"DEFINITIVE DETROIT BLUES"

For fans of post-war blues this is a real winner. Yes some of the tracks and performers will be familiar, but this set is crammed with so many great blues sides from the late 40's into the 1950's everyone will find many tracks worthwhile. The sound as usual in this series is very good overall, with only a few tracks exhibiting audible surface noise. And (again as always) there's no booklet, only a short essay on the era and a few of the artists. But the notes also refer to Joe Von Battle, a record shop owner who saw $ in all this music he heard around him everyday. Several of the artists in this set owe Battle a debt for championing their music early on. One thing I don't understand is the cover photo, which looks more appropriate for a collection of country blues than big city electric blues. But that's a minor quibble.

This set collects some great sides by Hooker, Big Maceo, Dr. Ross, Eddie Kirkland (including a duet with Hooker), and Baby Boy Warren among the well known performers. But it's the wealth of little/unknown blues artists that make this set worth having. Many (most) of these lesser known performers were really only known in and around the Detroit area. Playboy Fuller, Little Miss Sharecropper (real name LaVern Baker), Joe Weaver and his Blue Notes, Sylvester Cotton, One String Sam (check out the sound of his crude "guitar"), Calvin Frasier, and a few others all contribute some fine period sides. The styles of blues encompasses relatively crude country blues adapted (sort of) for the big city, to smoother styles just becoming popular, to straightforward tough electric blues. If any of these sets don't have their tracks listed on the Amazon page, go to Amazon UK and usually they're listed there, or some nice person has listed them under "comments".

This is yet another good collection of post-war blues. The music is so good you almost forget there's no booklet--which would help fans less familiar with many of these artists. But for such a low price and with good sound it's hard to argue to fervently about the lack of information. Besides, nowadays it's easy to find out about virtually any artist. This is a set that long time blues fans will like as well as newcomers. Hopefully when the European copyright laws change in 2014, closer to U.S. laws, all these great sets of out of copyright music will somehow survive. The European Not Now Music label has released many fine collections of music from long gone labels and artists. It would be a shame if these too disappeared. But if you're looking for some good early electric blues mixed with some honking, sax driven tunes, this is one you should check into. Did I mention the sound? And the price? Such a deal. (Stuart Jefferson, Blues World)

trax disc 1:

1. I Got Eyes For You - John Lee Hooker 2. Sweet Lucy (Drinkin' Woman) - Calvin Frazier 3. Where Did You Stay Last Night? - Eddie Guitar Burns 4. Thirty Two Twenty - Doctor Ross 5. Forgive Me Darling - Baby Boy Warren 6. Hello Miss Jessie - Eddie Guitar Burns 7. The Hucklebuck - Paul Williams 8. Mistreated Woman - Eddie Kirkland 9. Going Down The River - L.C. Green 10. Worried Life Blues No.2 - Big Maceo 11. It Hurts Me So - John Lee Hooker 12. Sugar Cane Highway - Playboy Fuller 13. Old Battle Ax - Robert Henry 14. Take Out Some Time - Little Miss Sharecropper 15. J.B. Boogie - Joe Weaver & His Blue Notes 16. Hastings Street Opera (Part 1) - Detroit Count 17. Ugly Woman Blues - Sylvester Cotton 18. Sweet Lucy - Andrew Dunham 19. When The Sun Is Shining - L.C. Green 20. My Baby Ooo - One String Sam 21. Sanafee - Baby Boy Warren 22. No More Doggin' - John Lee Hooker 23. Pet Milk Blues - Walter Mitchell 24. Root Hog - Robert Richard 25. Washboard Blues (Part 1) - Washboard Willie

trax disc 2:

1. Bad Lover Blues - Baby Boy Warren 2. No Shoes - Eddie Kirkland 3. Rock Me Mama - John Lee Hooker 4. Lookin' For My Woman - Joe Von Battle 5. Nothing But Love - Bobo Jenkins 6. Remember Way Back - L.C. Green 7. Industrial Boogie - Doctor Ross 8. The Rainy Day Blues - Sonny Wilson 9. It's Time For Lovin' To Be Done - Eddie Kirkland 10. I Need $100 - One String Sam 11. Alabama Bus - Brother Will Hairston 12. We're Gonna Rock - Wild Bill Moore 13. Good Rockin' Mama - Henry Smith 14. Prison Bound Blues - John Lee Hooker 15. Make It Good - Kitty Stephenson & Todd Rhodes 16. That's All Right - Eddie Kirkland 17. Lily Mae - Calvin Frazier 18. My Special Friend Blues - Baby Boy Warren 19. Something's Wrong With My Little Machine - Robert Henry 20. Mean Man Blues - Jon Brim 21. Stop Messin' Around - Walter Mitchell 22. Notoriety Woman - Slim Pickens 23. Baby Don't You Want To Go - Bobo Jenkins 24. I've Tried - Little Miss Sharecropper 25. Love Money Can't Buy - John Lee Hooker

trax disc 3:

1. Please Take Me Back - John Lee Hooker 2. Papa's Boogie - Eddie Guitar Burns 3. She's Double Crossing Woman - Calvin Frazier 4. Dark Night Blues - Johnny Howard 5. Somebody Put Bad Luck On Me - Baby Boy Warren 6. Red Hot Blues - T.J. Fowler 7. Gonna Play My Guitar - Playboy Fuller 8. Say Baby Say - T.J. Fowler & Alberta Adams 9. Hastings Street Opera (Part 2) - Detroit Count 10. Hattie Mae - Andrew Dunham 11. Dealing With The Devil - Eddie Guitar Burns 12. Highway 61 Blues - Sampson Pittman 13. Sak Relation Blues - Sylvester Cotton 14. Bumble Bee Blues - John Lee Hooker 15. Natural Man Blues - Johnny Howard 16. Nervy Woman Blues - Baby Boy Warren 17. Lonesome Blues - Henry Smith 18. Ramblin' Around Blues - Sam Kelly 19. Wig Wearing Woman - Robert Richard 20. Rock House - Calvin Frazier 21. Burnt Toast - Wild Bill Moore 22. Ten Below Zero - Bobo Jenkins 23. I'm In The Highway, Man - Calvin Frazier 24. Big City Blues - Big Maceo 25. I Do Like I Please - John Lee Hooker

...served by Gyro1966...