Anyone hear like blues?

I do remember a period when the word cool wasn't cool anymore, and then it was cool again. Alas, but not the dates I noticed those changes.

I'm one who instructed her boss - when he was telling a story to the gathered folks - that the word wasn't hip, it was hep.
Always behind the curve.

Speaking of early blues/rockers covered by the Beatles, one of my favorites is the (now) little-known Larry Williams, from New Orleans. They covered at least 3-4 of his tunes that I'm aware of, including this one, of course:

Yeah, like Muddy stole this one from Led Zep

Zep were the worst thieves in modern music. They eventually gave credit for the songs they stole, but only after getting caught red-handed so many times. What were they thinkin?

Here's a tune from the great slide guitarist in the Elmore James (his mentor) tradition, JB Hutto, Chicago blues great. JB was notoriously sloppy in his articulation and some never understood his lyrics. I can (usually) understand him, but I may have to hear it 3-4 times first. People didn't really care. His guitar and swag alone was enough to make him enormously popular at clubs.

CHALLENGE to those who care to take it up: What the hell is JB sayin in this tune? Hint: First line: "Took the house down to the paper....

I meant to comment on this earlier, Arg. Yeah, Clapton has an extensive knowledge of the blues and has (in his mature years) become very adept at recreating early blues. He did an entire album containing nothing but Robert Johnson songs.

I used to hate his so-called "blues," such as the popular version of Crossroads he made with Cream that sold so many copies at the time. But now I can't think of a more accomplished, nuanced, and skilled blues player/singer who is a white limey boy.

A recurring phrase in blues, but it usually makes me think of this tune by good ole Mississippi John Hurt. John could finger-pick with the best of them--Elizabeth Cotton/piedmont style.

Doncha let....
my good girl catch you here....
She might shoot ya....
cut ya clean half in two....
aint no tellin just what....
she might do.



The melody here is taken from an even older tune called "Make me a pallet on your floor." I'll post a version of that, by and by.

I listen to a lot of blues; at the moment it's the Mississippi hill country blues singers like Mississippi Fred McDowell and R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.

(McDowell singing You Gotta Move which was covered by the Rolling Stones).



I'm into the delta bluesmen too - love Mississippi John Hurt - his version of Stagger Lee is great.

In the UK we have Van Morrison of course - he covered two songs by Sonny Boy Williamson the 2nd - Help Me and Take Your Hands Out Of My Pocket.

Van Morrison! One of my all-time favorites! In my opinion, he's been vastly under-appreciated over the years.

From my home town of Newcastle we had Eric Burdon - once of The Animals - who sang House of the Rising Sun - he had a good blues/soul voice.

Another blast from my past.

Eric's still going - in his 70's now!

Good stuff, too!

Love this one ...

Good one, vonny. I already posted it, actually. But it's another example of what I said in connection with Hurt's "Aint no tellin." It contains one of many recurring uses of the phrase "up the country," or "goin up the country" in blues tunes.

I was referring to the Blind Willie tune when I posted this. I now see one by John Lee...let me check that one out.

I see it's Skip James, not John Lee Hooker, now. In that portrait, James looks a lot like John. I didn't look at the title--another classic tune, of course!

Oops - I've deleted it. Sorry about that. Hard to keep track. We like a lot of the same artists - I keep posting, then seeing you've beaten me to it!

Nice toon, vonny. One I haven't heard before. Gospel/spiritual music is the most direct forerunner of blues, and the two have a lot in common.

Only problem: One is the "devil's music," and one ain't.

Here Ledbelly uses gospel numbers to illustrate the changes in tempo which took place since the time of slavery:

Don't forget some of the great blues artists that were women, Big Momma Thorton is the first one who comes to mind. Hound Dog was released in 1952 but only reached a large audience when Elvis then (shamefully) Pat Boone released their covers. She wrote Ball and Chain and it didn't become a well known song until Janis Joplin sang it at Monterey. Thorton also sang with the Muddy Waters band.