Label: Proper Records.
Release Date: May 8, 2012.
Recording Time: 297 minutes.
Release Info: Compilation (PROPERBOX 168), Box Set (4 x CD).
Styles: Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, Early American Blues, Pre-War Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Early Country, Folk Blues, Rock & Roll, Slide Guitar Blues, Songster, Folksongs, Old-Timey, String Bands, Traditional Folk.
Trains were a prominent image in American folk and popular music early in the 20th century, and there are countless 78s and 45s floating around out there with trains serving as the central metaphor. Trains represented motion, mobility, and power, and they moved goods from coast to coast, creating bustling crossroads and towns at each stop along the way. Trains also moved people, whisking lives away to better places or worse places, depending on one's luck and fortune. This wonderful four-disc, 100-track set collects some of those American train songs in an expansive litany of motion and metaphor. Most of the tracks are old blues or string band tunes, with contributions from Furry Lewis ("Kassie Jones"), Frank Hutchison ("Hell Bound Train"), Mississippi John Hurt ("Spike Driver Blues"), Charley Patton ("Pea Vine Blues"), Robert Johnson ("Love in Vain"), and others, but there are also a few modern tracks here, as well, from Elvis Presley ("Mystery Train"), Johnny Cash ("Folsom Prison Blues"), and Chuck Berry ("Down Bound Train"), giving this collection a powerful panoramic feel. ~ Steve Leggett
The constant movement of people away and towards better or worse situations and the trains that got them there are a large part of the lyrical consciousness of all American Folk music. In this extensive Proper Records collection we have a cross-section of genres that perfectly illustrate the impact the railways had on the movement, sound, and consciousness of musicians from all strands of the Folk music of the USA. Proper.
Credits: Fred Adams - Primary Artist, Vocals; Alabama Sheiks - Primary Artist; Allen Brothers - Primary Artist; Austin Allen - Tenor Banjo, Vocals; Lee Allen - Guitar, Kazoo, Sax (Tenor); Shelly Lee Alley - Fiddle, Vocals; Shelly Lee Alley & His Alley Cats - Primary Artist; Blind Joe Amos - Primary Artist; Pink Anderson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; "Roosevelt" Antrim - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Thomas Ashley - Guitar, Vocals; Wilbur Ball - Guitar, Vocals; Rev. Robert Ballinger - Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals; Andrew Baxter - Fiddle; Andrew & Jim Baxter - Primary Artist; Jim Baxter - Guitar, Vocals; Russell Beecher - Release Production; Ed Bell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Will Bennett - Primary Artist, Vocals; Johnny Bernero - Drums; Chuck Berry - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Melvin Bethel - Mandoline; Black Ivory King - Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals; Bill Black - Bass; Tewee Blackman - Guitar; Blind Norris - Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals; Blind Sammie - Primary Artist; Eddie Boyd - Piano; Bradshaw - Composer; Big Bill Broonzy - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Bill Brown - Guitar; James Brown - Fiddle; Willie Brown - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Dean Bryan - Guitar; Bumble Bee Slim - Primary Artist, Vocals; Billy Burkes - Guitar; Weldon Burkes - Ukulele; Paul Burlison - Guitar; Burnett & Rutherford - Primary Artist; Richard Burnett - Banjo, Vocals; Dorsey Burnette - Bass; Johnny Burnette - Guitar, Vocals; Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio - Primary Artist; Charlie Burse - Guitar; Cannon's Jug Stompers - Primary Artist; Gus Cannon - Jug; Carlisle - Composer; Bill Carlisle - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Cliff Carlisle - Arranger, Guitar, Guitar (Steel), Vocals; The Carolina Tar Heels - Primary Artist; The Carter Family - Primary Artist; A.P. Carter - Composer; Sara