The Complete Library of Congress Sessions, 1941-1942

The Real Blues--Raw and Dirty (52 of 53 Found this Helpful)   May 2, 2002
This collection is essential to any blues collection...you cannot truly appreciate the blues until you've heard these recordings.

Son House is my favorite blues performer. No one--not even his proteges Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters--could match him when it came to the raw emotion. Sure, Robert inspired later blues-rock giants like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Stevie Ray Vaughn (to name a few...) and Muddy revolutionized the blues by 'inventing' electricity. But this collection, when coupled with the album "The Complete Recorded Works of Son House & the Great Delta Blues Singers" (ASIN: B000000J26--recorded in 1930; another essential disc), offers the listener a true glimpse into history.

The first few tracks include House singing and playing guitar with his band: Willie Brown (who has since attained legendary status as his name is mentioned in Robert Johnson's lyrics; he was also was the central character in the 1986 movie "Crossroads") on harmonica, and Fiddlin' Joe Martin on mandolin. These songs are amazing. The only word I can use to describe House's slide guitar technique is FEROCIOUS. His mixture of slams and slaps, when combined with the shouts, moans, and grunts of his vocals, is nothing short of frightening. "Walking Blues"--which, of course, was a hit for both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters but was written by House--is one particular standout. It is nearly seven minutes long (House is famous for his "epic" performances...in concert, his songs were known to exceed twenty minutes), a relentless barrage of blues. "Levee Camp Moan" is another strong point. The rhythms and shouts are incomparable.

Perhaps the best analogy is "a frontal assault on the soul".

The remaining songs are House's solo efforts, although the striking force has not deminished at all. In fact, they may be even more powerful--it's hard to believe that only ONE guy is singing...!

When House was rediscovered during the '60s blues revival, he recorded his first and only studio album in 1965 ("Father of the Delta Blues"--ASIN: B000002877) for the Columbia label. Most who have heard of Son House know him based on these recordings alone. There is no arguement that this is a magnificent album--the emotional quality has only increased with is age. But while the sound quality is definitely better than these early field recordings (mono recordings into a single microphone in the stockyard of a train depot--you can even hear railway sounds in the background!!), House's old age hindered the ferocity of his slide guitar playing, forcing his tempo to slow down. If you want to hear the true capabilities of the man who I think is the greatest bluesman who ever lived, you must listen to these Library of Congress recordings (and then check out "...and the Great Delta Blues Singers").

Essential (13 of 13 Found this Helpful)   January 16, 2005
These 1941-1942 recordings are the only ones ever made of Eddie "Son" House playing with a band, and this 19-track disc collects all 15 songs originally issued on Biograph's "Delta Blues" album and adds four more tracks, none of which are sung by House ("Fo' Clock Blues", "Camp Hollers", an incomplete "Special Rider Blues", and the instrumental "Key Of Minor").

Folklorist Alan Lomax came to Mississippi in late August 1941, bringing with him a 300-pound "portable" disc-cutting machine, and cut five acetate masters - the first four tracks on this album plus "Delta Blues".
Now, these cuts may not quite match the power of House's ferocious 1930 Paramount recordings, but barely anything does, and these are tremendous recordings in their own right.
Perhaps the chatter of the other three musicians on the first three tracks, and the sound of a mandolin being picked dulls the raw intensity of Son House's music a little, but you can still hear why Muddy Waters was so much in awe of Son House, stating that "back where I came from, down in the Delta, Son House was the king!"

The 1941 recordings were cut in the back room of Clack's country store in Robinsonville by Lake Cormorant in Mississippi, with guitarist Willie Brown (another former playing partner of Charley Patton), "Fiddlin'" Joe Martin - who actually played the mandolin - and harpist Leroy Williams. At one point, you can actually hear a train passing by outside.

The remaining numbers (which include a longer version of "The Jinx Blues") were cut the following summer, and on these tracks, House performs alone. This is where the power and intensity of House truly shines through, showcasing what an effective guitar player he really was. Son House may not have been Charlie Christian, but his loud, grinding, strongly rhytmic playing, filled with wailing slide riffs, was the perfect background for his huge voice and emotionally charged singing.

Among the highlights of this collection are "Delta Blues", superbly performed with only Leroy Williams backing House up, "Low Down Dirty Dog Blues" and "Depot Blues", which features some of the most impressive guitar playing House ever comitted to tape, "Walking Blues" (especially the 1941 version), and "The Jinx Blues", set to an effective shuffle beat. Just listen to the way House snaps his bass string against the fretboard!
This collection is one of the all-time great documents on early Delta blues. The sound is as good as can be expected, and this is a worthy testament to one of the most important figures in modern popular music.

Son House -- Library of Congress sessions (19 of 21 Found this Helpful)   April 11, 2000
Son House has, arguably, the best blues voice, ever. (His rivals are his pupil, Robert Johnson, and BB King). This is his best album, ever. Great voice, great words, great guitar, and (on one cut) a train in the background. Recorded sound quality is adequate -- better than most for the period. This is one of the five or ten indispensible blues recordings of the twentieth century--Changed how I thought about music.

- Blues ain't nothin'but a lowsown shakin' chill, - If you ain't had them, I hope you never will.

Son House, King of the Delta (13 of 16 Found this Helpful)   September 13, 2002
Son House is the most important and influential Delta Bluesman to ever live he was a major influence to Muddy Waters & Robert Johnson and every one else including me. Buy this C.D. it is very essential stuff this is hardcore Delta Blues there are some trks with Son House in a band setting with Willie Brown and others (perfect example of what a DeltaBlues jam session probally sounded like). These are field recordings and I mean they were actually recorded outside on trk.4 "Shetland Pony Blues" you actually hear a steam locomotive (train) go buy in the background. If your a aspiring blues guitar player get this if your a fan of the Blues your C.D. collection is seriously lacking if this is not part of it. also get "Masters of the Delta Blues, The Friends of Charlie Patton" all of Son Houses earliest recorings are on there (1930) with some other Delta Blues Legends

Out Of Time (3 of 3 Found this Helpful)   January 30, 2009
I'm a young newcomer in the classic country-blues and I've made my homeworks. I've bought this record based on it's notoriety and was really pleased with my discovery. The raw authenticity of this collection of songs is stunning. They are even better as they are precious. They are remains of a wonderful period in music, and so little is known about some of those fantastic musicians.

Son House has a strong and expressive voice that really appeals to me even if I was born in a complete different time. The only thing I can tell to someone who has prejudice with the sound quality or the age of these songs is that an emotion so intense is out of time. It however feels somewhat unfair that some of today's artists are allowed to record with high quality equipment and that these true and intense men could never take advantage of it.

I'd have a question if somebody knows the matter better, how come he could record songs over 6 minutes long? I read somewhere that records were limited to about 3 minutes.