The blues thread

[pancakespancakes]

What songs by the white stripes are "bluesy?"

I don't really listen to the stripes but I haven't heard the blues in the songs I've heard.

About 50% of their first 2 albums are. And the same for Elephant, their 4th album.

"Ball & Biscuit" is the classic bluesy Stripes track. If I had to throw out a few more reccomendations, their cover of Son House's "Death Letter" is pretty legendary, "When I Hear My Name" is epic, and "Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine" and "Let's Build a Home" are more upbeat, punky blues songs that are really fun.

[summerkid]

damn you tom for starting this thread i need to run errands today and now i'm stuck youtubing videos of charlie patton, skip james, son house and lightning hopkins etc

[summerkid]

About 50% of their first 2 albums are. And the same for Elephant, their 4th album.

"Ball & Biscuit" is the classic bluesy Stripes track. If I had to throw out a few more reccomendations, their cover of Son House's "Death Letter" is pretty legendary, "When I Hear My Name" is epic, and "Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine" and "Let's Build a Home" are more upbeat, punky blues songs that are really fun.

haha pancakes we think too similarly i just posted a video of the stripes covering death letter live.

[pancakespancakes]

I think everyone here should look up Charlie Patton's wikipedia page. And read.

One of the most important founding fathers of 20th Century American Music. His music in itself is good... but his story is more important, and wikipedia will tell you all you need to know

[JustSteve]

how 'bout a little Lead Belly?

[sydaud]

John Lee Hooker and Elmore James are my two favorite blues artists. "It Hurts Me Too" by James is probably my favorite blues song of all time.

[Geno_g]

how 'bout a little Lead Belly?

Mr. Nipples already said it...

[sydaud]

Oh, and the original Fleetwood Mac. Good god, Peter Green could flat out play. For those not in the know, find Then Play On, English Rose or Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

Before they were your mom's favorite band, Fleetwood Mac were a guitar god factory (Peter Green, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer) and their take on Chicago blues was pretty damn awesome. Spencer, in particular, had his Elmore James pose down cold. But Green was the greatest of the three and I highly, highly recommend any of the three albums listed above.

[BROKENDOLL]

I start a thread about Muddy Waters and BD responds with the Doobie Brothers.

TomAz starts a thread about Muddy Waters and now I'm up Shit Creek is more like it.

[greghead]

How has nobody mentioned Jimmy Reed yet? His impact is bigger than can be related in a single post. Monumental.

My top 5 are

1. Elmore James
2. Howlin Wolf
3. Jimmy Reed
4. Robert Johnson (for sake of impact, if not for amazing technical ability)
5. Duane Allman

Honorable Mention:
Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Bessie Smith, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Willie Dixon, Hendrix, and Clapton 1964-1971

[greghead]

[QUOTE=sydaud;1086882]John Lee Hooker and Elmore James are my two favorite blues artists. "It Hurts Me Too" by James is probably my favorite blues song of all time.

Agreed, this song is definitely in my top 5 blues tracks

[disgustipated]

How did this thread get to 40 posts without any mention of Slim Harpo?

[greghead]

^yes, excellent call

[TomAz]

I can't hear 'I'm a King Bee' without thinking of John Belushi.

[TomAz]

TomAz starts a thread about Muddy Waters and now I'm up Shit Creek is more like it.

this is not the Tom Waits thread.

[mountmccabe]

Mississippi John Hurt.

One of my favorites.

damn you tom for starting this thread i need to run errands today and now i'm stuck youtubing videos of charlie patton, skip james, son house and lightning hopkins etc

Oh, wow, I quoted these whilst reading the thread and didn't even realize you wrote both of these. Charlie Patton, Skip James (I listened to him today because of this thread) and Son House would all be on my short list.

I don't really know much or much about Lightning Hopkins, though.

[mountmccabe]

More on the White Stripes:

"Canon" by the White Stripes is another Son House cover/reworking; a version of "John the Revelator."

"Stop Breaking Down" off that self-titled is a Robert Johnson cover.

They run their music funny, though, and one of the boundaries they set for themselves for White Blood Cells was no blues. They mostly followed through but, as noted above, they went back to the blues for Elephant.

[greghead]

Lightnin' Hopkins was an interesting case. He began his recording career playing electric (Lightnin' and the Blues is a fantastic album), but turned to acoustic/folk blues during the folk revival of the late 50s/early 60s. Great guitarist with incredible phrasing. Once you get to know his music a bit you'll see that his licks are instantly recognizable, whether he's playing electric or acoustic. You should defintely do some research if you put Patton, James, and House on your short list.

[mountmccabe]

John Lee Hooker and Elmore James are my two favorite blues artists. "It Hurts Me Too" by James is probably my favorite blues song of all time.

Elmore James was fantastic.

[mountmccabe]

Lightnin' Hopkins was an interesting case. He began his recording career playing electric (Lightnin' and the Blues is a fantastic album), but turned to acoustic/folk blues during the folk revival of the late 50s/early 60s. Great guitarist with incredible phrasing. Once you get to know his music a bit you'll see that his licks are instantly recognizable, whether he's playing electric or acoustic. You should defintely do some research if you put Patton, James, and House on your short list.

Cool; I will have to check his music out. Thanks.

[Geno_g]

Chuck Berry is 12 bar blues...

[chairmenmeow47]

hi blues folk

so i'd like to download more blues staples, but i'm not sure where to begin aside from compilation albums. i've always loved the blues. every sunday i listen to the low down blues on NPR (local phx show). i love most everything i hear, but don't always remember the artists. i know the big names, b.b. king, taj mahal, ray charles, etta james, nina simone, otis redding, johnny otis, etc. but who else should i be looking for? i'll definitely scour the prior posts in this thread.

also, i'm looking for older stuff, standards, and i hate jazz if that helps.

[bmack86]

When you like blues stuff, what's the instrumentation like? Do you tend to prefer electric stuff, acoustic, male, female, shouty vocals, more subdued, story songs, laments about your woman doin' you wrong (well, nevermind, that's all of them.)?

There's tons of different styles of blues, and know what you've enjoyed can help us point you in some fruitful directions.

That said, start by tracking down some Robert Johnson. Blues 101.

[chairmenmeow47]

i don't really have a preference. i generally like stuff that is soulful and doesn't include too many over-the-top-later-bb-king-type-guitar-solos. i love horns. hate the sax. thanks, i'll start with robert johnson

[bmack86]

That's helpful.

Howlin' Wolf - Moanin' in the Moonlight is one of my favorite electric blues albums. It's full of great singing and awesome one-string guitar riffs without getting into that pointlessly flashy guitar soloing. I tend to lean away from flashy solos as well.

And Son House is a god.

[chairmenmeow47]

thanks for the specific album reference. i have a few howlin' wolf tracks i love.

[bmack86]

For many of these older musicians, there won't be specific albums to check out as they were singles artists. That said, for Robert Johnson you should check out King of the Delta Blues, the 60s compilation that is the gold standard for his work. For Son House, Father of Folk Blues is my favorite release. Both of the aforementioned compile some of these musicians best sides in really good audio quality.

[buddy]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, although maybe more gospel, is worth checking out just because you don't hear many women or men playing with as much damn passion, and soul then or now as she did.

[jeffp1717]

Mississippi John Hurt.

Just because that video went down and no blues thread should go without some Mississippi John Hurt. His playing is so fluid and uninhibited; Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings is one of the most incredible, raw collections of music I've ever heard.

[roboticwaltz]

There is a serious lack of Stevie Ray Vaughan in this thread.