Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early American Rural Music, Classic Recordings Of The 1920's And 30's (Vol. 5) by Various Artists
Release Date: April 9, 2002.
Recording Time: 69 minutes.
Recording Date: 1920's - 1930's.
Release Info: Compilation (Yazoo 2063) Studio Recording.
Styles: Country Blues, Pre-War Blues, Acoustic Blues, Delta Blues, Old-Timey, Regional Blues, String Bands, Pre-War Country Blues, Traditional Folk.
Each volume in Yazoo Records' Times Ain't Like They Used to Be series (this one is the fifth installment) collects 1920s and '30s commercial 78s, and taken together they project a vital and energetic early-20th century rural America of jug and string bands, country blues players, fiddlers, banjoists, sacred singers, and musical roustabouts of every conceivable rustic style imaginable. This process makes each volume remarkably similar even as the particular artists and songs included on each may be tremendously different. Vol. 5 includes such gems as Sam McGee's bright "Railroad Blues," Skip James' classic and striking "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues," a breakneck version of "Black-Eyed Susie" by string band great J.P. Nestor, and an unusually hopeful blues treatment of "Some Happy Day" from Charley Patton. Since everything is drawn from exceedingly rare 78s, many of which were played to death by their original owners, there is a fair amount of ambient needle noise on several of these tracks, but that only adds to the overall feel of history actually coming alive that is inherent to these kinds of compilations. Well selected, varied, and artfully sequenced, Times Ain't Like They Used to Be, Vol. 5 is yet another welcome addition to a hopefully never-ending series. ~ Steve Leggett
Credits: Frank Blevins and his Tar Heel Rattlers - Primary Artist; Ben Covington - Primary Artist; Jimmie Davis - Composer, Primary Artist; Norman Edmonds - Primary Artist; Floyd County Ramblers - Primary Artist; Eli Framer - Composer, Primary Artist; Garland Brothers - Primary Artist; Garland Brothers & Grinstead - Primary Artist; Daniel C. Grinstead - Primary Artist; H. E. Barnett - Composer; J. Graydon Hall - Composer; Roy Harvey - Primary Artist; Roy Harvey & Jess Johnston - Primary Artist; Buddy Boy Hawkins - Primary Artist; Skip James - Composer, Primary Artist; Jess Johnston - Primary Artist; Lecroy - Primary Artist; Sam McGee - Composer, Primary Artist; Bull Mountain Moonshiners - Primary Artist; Murphy Brothers Harp Band - Primary Artist; J.P. Nestor - Composer, Primary Artist; J.P. Nestor & Norman Edmonds - Primary Artist; Richard Nevins - Liner Notes, Producer, Remastering; Charley Patton - Composer, Primary Artist; Grayson County Railsplitters - Primary Artist; Reaves White County Ramblers - Primary Artist; Blind Joe Reynolds - Primary Artist; The Swamp Rooters - Primary Artist; Hank Snow - Composer; Tucker - Primary Artist; Unidentified Prisoner - Composer; Unknown - Primary Artist; Wilmer Watts & The Lonely Eagles - Primary Artist; Weems String Band - Primary Artist; Wyzee - Primary Artist; Wyzee, Tucker & Lecroy - Primary Artist.
Tracklist:
01. Railroad Blues - Sam McGee
02. Step Stone - Floyd County Ramblers
03. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues - Skip James
04. Greenback Dollar - Weems String Band
05. Doggone That Train - Jimmie Davis
06. Framer's Blues - Eli Framer
07. No Room For A Tramp - Roy Harvey And Jess Johnston
08. Just Over The River - Garland Brothers & Grinstead
09. Mule Skinner Moan - Ben Covington
10. Shortening Bread - Reaves White County Ramblers
11. Black-Eyed Susie - J.P. Nestor & Norman Edmonds
12. A Rag Blues - Buddy Boy Hawkins
13. Railroad Blues - Roy Harvey And Jess Johnston
14. Way Down In North Carolina - Grayson County Railsplitters
15. Citaco - The Swamp Rooters
16. Pistol Blues - Unknown Artist
17. Boat Song March - Murphy Brothers Harp Band
18. I've Got No Honey Babe Now - Frank Blevins & His Tar Heel Rattlers
19. Bonnie Bess - Wilmer Watts And The Lonely Eagles
20. Cold Woman Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds
21. Hamilton's Special Breakdown - Wyzee, Tucker & Lecroy
22. Johnny Goodwin - Bull Mountain Moonshiners
23. Some Happy Day - Charley Patton
Notes:
Original recordings from the collections of Richard Nevins, Joe Bussard, Frank Mare, Don Kent, Sherwin Dunner, Dave Freeman, Ron Brown and John Tefteller.