Carter - Guitar, Horn (Alto), Vocals; Smith Casey - Primary Artist; Johnny Cash - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Polite "Frenchy" Christian - Cornet; Walter Cobb - Banjo; Cornelius Coleman - Drums; Lonnie Coleman - Primary Artist, Vocals; Sam Collins - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Big Sid Cox - Guitar; Ernest "Big" Crawford - Bass; Crowder Brothers - Primary Artist; Olfa Crowder - Guitar, Low Vocals; Ortize Crowder - Guitar, Tenor (Vocal); Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Arnold Curry - Banjo-Ukelele; Ted Daffan - Guitar (Steel); Dallas Jamboree Jug Band - Primary Artist; Darby & Tarlton - Primary Artist; Tom Darby - Guitar, Spoken Word, Vocals; Percy Darensbourg - Banjo; Carl Davis - Guitar, Vocals; Karl Davis - Arranger, Fiddle, Mandolin; Walter Davis - Primary Artist, Vocals; Delmore - Composer; The Delmore Brothers - Primary Artist; Alton Delmore - Duet, Guitar, Vocals; Rabon Delmore - Duet, Guitar, Vocals; Willie Dixon - Bass; Simmie Dooley - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Wendell DuConge - Sax (Alto); Sleepy John Estes - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Frank Fields - Bass; Garley Foster - Guitar; Ad Fox - Guitar, Vocals; Frenchy's String Band - Primary Artist; Gene Garrett - String Bass; Virgil Garrett - Fiddle; Octave Gaspard - Bowed Bass; The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet - Primary Artist; Golden Gate Quartet - Featured Artist; Claude Grant - Guitar, Vocals; Jack Grant - Mandolin Banjo; Marshall Grant - Bass; G.B. Grayson - Fiddle, Primary Artist, Spoken Word, Vocals; Woody Guthrie - Arranger, Guitar, Mandolin, Primary Artist, Vocals; Hack String Band - Primary Artist; Herb Hardesty - Sax (Baritone); Eddie Hardy - Drums; Kelly Harrell - Primary Artist, Vocals; Napoleon Harriston - Guitar, Spoken Word; Roy Harvey - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; King Solomon Hill - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Bob Hoke - Mandolin Banjo; Cisco Houston - Guitar; Howlin' Wolf - Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Mississippi John Hurt - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; C.L. Hutchison - Cornet; Frank Hutchison - Arranger, Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Louis Innis - Bass; Charles "Chicken" Jackson - Washboard; Tommy Jackson - Fiddle; Blind Lemon Jefferson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Snuffy Jenkins - Banjo; Billiken Johnson - Primary Artist, Train Whistle, Vocal Effect, Whistle (Human); Robert Johnson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Willie Johnson - Guitar; Willie Johnson - Baritone, Baritone (Vocal), Leader, Vocals; Joe Kaipo - Guitar (Steel); Karl & Harty - Primary Artist; Buell Kazee - Banjo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Chuck Keeshan - Guitar; Hosea Lee Kennard - Piano; Ransom Knowling - String Bass; William Langford - Tenor (Vocal); Don Law - Washboard; Sherman Lawson - Fiddle; Lead Belly - Primary Artist, Vocals; Ledbetter - Composer; Huddie Ledbetter - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Steve Ledford - Fiddle, Primary Artist, Vocals; Furry Lewis - Arranger, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Meade "Lux" Lewis - Piano, Primary Artist, Soloist; Noah Lewis - Harmonica; Cripple Clarence Lofton - Piano, Primary Artist, Soloist; Smokey Lohman - Guitar (Steel); The Lullaby Larkers - Primary Artist; George MacMillan - String Bass; Mainer - Composer; Wade Mainer - Banjo, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Eddie Mapp - Harmonica, Primary Artist, Soloist; Maybelle Carter - Guitar; Sam McGee - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Brownie McGhee - Primary Artist; Blind Willie McTell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Memphis Jug Band - Primary Artist; Memphis Minnie - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; William Mitchell - Bass; The Monroe Brothers - Primary Artist; Bill Monroe - Mandolin, Vocals; Charlie Monroe - Guitar, Vocals; Little Brother Montgomery - Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals; Scotty Moore - Guitar; Whistlin' Alex Moore - Piano, Train Sounds; Jack Moran - Bass; Zeke Morris - Guitar, Primary Artist; Hubert a. Nelson - Guitar (Steel), Vocals; Walter Nelson - Guitar; Nelstone's Hawaiians - Primary Artist; Harry Owens - Tenor (Vocal); Henry Owens - Leader, Tenor (Vocal); Byron Parker & His Mountaineers - Primary Artist; Charley Patton - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Luther Perkins - Guitar; Earl Phillips - Drums; Jack Pierce - Fiddle; Charlie Poole - Banjo; Elvis Presley - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Yank Rachell - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Ben Ramey - Kazoo; Clyde Riddick - Tenor (Vocal); James Rikard - Clarinet; Clyde Robbins - Guitar; Jimmie Rodgers - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocal Effect, Vocals; Posey Rorer - Fiddle; The Rouse Brothers - Primary Artist; Ervin Rouse - Fiddle, Guitar (Steel), Vocals; Gordon Rouse - Guitar, Spoken Word, Vocals; Jack Rouse - Spoken Word, Vocals; Ollie Rupert - Primary Artist, Vocals; Leonard Rutherford - Fiddle, Vocals; Anthony "Tony" Scanlin - Clarinet, Piano; Schaffer - Composer; Matthew Searles - Digital Remastering; Will Shade - Harmonica; Sherrill - Composer; Homer Sherrill - Fiddle; Claude Slagle - Banjo; Sloppy Henry - Primary Artist, Vocals; Casey Smith - Guitar, Vocals; Leonard Stokes - Guitar; Hubert Sumlin - Guitar; Roosevelt Sykes - Piano; Blind Joe Taggart - Duet, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Emma Taggart - Duet, Vocals; Tarlton - Composer; Jimmie Tarlton - Guitar (Steel), Vocals, Yodeling; Harty Taylor - Arranger, Guitar, Vocals; The Tenneva Ramblers - Primary Artist; Sonny Terry - Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Ashley Thompson - Guitar, Vocals; James Touchstone - Guitar, Vocals; Traditional - Composer; Zeke Turner - Guitar; Willie Tyson - Piano; A.L. Walker - Guitar; T-Bone Walker - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Dock Walsh - Banjo; Washboard Sam - Washboard; Muddy Waters - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Curley Weaver - Guitar; Will Weldon - Guitar; Eddie West - Violin, Vocals; John Westbrook - Guitar (Steel); Bukka White - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Washington White - Primary Artist; Henry Whitter - Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Spoken Word; Robert Wilkins - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Hank Williams - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Williamson Bros & Curry - Primary Artist; Arnold Williamson - Fiddle; Ervin Williamson - Guitar; Sonny Boy Williamson I - Harmonica, Primary Artist, Spoken Word, Vocals; Orlandus Wilson - Bass (Vocal).
Tracklist
Disc One: Big Railroad Blues
1-01. The Wreck On The Southern Old 97 - Kelly Harrell
1-02. The Brave Engineer - Roy Harvey
1-03. I Wish My Mother Was On That Train - Blind Joe Taggart
1-04. I Raised My Window And Looked At The Risin' Sun - Ollie Rupert
1-05. Yellow Dog Blues - Sam Collins
1-06. Gonna Die With My Hammer In My Hand - Williamson Bros* & Curry
1-07. C & O Blues - Blind Joe Amos (Blind Joe Taggart)
1-08. The Wreck Of The Virginian No. 3 - Roy Harvey
1-09. The Longest Train I Ever Saw - Tenneva Ramblers
1-10. K. C. Railroad Blues - Andrew & Jim Baxter
1-11. Mean Conductor Blues - Ed Bell
1-12. Frisco Whistle Blues - Ed Bell
1-13. Rambler Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
1-14. Sunshine Special - Blind Lemon Jefferson
1-15. Train 45 - Henry Whitter & G.B. Grayson
1-16. Ramblin' Reckless Hobo - Burnett & Rutherford
1-17. Chattanooga Blues - Allen Brothers
1-18. Sun Beam Blues - "Billiken" Johnson, Fred Adams
1-19. Big Railroad Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
1-20. If I Die A Railroad Man - Tenneva Ramblers
