Label: Columbia / Legacy.
Release Date: 1994.
Series: Roots N' Blues.
Recording Time: 123 minutes.
Recording Time: 123 minutes.
Recording Date: October 31, 1929 - September 21, 1933.
Release Info: Compilation (C2K-53234) Studio Recording.
Archival restoration and mastering performed at Sony Music Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, East Coast Blues, Piedmont Blues, Regional Blues.
This double-CD set is a little misleading. It is definitive, but only in terms of McTell's Columbia and Okeh sides -- you won't find "Statesboro Blues" or his other earliest sides here, because they were done for Victor. But the material that is here is all worthwhile, and this is the best single source for McTell's work for those labels (done under a variety of names) from the mid-'30s, very nicely remastered and thoroughly annotated, although producer Lawrence Cohn concedes that even Sony Legacy was unable to locate sources on a handful of songs that McTell is known to have recorded. ~ Bruce Eder
Credits: Gary Atkinson - composer; Adam Block - project director; Peter Chatman - composer; Lawrence Cohn - liner notes, producer; Dr. David Evans - liner notes; Howard Fritzson - art direction; Georgia Bill - composer; Blind Willie McTell - composer, guitar, harmonica, primary artist, speech/speaker/speaking part, vocals; David Mitson - mastering; Buddy Moss - guest artist, guitar; Traditional - composer; Curley Weaver - guest artist, guitar, special effects, vocals; Ruth Mary Willis - vocals.
Tracks, Disc One: 1. Atlanta Strut - Blind Sammie; 2. Travelin' Blues - Blind Sammie; 3. Come On Around To My House Mama - Blind Sammie; 4. Kind Mama - Blind Sammie; 5. Talkin' To Myself - Blind Sammie; 6. Razor Ball - Blind Sammie; 7. Southern Can Is Mine - Blind Sammie; 8. Broke Down Engine Blues - Blind Sammie; 9. Stomp Down Rider - Georgia Bill; 10. Scarey Day Blues - Georgia Bill; 11. Rough Alley Blues - Mary Willis; 12. Experience Blues - Ruth Day; 13. Painful Blues - Ruth Day; 14. Low Rider's Blues - Georgia Bill; 15. Georgia Rag - Georgia Bill; 16. Low Down Blues - Mary Willis; 17. Warm It Up To Me - Blind Willie & Partner; 18. It's Your Time To Worry - Blind Willie & Partner; 19. It's A Good Little Thing - Blind Willie & Partner; 20. You Was Born To Die - Curley Weaver & Partner; 21. Dirty Mistreater - Curley Weaver & Partner.
Tracks, Disc Two: 1. Lord Have Mercy If You Please - Blind Willie & Partner; 2. Don't You See How This World Made A Change - Blind Willie & Partner; 3. Savannah Mama - Blind Willie & Partner; 4. Broke Down Engine - Blind Willie; 5. Broke Down Engine No.2 - Blind Willie; 6. My Baby's Gone - Blind Willie; 7. Love Makin' Mama #1 - Blind Willie; 8. Love Makin' Mama #2 - Blind Willie; 9. Death Room Blues #1 - Blind Willie; 10. Death Room Blues #2 - Blind Willie; 11. Death Cell Blues - Blind Willie; 12. Lord Send Me An Angel #1 - Blind Willie; 13. Lord Send Me An Angel #2 - Blind Willie; 14. B & O Blues No.2 #1 - Blind Willie & Partner; 15. B & O Blues No.2 #2 - Blind Willie & Partner8; 16. Weary Hearted Blues - Blind Willie & Partner; 17. Bell St.Lightnin' - Blind Willie & Partner2; 18. Southern Can Mama - Blind Willie & Partner; 19. Runnin' Me Crazy - Blind Willie & Partner; 20. East St.Louis Blues (Fare You Well) - Blind Willie & Partner.
Original Matrix Information:
1-1: Atlanta, Georgia, October 30, 1929 (W149299-2, Columbia 14657-D)
1-2: Atlanta, Georgia, October 30, 1929 (W149300-1, Columbia 14484-D)
1-3: Atlanta, Georgia, October 30, 1929 (W149302-2, Columbia 14484-D)
1-4: Atlanta, Georgia, October 31, 1929 (W149319-2, Columbia 14657-D)
1-5: Atlanta, Georgia, April 17, 1930 (W150257-2, 194922-1, Columbia 14551-D)
1-6: Atlanta, Georgia, April 17, 1930 (W150258-2, 194923-2, Columbia 14551-D)
1-7: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W151904-1, Columbia 14632-D)
1-8: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W151905-1, Columbia 14632-D)
1-9: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W405002-1, OKeh 8936)
1-10: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W405003-1, OKeh 8936)
1-11: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W405004-1, OKeh 8921)
1-12: Atlanta, Georgia, October 23, 1931 (W151906-1, Columbia 14642-D)
1-13: Atlanta, Georgia, October 21, 1931 (W151907-1, Columbia 14642-D)
1-14: Atlanta, Georgia, October 31, 1931 (W405084-1, OKeh 8924)
1-15: Atlanta, Georgia, October 31, 1931 (W405085-1, OKeh 8924)
1-16: Atlanta, Georgia, October 31, 1931 (W405086-1, OKeh 8921)
1-17: New York City, September 14, 1933 (14008-2, Vocalion 02595)
1-18: New York City, September 14, 1933 (14009-2, Vocalion unissued)
1-19: New York City, September 14, 1933 (14010-1, Vocalion 02622)
1-20: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14024-1, ARC unissued)
1-21: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14025-1, ARC unissued)
2-1: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14027-1, Vocalion 02623)
2-2: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14034-1, Vocalion 02623)
2-3: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14035-1, Vocalion 02568)
2-4: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14036-2, Vocalion 02577)
2-5: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14037-3, Vocalion unissued)
2-6: New York City, September 18, 1933 (14038-2, Vocalion 02668)
2-7: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14045-1, Vocalion unissued)
2-8: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14045-2, Vocalion unissued)
2-9: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14048-1, Vocalion unissued)
2-10: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14048-2, Vocalion unissued)
2-11: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14049-1, Vocalion 02577)
2-12: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14050-1, Vocalion unissued)
2-13: New York City, September 19, 1933 (14050-2, Vocalion unissued)
2-14: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14066-1, Vocalion 025685)
2-15: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14066-2, Vocalion unissued)
2-16: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14067-1, Vocalion 02668)
2-17: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14068-1, Vocalion unissued)
2-18: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14069-2, Vocalion 02622)
2-19: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14070-1, Vocalion 02595)
2-20: New York City, September 21, 1933 (14071-1, Vocalion unissued)