605633136623
605633136647

The Rough Guide To Blind Willie Mctell

Blind Willie McTell

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Format: CD

Cat No: RGNET1366CD

Release Date:  20 April 2018

Label:  World Music Network

Packaging Type:  Digipak

No of Units:  1

Barcode:  605633136623

Genres:  Blues  Country-Blues  

Release Date:  26 October 2018

Label:  World Music Network

Packaging Type:  Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)

No of Units:  1

Barcode:  605633136647

Genres:  Blues  Country-Blues  

  • Description

    Blind Willie McTell was blessed with an exquisite voice and sublime talent for the twelve-string guitar. This collection highlights his diverse repertoire of songs ranging from ragtime and hokum to traditional blues and gospel.

    Includes classics such as 'Southern Can Is Mine', 'Statesboro Blues', 'Georgia Rag' and 'Broke Down Engine Blues' 'Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell' sang Bob Dylan in his 1983 heartfelt dedication to the Atlanta bluesman.

    Blind Willie McTell was the King of Georgia Blues who channelled the musical mosaic of the nation Classic tracks characterized by the incredible interplay between his warm, smooth voice and fluid guitar technique. A collection of tracks which lays bare both the personality and musical brilliance of this most remarkable of pre-war blues artists. An inspiration to countless guitarists, with his incredibly original guitar arrangements. McTell is forever immortalized in these classic country blues recordings. Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.

    Description

    'Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell' sang Bob Dylan in his 1983 heartfelt dedication to the Atlanta bluesman. This is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest of the early blues pioneers, who was blessed with an exquisite voice and a sublime talent for the twelve-string guitar. Born in Georgia in 1901, McTell was something of an anomaly in that he exploded every archetype about what a blues musician should be. He was no Robert Johnsonesque devil-dealing womaniser and didn't lose his sight in a jook joint brawl, but was a resourceful and articulate man with a razor-sharp wit and religious mind who became an adept professional musician. Blind from birth or early infancy, he never behaved as if blindness handicapped him, as he travelled widely and recorded more than 120 titles throughout his career. His voice was soft, clear and expressive and his musical tastes were influenced by blues, ragtime, gospel, hillbilly and popular music of the day. At a time when most blues musicians were poorly educated and rarely travelled, McTell was an exception. Willie learned to play the guitar from his mother and despite his lack of sight ran away in his teens to play in touring carnivals and medicine shows. He later returned home and was sent to blind schools in New York and Macon, Georgia where he learned to read both text and music braille. By the mid-1920s McTell was already an accomplished musician in Atlanta, playing at house parties and fish fries. He had also traded in his standard six-string acoustic guitar for a twelve-string guitar, which was popular among Atlanta musicians because of the extra volume it provided for playing on city streets. McTell's early recording sessions produced such classics as 'Southern Can Is Mine', 'Statesboro Blues', 'Georgia Rag', 'Broke Down Engine Blues' and 'Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day', all of which are characterized by the incredible interplay between his warm, smooth voice and fluid guitar technique. With a voice charged with extraordinary sensitivity he's able to convey a variety of moods from deep pathos to broad humour, as he draws us into his world of corn whiskey, teasing browns, passenger trains and stomp down riders. Unlike the mechanical delivery of many early country blues artists, McTell was able to give each of his blues songs and rags a distinctive flavour, and in true songster fashion could draw on a massive repertoire of material. Although he never produced a major hit record, he had a prolific recording career with different labels and under different names such as Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill and Hot Shot Willie. In 1934 McTell married Ruth Kate Williams, with whom he recorded some duets including the gospel inspired 'God Don't Like It' which warns about hypocritical preachers. He also teamed up with other blues artists including fellow East Coast guitarist Curley Weaver, who accompanies him on the lively 'Warm It Up To Me'. Unfortunately, McTell died in obscurity in 1959, just before the folk-blues revival got underway, when many other original bluesmen were rediscovered. Although his song 'Statesboro Blues' was exposed to millions via cover versions by Taj Mahal and the Allman Brothers band, one can only imagine the impact that he would have had on the new generation of young white audiences had he survived. Luckily, we are blessed by a recorded legacy which lays bare both the personality and musical brilliance of this most remarkable of pre-war blues artists. Blind Willie McTell was more than just the King of Georgia Blues, he channelled the musical mosaic of the nation.

  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Southern Can Is Mine
      • 2. Broke Down Engine Blues
      • 3. God Don't Like It
      • 4. Stomp Down Rider
      • 5. Love Changing Blues
      • 6. Georgia Rag
      • 7. Statesboro Blues
      • 8. Come On Around To My House Mama
      • 9. Searching The Desert For The Blues
      • 10. Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo’ Day
      • 11. Travelin' Blues
      • 12. It's Your Time To Worry
      • 13. Hillbilly Willie's Blues
      • 14. Mama, Let Me Scoop For You
      • 15. Scarey Day Blues
      • 16. Atlanta Strut
      • 17. Lord, Send Me An Angel
      • 18. Three Women Blues
      • 19. It's A Good Little Thing
      • 20. Lay Some Flowers On My Grave
      • 21. Razor Ball
      • 22. Drive Away Blues
      • 23. Warm It Up To Me
      • 24. Talking To Myself
      • 25. Dark Night Blues

    Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Southern Can Is Mine
      • 2. Broke Down Engine Blues
      • 3. Stomp Down Rider
      • 4. Love Changing Blues
      • 5. Travelin' Blues
      • 6. Lay Some Flowers On My Grave

      Side 2

      • 7. Statesboro Blues
      • 8. Georgia Rag
      • 9. Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day
      • 10. Atlanta Strut
      • 11. Lord, Send Me An Angel
      • 12. Warm It Up To Me
      • 13. God Don't Like It