| It’s interesting to see how two reissues can approach the same subject from very different angles. Take two new blues compilations: Smithsonian Folkways’ Classic Blues Volume 2 and Putumayo’s American Blues. Both albums aim to provide listeners with an informative introduction to the genre and both showcase a wide range of American blues artists. Both even feature a significant number of female artists, which is rare when one is focusing on a traditionally male-driven style of music. But don’t think that these collections are interchangeable – far from it.
The 22 cuts on Classic Blues are all sparsely arranged and channel the spirit of the acoustic blues, whether it comes from the Mississippi Delta, New York City or southern Michigan. Half a century of music is collected on this disc, from a recording Alan Lomax made of Son House performing "I Ain’t Gonna Cry No More (Depot Blues)" in 1942 to a 1994 concert recording of Warner Williams’s "Step It Up and Go." Musicians who’ve gained fame in other musical genres are also showcased (check out alt-country diva Lucinda Williams’s version of "Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor") and lesser-known artists like Barrelhouse Buck are treated with the same respect as famous performers like Lightnin’ Hopkins. The liner notes are extensive, both in their discussion of individual artists and in their explanation of the development of the genre.
American Blues, on the other hand, leans more towards Chicago-style blues – most of the 14 tracks feature both more players and more electrified guitar than those on Classic Blues, although Keb Mo’ and Eric Bibb both contribute fine acoustic tracks. The tracks are also, in general, more recent (Taj Mahal’s "Cakewalk Into Town," recorded in 1972, is the oldest here), and younger artists like Susan Tedeschi and Chris Thomas King take their places alongside legends like Otis Rush and B.B. King. The liner notes in American Blues aren’t as extensive as those in Classic Blues, but they do provide photos of the artists, which the Smithsonian Folkways release doesn’t. Pick up both releases to get a solid handle on the past, present and future of the blues.
On a rockier note, if you were a fan of the Memphis-based pop-rock quartet known as Big Star back in the ’70s, you’ll likely appreciate the extensive liner notes included with Rykodisc’s Big Star Story (which includes a family tree documenting the band’s evolution), as well as the previously unreleased track "Hot Thing," which frontman Alex Chilton penned with the 1993 incarnation of the group (to which Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies lent their talents). But the teenage-love-in-the-back-of-dad’s-car lyrics and stoner harmonies of songs like "September Gurls" and "I Am The Cosmos" just don’t pack as much punch now as they did back then. Don’t be fooled by the raucous version of "In The Street" that That ’70s Show uses as its theme song – Big Star Story is really much closer to bedtime reading.
And speaking of bedtime reading....
Please don’t leave your children alone with American Juniors: Kids In America (Jive/Zomba). I’m including this here because there’s a darn good chance that if you have an aspiring Britney or Justin in your house, they taped all the episodes of American Idol Lite and have watched them roughly 167 times already. So you don’t need this album. You don’t need to hear a pre-pubescent girl sing "I’ll Never Fall In Love Again." Or a boy who’s still five years away from having his voice crack asking you to "Build Me Up Buttercup." The only thing you might need this disc for is to remember how much we didn’t need the Mini*Pops the first time around. Or possibly as a coaster. |
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