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Rating: Once upon a time, there was the Delta blues, folk guitars sketching a weary and swampy atmosphere, the toil of African Americans bent over cotton fields, the troubled parties in juke joints...and once upon a time, there were crossroads too, where - if you were a street musician - you could even make a deal with the devil.
The banks of the Mississippi, the world of Son House, which perhaps follows the popularity of Robert Johnson, even though House remains the author of what is today considered the most candid and sober manifesto of delta blues: Death Letter.
Yes, sure, Johnson had his Sweet Home Chicago, which even the walls know today thanks to a very famous adaptation by The Blues Brothers, and also thanks to a lesser-known version by the equally famous white bluesman Eric Clapton...oh, if you look around, there are plenty, eh? The Spoonful Blues by the acrobat Charley Patton comes to mind (acrobat because he played with the guitar on his neck, thirty years before Hendrix did it). Or, let's see... again...ah! Devil Got My Woman by Skip James! a sharp, exhausted, and dark lament of the swamp blues.
The aforementioned artists were among those who managed to capture the blues in its raw form. Then there were those who had other influences as well, like the folk blues of Leadbelly or John Hurt. A separate discussion for Big Bill Broonzy, who from the twenties to the thirties played country blues, then in the forties, moved to electric instruments, effectively becoming one of the patriarchs of Chicago blues.
Speaking of the Chicago scene: the urban blues that buries the rural blues...a piece of history that dies, new names on the scene: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson...all grown near the Mississippi - Williamson even played back in the delta times, although he was only born discographically in 1959. The result? The old musicians in early retirement. Our House, for example, was hired as a laborer in New York, in 1943.
This album was born in 1965, during the folk revival period. It might have been thanks to Dylan, to Joan Benz, who knows...but the fact is many old-school musicians were called up, to once again take up the dear old folk guitar, including Son House, who in this The Original Delta Blues, offers us a sound fresco of his old material, edited and recorded with more modern means.
Indeed, it's a pleasure to hear an older Son House reinterpret the aforementioned Death Letter, Pearline, or the picturesque John the Revelator, inspired by a late 19th-century work chant, here in a form as genuine as can be: not even a strum on the guitar strings; just voice and hand claps! There are also the railroad dramas of Empire State Express, or unexpectedly, an excellent arrangement of mouth harmonica in Leeve Camp Moan... and while listening, you wonder how many times House must have performed it with Willie Brown...
One important thing: being a recording from the sixties, there isn't the classic and damnably perpetual crackle reproduced, not only by the original tapes but also by the old 78 records, when basically you had to spend the whole day next to the gramophone, turning the record that only had one track per side. Let's put it this way: the songs are always the same, so if you like absolute genuineness, listen to the recordings from the thirties, otherwise listen to this one, it's fine.
A man, a guitar, a music tormented and spirited. Tons of craft and gallons of sweat...take it or leave it!
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Empire State Express (03:41)
I went down to the station
I leaned up against the door
I said I went down to the station
I leaned up against the door
I know the Empire State
Everytime I hear her blow
I asked the depot agent
Let me ride, let me ride, ride the blinds
I asked the depot agent
Let me ride the blinds
He said I wouldn’t mind it son
But this here Empire State ain’t mine
That Empire State
She runs on Eastern, runs on Eastern, Eastern Time
I said that Empire State
She runs on Eastern Time
She’s the rollingest baby
In the New York Central Line
She’s got a mean old fireman
And a lowdown engine, lowdown engine, engineer
She’s got a mean old fireman
And a lowdown engineer
She’s taken my baby away from me
And left me standin’ here
Enginer blow the whistle
Foreman he ring, fireman ring, ring the bell
Engineer blows the whistle
And the fireman he rings the bell
There’s my baby on board
Waving me ‘Fare thee well’
You outta hear what
That mean old train, mean old train, train will do
You outta hear what
That mean old train will do
Take your baby away
And choke back smoke at you
03 Pearline (04:34)
mmm Pearline, Pearline
yeah oh Pearline
matter with you?
Don't care what I do
(hums next few verses)
Love you Pearline
Love you Pearline
I love you Pearline
07 John the Revelator (02:32)
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seals
Now God walked down in the cool of the day, and called Adam by his name
But he refused to answer, 'cause he was naked and ashamed
So, tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seals
Now Christ had 12 apostles, and three he laid away
He said "Watch for me one hour, while I go yonder and pray"
And tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seals
Mary Margaret they were there, and they heard every word he said
Said "Go tell my disciples, I said meet me in Galilee"
And tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seals
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seals
09 Death Letter (04:21)
I got a letter this mornin', how do ya- ya reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, the girl you love is dead."
I got a letter this mornin'. Mmh, how do you reckon it read?
You know, it said, "Hurry hurry, how come the gal you love is dead?"
Oh, I grabbed up my suitcase, took off down the road.
When I got there she's layin' on a coolin' board.
I grabbed up my suitcase, and I said and I took off down the road.
I said, but when I got there, mm she was layin' on a coolin' board.
Well, I walked up right close, looked down in her face.
Said, "The good ole gal got to lay here 'til the Judgement Day."
I walked up right close, and I said, I looked down in her face.
I said, "The good ole girl, she got to lay here 'til the Judgement Day."
Looked like it was 10,000 people standin' 'round the buryin' ground.
I didn't know I loved her 'til they laid her down.
Looked like 10,000 were standin' 'round the buryin' ground.
You know I didn't know that I loved her 'til they began to let her down.
Well, I folded up my arms, I slowly walked away.
I say, "Farewell honey, I'll see you Judgement Day."
Yeah, y- oh yes I walked away.
I said, "Farewell, farewell, mm I'll see you Judgement Day."
You know I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ole sun went down.
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around.
I didn't feel so bad, until the good ole sun went down.
Mmmmhmm, mmmhhh.
You know it's so hard to love someone don't love you.
Ain't satisfaction, don't care, ah, what you do.
Yeah, it's so hard, mhh love someone don't love you.
You know, look like it ain't satisfaction, mm don't care what you do.
Well I got up this mornin', the break of day.
Jus' huggin' the pillows she used to lay.
I said soo, this mornin', mmm yes the break of day.
You know I'd hug the pillow, mmh hmm my good gal used to lay.
Mhhn I got up this mornin' feelin' 'round for mah shoes.
You I musta had them walkin' blues.
Soo, this mornin', ah feelin' 'round for mah shoes.
You know, I musta had the walkin' blues.
Oh hush! Thought I heard her call my name.
It wasn’t so loud, so nice and plain.
Yeah, mmmmmhmm
Mmhhhmmm mhhmhm.
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