response to the person who has given it a solitary star. Well I fit into the category of people who "dont know better"

This is the best sounding remastering I have EVER heard. The only things that I can think of that compare are Old Hat CDs (how they got some of the sounds on the Basement CD I dont know), JSPs Carter Family & Jimmmie Rodgers box sets, or many many items that Bear Family have been responsible for. I would like to hear Ace have a go remastering stuff from the dawn of recordings - but mostly their releases pick up (date-wise) just about where this stuff stops.

As for Document - well, I rate them VERY highly and buy their stuff and enjoy it - BUT THEY DONT SOUND BETTER THAN THESE. It just isnt the case.

I was astonished when I first heard the quality of the remastering on this set. Add to that the incredible sound they have got on the Sonny Boy Williamson's and Leadbelly's "Secret Histort" discs. I havent yet heard the Blind Willie McTell one.

How anyone can say that this isnt the way this stuff is supposed to sound is beyond me. And its all been done without taking away ANYTHING from the integrity of the recordings.

Have a listen and make your own mind up.

The bloke who reviewed this and gave it only 1 star should go back to his medium wave radio.

Fine retrospective for the devoted blues fan
"The Secret History Of Rock And Roll" brings together a hundred original blues classics on four discs.
This series is designed to shine a light on the roots of rock & roll music, and the remastering of these many 70-year-old tracks sounds surprisingly good.

Among the instantly recognizable tunes, many of which were covered in one form or another by rock bands of the '60s and '70s are Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Walk Right In" by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Huddie Ledbetter's "The Midniht Special", "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell, "Good Morning School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me".

This is not really for the casual blues fan, and it isn't supposed to be listened to in one long sitting...even this fine and influential music is not varied enough for that. But if you are seriously interested in early acoustic blues, and its influence on 50s and 60s rock n' roll, this collection ranks among the best.

Great Music + Bad Transfers = SOUNDS TERRIBLE!!!
I keep hearing how great these sound. No disrespect, but people who say this sounds so great don't know what real 78 transfers are supposed to sound like. And that is exactly who these discs are marketed at, the people who don't know the music all that well and will buy bad transfers. I implore you, save your money and spend it on Document Records discs.
Document's sound quality is a million times better than these transfers! Take my advice, if you want inferior transfers, by all means buy this album. If you want this music to sound the way it is supposed to sound, buy Document and keep real blues music alive!

Excellent Overview of the Blues!
The Secret History of Rock and Roll is 100 pioneering blue classics on four compact discs available either separately or as a set. Disc 1 contains some early roots music and is made up of country jug bands, some gospel, a little bluegrass and some vaudeville. Disc 1 features some rare recordings from Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, the Hall Johnson Choir and Julius Daniels to name but three of the 25 represented here. Disc 2 features the earliest known recordings of the best known blues songs such as Noah Lewis' jug standard "Viola Lee Blues" later performed by the Grateful Dead and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love" which is familiar to all Led Zeppelin fans. Disc 3 brings into focus some material performed by the first generation of blue's stars including, Sonny Boy Williamson, Yank Rachell, Pinetop Perkins and Roosevelt Sykes. Disc 4 represents the sound of the blues post World War II with more of an electric, uptempo, beat. Overall, the recordings are excellently remastered and the set represents a really good overview of the historical development of the blues. Mainly for those interested in the history of the blues.

Can you believe the music is over 70 years old?!?!
I can't believe the recordings were remastered from over 70 years ago. The sound quality on this 4 disc set is great. There are so many songs on this that I had no idea weren't originals to the stars that made them famous, like "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me" (both familiar as Elvis tunes).

Really clever liner notes too; they're written after each track so you can literally follow along as you're listening to learn about the music. Cool gift idea for my Dad who's impossible to shop for! ... Read more

Album Description

40 CD box set. Artists include John Lee, 'Sonny Boy' Williamson, Leadbilly, Big Bill Broonzy, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Minnie, John Lee Hooker, Big Joe Williams and many more. 725 tracks all digitally remastered to enhance the original recordings without manipulating the character of the music. Recorded between 1923 & 1948. 20 double slimline jewel cases housed together in a cardboard box. Measures 8 x 6 x 5 inches approx. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Boxed Set of its kind?
10 STARS!!! It's like having a huge collection of vintage LPs from the early- to mid-20th century. 10 CDs with an average 17-18 songs per, with superb remastering. There are so many artists -- some big names and some not, but all choices on this set are notable. Lyrics go from the sublime to the hilarious: "I sent my woman a $20 bill ... If that don' bring her back, my shotgun prob'ly will" ... the masterful guitar, piano and voices are as remarkable today as they were then.

Awesome collection!!
Simply one of the best collections of early blues. ... Read more