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Bought some old blues albums the weekend, a bit of Son House and Muddy Waters, always have liked the early Delta stuff since I was a lad as I am a big Stones fan and like to listen to their influences, favourites of mine are Leadbelly, Howling Wolf and Robert Johnson. I know it's cliched but I like the "woke up this morning" and "Gonna write me a letter " type stuff.
Anyone got any tracks and artists to recommend, I know the names of most of the guys obviosuly but dont want to get into downloading an album to hear one or two tracks that I may like.
For all the youngsters old stuff to me doesnt mean Clapton and Rory Gallagher
What do the Americans think of the Blues these days, I know they went through a period where basically the white audience had to be introduced via The Stones, Animals etc, and then the Black audience went away from it due to the imagery.
Please forgive my respectful preliminary reply that there is no such thing as "the Americans." There are ever-increasing cultures and sub-cultures with different attitudes about everything.
I reject the notion that "basically the white audience had to be introduced via The Stones, Animals, etc. . . ." I'm white and 77 years old, and I listened to great blues singers on my grandmother's wind-up 78 rpm Victrola from before I had memory.
To be candid, I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought that The Stones, Animals, etc., introduced the blues to "the white audience." Their music was, at best a poor cheap imitation of the blues, and some "Americans" didn't even recognize it as "the blues." Sorry.
I also reject the notion that "the Black audience went away from it due to the imagery." Almost exclusively, the imagery was pure "Black," and still is. As are the blues artists. By the way, the imagery in today's Black blues music is a toned-down imagery, and has been trending that way since music was first recorded.
There is also the strong likelihood that some off-colour, double entendre passages will be included. In Black blues, these are often not recognized by White listeners, as not in their vocabulary. Having served in the military in the 1950s with Black guys, when the Blues were part of the fabric, I had a priceless introduction to the genre.
As a more specific answer to your initial question, if anything, the effect and popularity of the blues has steadily increased in The States, with artists like Jimmy Rogers bringing it to white people on old 78s and on the radio for over 70 years, with a slightly "country" flavour. The introduction of the radio and the Victrola was absolutely central to the increasingly rapid spread of every kind of music in The States.
The hardest hard core Black blues are also popular with many Whites today.
Listen to this Jimmy Rogers "Blue Yodel #3" from 1928. The lyrics in a true blues song are based on a four-line stanza, all rhyming [with very few exceptions], the first two lines identical and setting the theme of the stanza, and the third and fourth stating the theme.
Jimmy Rodgers added his signature "blue yodel," not a part of anyone else's blues.
"The lyrics in a true blues song are based on a four-line stanza, all rhyming [with very few exceptions], the first two lines identical and setting the theme of the stanza, and the third and fourth stating the theme."
Spot on, Dav. It's the process of iteration that gives The Blues its standard form. All sorts of frills have been added around the periphery but the form remains constant ( to paraphrase Plato.) It was that way when Charlie Patton was sitting on his porch on The Dockery Plantation in Mississippi, it's still that way for the kids with the flying fingers in Austin Texas now.
[Post edited 5 Mar 2014 18:21]
An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it.
Please forgive my respectful preliminary reply that there is no such thing as "the Americans." There are ever-increasing cultures and sub-cultures with different attitudes about everything.
I reject the notion that "basically the white audience had to be introduced via The Stones, Animals, etc. . . ." I'm white and 77 years old, and I listened to great blues singers on my grandmother's wind-up 78 rpm Victrola from before I had memory.
To be candid, I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought that The Stones, Animals, etc., introduced the blues to "the white audience." Their music was, at best a poor cheap imitation of the blues, and some "Americans" didn't even recognize it as "the blues." Sorry.
I also reject the notion that "the Black audience went away from it due to the imagery." Almost exclusively, the imagery was pure "Black," and still is. As are the blues artists. By the way, the imagery in today's Black blues music is a toned-down imagery, and has been trending that way since music was first recorded.
There is also the strong likelihood that some off-colour, double entendre passages will be included. In Black blues, these are often not recognized by White listeners, as not in their vocabulary. Having served in the military in the 1950s with Black guys, when the Blues were part of the fabric, I had a priceless introduction to the genre.
As a more specific answer to your initial question, if anything, the effect and popularity of the blues has steadily increased in The States, with artists like Jimmy Rogers bringing it to white people on old 78s and on the radio for over 70 years, with a slightly "country" flavour. The introduction of the radio and the Victrola was absolutely central to the increasingly rapid spread of every kind of music in The States.
The hardest hard core Black blues are also popular with many Whites today.
