JOHNNY FULLER "West Coast R&B and Blues Legend" Vol. 1

First of two albums presenting pretty much the complete 50s and 60s recordings of this superb, Mississippi born, West Coast bluesman. This first set features his earlier sides from 1954 and '55 and features some of the funkiest most low down blues you are likely to hear anywhere. Johnny's voice is deep, dark and mournful and his guitar playing is truly dark and dirty and these early songs are often based around traditional themes. The tempo is mostly slow and Johnny is accompanied by a solid rhythm section and a number of the tracks feature fine harmonica work by Walter Robertson. Among the songs is a terrific version of West Coast standard Tin Pan Alley called Roughest Place In Town which features some of Johnny's finest guitar work and some lovely piano from George Hurst. Johnny gradually moved away from these more down home stylings towards the urban style espoused by Charles Brown and company and a few tracks feature Johnny doing some crooning on songs like Johnny Ace's Last Letter and Cruel, Cruel World. They are still very worthwhile though. (FS) (Down Home Music)

trax:
01 Prowling Blues 02 Hard Times 03 It's Your Life 04 Buddy 05 Back Home 06 Johnny's Lowdown Blues 07 Train Train Blues 08 Black Cat 09 Mean Old World 10 How Long 11 Roughest Place In Town 12 Comin' Round The Corner 13 Too Late To Change 14 Mama Told Me 15 I Can't Succeed 16 Sunny Road 17 Johnny Ace's Last Letter 18 Fool's Paradise 19 My Heart Beats For You 20 Cruel, Cruel World 21 These Young Girls 22 I Walk All Night
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