1-21. C. C. & O. Blues - Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley
1-22. The Red And Green Signal Lights - G.B. Grayson & Henry Whitter
1-23. Royal Palm Special Blues - Sloppy Henry
1-24. Kassie Jones - Part 1 - Furry Lewis
1-25. Hell Bound Train - Frank Hutchison
Disc Two: Travellin' Blues
2-01. North-Bound Train - Nelstone's Hawaiians
2-02. Waiting For A Train - Jimmie Rodgers
2-03. Texas And Pacific Blues - Frenchy's String Band
2-04. Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
2-05. Engine One-Forty-Three - The Carter Family
2-06. The Train's Done Left Me - Carolina Tar Heels
2-07. Old Rock Island Blues - Lonnie Coleman
2-08. The New York Hobo - Darby & Tarlton
2-09. Western Kentucky Limited - E.E. Hack String Band
2-10. Riding The Blinds - Eddie Mapp And His Harmonica
2-11. The Hobo's Last Ride - Buell Kazee
2-12. Pea Vine Blues - Charley Patton
2-13. Cannonball Blues - Frank Hutchison
2-14. Train Whistle Blues - Jimmie Rodgers
2-15. Railroad Bill - Will Bennett
2-16. John Henry (The Steel Driving Man) Part 1 - Furry Lewis
2-17. Long Train Blues - Robert Wilkins
2-18. K. C. Moan - Memphis Jug Band
2-19. Freight Train Ramble - Darby & Tarlton
2-20. Lonesome Frisco Line - Darby & Tarlton
2-21. Travelin' Blues - Blind Sammie (Blind Willie McTell)
2-22. Wabash Cannonball - Carter Family
2-23. The New 'Frisco Train - Washington White (Bukka White)
2-24. M & O Blues - Willie Brown
2-25. M & O Blues - Walter Davis
Disc Three: Blow Yo' Whistle Freight Train
3-01. Travelin' Railroad Man Blues - Alabama Sheiks
3-02. True And Trembling Brakeman - Lullaby Larkers (Cliff Carlisle)
3-03. Railroad Man Blues - Walter Davis
3-04. The Gone Dead Train - King Solomon Hill
3-05. Too-Too Train Blues - Big Bill (Big Bill Broonzy)
3-06. B And O Blues No. 2 - Blind Willie (Blind Willie McTell)
3-07. Railroad Blues - Sam McGee
3-08. Chickasaw Train Blues (Low Down Dirty Thing) - Memphis Minnie
3-09. Blow Yo' Whistle, Freight Train - The Delmore Brothers
3-10. B And O Line Blues - Bumble Bee Slim
3-11. Flying Crow Blues - Dallas Jamboree Jug Band
3-12. Honky Tonk Train Blues - Meade "Lux" Lewis
3-13. New River Train - Monroe Brothers
3-14. The Heavenly Train - Bill Carlisle
3-15. Depot Blues - Crowder Brothers
3-16. My Saviour's Train - Monroe Brothers
3-17. A. & V. Railroad Blues - Little Brother Montgomery
3-18. The Flying Crow - Black Ivory King
3-19. The Katy Blues - Blind Norris
3-20. Train Carry My Girl Back Home - Wade Mainer
3-21. Love In Vain - Robert Johnson
3-22. Riding On That Train Forty-Five - Wade Mainer, Zeke Morris, Steve Ledford
3-23. Golden Gate Gospel Train - Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet
3-24. Station Boy Blues - Roosevelt Antrim
3-25. Train Whistle Blues - Shelly Lee Alley
Disc Four: The Train Kept A' Rollin'
4-01. Special Agent (Railroad Police Blues) - Sleepy John Estes
4-02. Streamline Train - Cripple Clarence Lofton
4-03. Santa Fe Blues - Smith Casey
4-04. Orange Blossom Special - Rouse Brothers
4-05. Special Stream Line - Bukka White
4-06. The Midnight Special - Huddie Ledbetter, Leadbelly
4-07. Rock Island Line - Leadbelly, The Golden Gate Quartet
4-08. C. & N. W. Railroad - Byron Parker & His Mountaineers
4-09. Gospel Cannon Ball - Karl & Harty*
4-10. Hobo Blues - Yank Rachell
4-11. Mean Old Frisco Blues - Arthur Crudup
4-12. Lining Track (Line 'Em) - Leadbelly
4-13. Lonesome Train - Sonny Terry And Brownie McGhee
4-14. G. M. & O. Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson
4-15. Pan American - Hank Williams
4-16. Hard Travelin' - Woody Guthrie
4-17. Train Fare Home - Muddy Waters
4-18. Railroad Station Blues - T-Bone Walker
4-19. This Train - Reverend Robert Ballinger
4-20. Mystery Train - Elvis Presley
4-21. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
4-22. Smokestack Lightnin' - Howlin' Wolf
4-23. Down Bound Train - Chuck Berry
4-24. Train Kept A Rollin' - Johnny Burnette & The Rock'N'Roll Trio
4-25. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow - Johnny Cash