Listen to this Jimmy Rogers "Blue Yodel #3" from 1928. The lyrics in a true blues song are based on a four-line stanza, all rhyming [with very few exceptions], the first two lines identical and setting the theme of the stanza, and the third and fourth stating the theme.
Jimmy Rodgers added his signature "blue yodel," not a part of anyone else's blues.
Oh ok, no offence meant! Just basing my comment on what is widely reported even by respectEd blues aficionados. Just interested, trying to be friendly.
As a Blues mad 62 year old have really enjoyed reading through all this. Will listen to all the songs when I have a spare hour or 2! As a newcomer to the area are there any blues clubs down this way? Used to live near Bristol and in the past year or so saw Jack Bruce, Jeff Beck, Black Keys and Steve Winwood and really miss seeing good live music.
Oh ok, no offence meant! Just basing my comment on what is widely reported even by respectEd blues aficionados. Just interested, trying to be friendly.
Thanks for the lecture.
[Post edited 5 Mar 2014 20:08]
I'm sorry that you were not happy with my response to your question.
I had no intention to "lecture," but only to give a respectful and relatively complete answer to your question.
I'm sorry that you were not happy with my response to your question.
I had no intention to "lecture," but only to give a respectful and relatively complete answer to your question.
I was not offended by your post.
Thats OK, my misreading, thats why texts are so bad, people (like me sorry) can read them in a different way to that, in which they were written and intended. Apologies.
I was going on some of the great Blues guys like Muddy and Wolf who were grateful to the Stones especially for resurrecting their careers. I rememeber the clip of The Wolf on Shindig (or similar) where the Stones sat at his feet, they took incredible hassle for having insisted this big Black Bear of a man appeared as their special guest on TV at the time, the producers just didnt want it, but they stuck to their guns.
I think the Stones get a bit of shite for this blues link, but they never ever claim to be better, they admitted they were singing Blues (only real blues numberv 1 in UK with Rooster Blues) and that it wasnt as good as the originals, and for white kids to go and dig out their own heritage (OK some were turned on but many werent). To this day Keith says Robert Johnson is good as it will get, thats why they rocked it up in a different manner.
As a Blues mad 62 year old have really enjoyed reading through all this. Will listen to all the songs when I have a spare hour or 2! As a newcomer to the area are there any blues clubs down this way? Used to live near Bristol and in the past year or so saw Jack Bruce, Jeff Beck, Black Keys and Steve Winwood and really miss seeing good live music.
There is a good band scene, in Neath on a Friday and especially a Sunday.Workies, Cross Keys, Big Cam (The Zoo), Merlins, Legion.
Used to be a Blues club in Swansea but not sure now.
Thats OK, my misreading, thats why texts are so bad, people (like me sorry) can read them in a different way to that, in which they were written and intended. Apologies.
I was going on some of the great Blues guys like Muddy and Wolf who were grateful to the Stones especially for resurrecting their careers. I rememeber the clip of The Wolf on Shindig (or similar) where the Stones sat at his feet, they took incredible hassle for having insisted this big Black Bear of a man appeared as their special guest on TV at the time, the producers just didnt want it, but they stuck to their guns.
I think the Stones get a bit of shite for this blues link, but they never ever claim to be better, they admitted they were singing Blues (only real blues numberv 1 in UK with Rooster Blues) and that it wasnt as good as the originals, and for white kids to go and dig out their own heritage (OK some were turned on but many werent). To this day Keith says Robert Johnson is good as it will get, thats why they rocked it up in a different manner.
Give them their due - they respected their roots and treated their heroes with due reverence. Keith's biography is well worth a read - a very decent bloke ( and a f*cking great guitarist).
Cream insisted that Skip James' widow was tracked down and paid life-changing royalties for I'm So Glad. Class.
Compare with Led Zep who ripped off countless bluesmen by claiming authorship. C*nts.
Give them their due - they respected their roots and treated their heroes with due reverence. Keith's biography is well worth a read - a very decent bloke ( and a f*cking great guitarist).
Cream insisted that Skip James' widow was tracked down and paid life-changing royalties for I'm So Glad. Class.
Compare with Led Zep who ripped off countless bluesmen by claiming authorship. C*nts.
Spot on.
Mick and Keith even paid for Hubert Sumlin's funeral, just a little bit of payback.
Give them their due - they respected their roots and treated their heroes with due reverence. Keith's biography is well worth a read - a very decent bloke ( and a f*cking great guitarist).
Cream insisted that Skip James' widow was tracked down and paid life-changing royalties for I'm So Glad. Class.
Compare with Led Zep who ripped off countless bluesmen by claiming authorship. C*nts.
You don't like Led Zep then C*ntpipe?
F*ck me you should have said mun.
The first ever recipient of a Planet Swans Lifetime Achievement Award.
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