Label: Document Records.
Release Date: 1990.
Release Info: Compilation Studio Recording.
Recording Date: June 14, 1929 - Feb. 1, 1934.
Styles: Country Blues, Delta Blues, Pre-War Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Pre-War Gospel Blues, Regional Blues, Slide Guitar Blues.
This is a 61-track, three-CD set that encompasses a complete chronological run of Patton's recorded output. All of his solo sides are here, his duets with Bertha Lee and Henry Sims and his backup work behind both of them. All previous incarnations of this material don't sound near as good as they do on these three volumes, all of them given the full deluxe Cedarization noise reduction treatment from the Document folks. This is as nice as this stuff's probably ever gonna sound, thus justifying the usual hefty import price. ~ Cub Koda
Credits: H.E. Barnett - composer; Big Bill Broonzy - composer; Bob Groom - liner notes; J. Graydon Hall - composer; Mississippi John Hurt - composer; Bertha Lee - composer, vocals; Johnny Parth - compilation producer, producer; Charley Patton - composer, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Henry "Son" Sims - violin; Traditional - composer; J. White - composer.
Tracks: 1) Mississippi Boweavil Blues; 2) Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues; 3) Down the Dirt Road Blues; 4) Pony Blues; 5) Banty Rooster Blues; 6) It Won't Be Long; 7) Pea Vine Blues; 8) Tom Rushen Blues; 9) A Spoonful Blues; 10) Shake It and Break It; 11) Prayer of Death, Pt. 1; 12) Prayer of Death, Pt. 2; 13) Lord I'm Discouraged; 14) I'm Goin' Home; 15) Going to Move to Alabama; 16) Elder Greene Blues (Take 1); 17) Elder Greene Blues (Take 2); 18) Circle Round the Moon; 19) Devil Sent the Rain Blues; 20) Mean Black Cat Blues; 21) Frankie and Albert; 22) Some These Days I'll Be Gone (Take 1); 23) Some These Days I'll Be Gone (Take 2); 24) Green River Blues; 25) Farrell Blues; 26) Come Back Corrina; 27) Hammer Blues (Take 1); 28) Hammer Blues (Take 2); 29) Magnolia Blues; 30) When Your Way Gets Dark; 31) Heart Like Railroad Steel; 32) Some Happy Day; 33) You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die; 34) Jim Lee Blues, Pt. 1; 35) Jim Lee Blues, Pt. 2; 36) High Water Everywhere, Pt. 1; 37) High Water Everywhere, Pt. 2; 38) Jesue Is a Dying-Bed Maker; 39) I Shall Not Be Moved; 40) Rattlesnake Blues; 41) Running Wild Blues; 42) Tell Me Man Blues; 43) Be True Be True Blues; 44) Joe Kirby; 45) Mean Black Moan; 46) Dry Well Blues; 47) Some Summer Day, Pt. 1; 48) Moon Going Down; 49) Bird Nest Bound; 50) Jersey Bull Blues; 51) High Sheriff Blues; 52) Stone Pony Blues; 53) Yellow Bee; 54) Mind Reader Blues; 55) 34 Blues; 56) Love My Stuff; 57) Revenue Man Blues; 58) Oh Death; 59) Troubled 'bout My Mother; 60) Poor Me; 61) Hang It Up on the Wall.